Honouring God Through Obedience

sabbath

JULY 23

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     A poor young man had given up on life. He could see no hope for his future. Disgrace had been his lot his entire life. What made his wound even deeper was the fact that he owed more people than he could count, and he owed no small amounts.
     One day, an affluent farmer rescued this young man and made him solvent. He also gave the young man a furnished house. However, the farmer told him that he was never to go into the room with the door labeled “Obedience.” If he did, there would be a terrible consequence, and he would have to leave the house.

   The farmer made the young man the steward of the house and then departed for a long journey. However, he did not return when he said he would. In fact, he stayed away long after the date he had given for his return. So it was that the young man decided to open the door labeled “Obedience.” The consequence was that once the door was opened, it could never be locked unless the farmer was there personally. What was so horrible about that?
   A week later, the farmer returned to discover that the young man had failed the one test he had been given. Unbeknownst to him, had he passed the test, the young man would have become the farmer’s heir. Instead, he would now be evicted from his home.
   Similarly, we as humans are lost and without hope. We face eternal death. God, however, grants us salvation through His Son Jesus Christ. Because of His salvation, He deserves our worship. But because we are tainted by sin, we need guidance on how to worship Him properly. How sad it is when we trample on His holy precepts! If we do keep His precepts, He will make us heirs of His divine kingdom as He has promised. To be able to honor Him through obedience is evidence of the Holy Spirit residing in our hearts. Although obedience may at times seem trivial, it is fundamental to worship. When we are disobedient, we are treating holy things as common. This week we will study certain biblical characters to see what they have to teach us about true worship and due regard for holy things.

Written by: Kofi Kermah Wagya, Terrahaute, Indiana, U.S.A.