Do you remember when you were a child and your mom told you to do something like take out the trash or clean your room? If you were like most kids, even though you heard her, you didn’t always immediately move on her instructions. If your mom was anything like mine, failing to immediately obey her commands resulted in unfavorable consequences! When it comes to interacting with God, and positioning yourself for success in life, it is critical to be able to hear from Him. However, that is only the first step in the process. You can hear from God, but obedience is what gives birth to blessings; it is essential to success in the Kingdom of God.
There is no question that God is always speaking, but we must position ourselves to hear His voice. This requires us to operate in love and to turn away from sin, strife, and unforgiveness. These things will absolutely block our spiritual “receptors.” Also, obeying God’s written Word helps sharpen our spiritual ears. Every time we obey what God says in His written Word, we make ourselves prime candidates for His spoken instructions. We demonstrate that we can be trusted with more revelation when we follow what has been written.
Hearing from God is vital, particularly in the perilous times in which we are now living. But why is obedience such a big deal? Well, simply put, it is a guarantee of the God-kind of success we desire. The obedient person, who does exactly what God tells him to do when He tells him to do it, will never lose. This is because anything God tells us to do is good! Our heavenly Father has great and wonderful plans for our lives, and He wants us to fulfill those plans. Within the will of God, lies the good life He has designed for you. The Bible is your roadmap, and your obedience is what positions you to receive all the “goodies” He has for you along the way.
God is committed to showering you with His goodness, and He honors those who make His Word (written and spoken) their final authority. Matthew 7:24-27 says:
“Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
Jesus’ words are powerful. He gives a clear formula for success in this passage of Scripture, when He describes the man who hears and obeys the Word of God. This is the guy who is going to have success in his endeavors—compared to the guy who does things his own way, completely disregarding the counsel of the Lord. The disobedient man will only see his plans fail in the end.
As a pastor, I counsel people who are dealing with all kinds of problems. However, many times, the answers they are looking for are going forth from the pulpit week after week! The problem isn’t that they aren’t hearing the solution; they are just failing to obey what God is telling them to do.
I encourage you to take a serious look at your obedience and evaluate how quickly you respond to the voice and the Word of the Lord. If you find you have been disobedient concerning what He is telling you to do, simply repent and ask Him to forgive you. Then, open your heart to receive His Word and commit to obey Him at any cost. Write down what He tells you to do, and move quickly. Obeying God is the best thing you can do in life because it will always lead you down the right path and secure a future full of peace, prosperity, and success.
"Hear and Obey" 2 Message Series
Price: $14.00 – CD
Are you experiencing results in your life? The promises of God are guaranteed, so if you're not seeing the manifestation you're expecting, it may be time to check your application of the Word you hear. One of the acid tests of Jesus being Lord over your life is your obedience to do what He instructs. Hear and Obey by Creflo Dollar will challenge you to be a "doer" of the Word. Gain insight on how to activate the Word in your life and reap the reward of wisdom, which comes only from God. God knows what's best. Obey His instructions and experience a life of abundant success.
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