There’s power in specific instructions from God followed by immediate obedience by us. In fact, I think this is one of the most overlooked and underappreciated parts of our faith. And it’s also one of the most powerful dynamics that can either thwart your potential and intimacy with God or take it to whole new heights.
Examples of specific instructions that require immediate obedience are littered throughout the Bible.
- God gave specific instructions to Noah to build an ark. Noah obeyed and God used it to save the family that would repopulate the world after the flood.
- God told Abraham to leave his country and go to the land God would show him. He did and it was through his descendants that the Savior of the world would come.
- An angel of the Lord told Joseph to take Mary as his wife. Joseph obeyed and became the adopted father to Jesus.
And those are just three instances. I didn’t even mention Moses and the Tabernacle, Joshua at Jericho, Gideon’s instructions to reduce his army, Peter walking on water, or any of the crazy things the prophets were told to do.
I’ve found that it’s often the simplest commands and the simplest acts of obedience that have the deepest and longest lasting results. And become the foundation for larger assignments of faith later (Luke 16:10). Great opportunities later necessitate immediate obedience now.
So what specific instruction has God given you recently? Maybe even today?
Regarding your family? Your job? Your church? Your circle of influence? Your possessions? Your future? Your relationship with Him?
Don’t calculate. Don’t second-guess. And don’t delay. Just do it now.
Don’t ever make the mistake of thinking that your life is too big for you to obey a simple instruction from God. You will never outgrow the need to immediately obey anything God tells you to do.
And you might as well obey God now. Delaying won’t make it any easier…only more complicated.
