Living the life God intended

Hi how are you all today? I am well. Last Sunday was my hubby’s birthday so we had a lovely lunch with family. This was after an amazing morning at church where I could feel the tangible presence of God. It was so beautiful. How was church for you?

This week I want to look at the verse in Isaiah 1:19. It says:

If you are willing and obedient you will eat the good of the land.

The Message Bible says: If you’ll willingly obey, you’ll feast like kings.

The Passion translation says: If you have a willing heart to let me help you, and if you will obey me, you will feast on the blessing of an abundant harvest.

So what’s the key words in this verse that tell us how to get a blessing- an abundant harvest in all that we do. We must be willing and obedient. Obedience has to do with our actions and willing has to do with our attitude.

So let’s look at obedience in the Bible. In Matthew 21: 28 to 32, Jesus tells the parable of the two sons. Both of these sons had the same father. The father told the first son to go and work in the vineyard. The son said no. There is no obedience at this stage. But later the son went and worked.

The father then told the second son to go and work in the vineyard and he said yes. This looks like obedience. However the son didn’t go and work.

Jesus then asked who obeyed the father and the answer was the first son. Obedience requires not just assenting to a command but putting action to it and doing it. Obedience doesn’t require willingness, only action.

However to be totally blessed does not require only our obedience. Some of us think that if we obey all of God’s commands, we will be blessed. But that is not the case.

We need to be willing – to have a good attitude as well. The first son in the above parable obeyed but was not willing as he first said no to the father.

So let’s look at willing. The parable of the great supper in Luke 14:15 is a great place to start. In this parable a man held a great supper and invited many to it. Once the supper was prepared, he sent his servant to tell the guests that the supper was now on. But were they willing to go- no. All of them had other more important things to do. So they were not willing to lay those things down and come.

Look at what verse 24 says. It says none of those invited will taste my supper. If we are not willing, none of us will eat the good of the land and be blessed.

This week let’s check our willingness and obedience levels in the things of God. Whatever God tells us to do, let’s obey and have a good attitude. Then blessing will come to us. That’s a promise from God.

Have a great week and keep living the life God intended for you.

Bless you

Karen