Saturday Week 6 – Learners’ Permit

by | Feb 17, 2018 | Daily Devotional, General |

Today’s Scripture Reading: Hebrews 5:1-10

Obedience does not come naturally to man.
 
Right from when Adam and Eve’s disobedience to God’s commands in the garden of Eden caused the fall of man, the resultant sin nature had sown the seed of disobedience in man’s fallen state.
 
Man just seems so naturally predisposed to disobedience. There are very few places that prove this point better than watching men drive on the motorway
 
Joyce Meyer raised an interesting question in one of her broadcasts:
 
What comes to your mind when you are driving and you see the light change from green to orange? Do you think: “I need to slow down now and prepare to stop” or do you think: “I need to speed up and beat that light before it turns red”?
 
Why is it that when people drive and the road sign displays a 40 speed limit, you drive on 45, and then when the speed limit increases to 50 on the same road on which you’d earlier broken the speed limit to drive over the stipulated limit of 40, you now drive on 60? But then strangely, immediately you see what appears to be a police patrol car, your speed automatically drops to the suggested speed limit without any problems.
 
Have you ever been there, done that before?
 
Man is always looking to push the boundary to see how far we can go, to find out how much we can get away with. Man wants to be independent; to do as he pleases without being accountable or made to submit to authority. Man wants to live by his own laws and be subject only to the rules that favour his disposition.

Man is disobedient by nature. The fleshly desires of the natural man are in a constant battle with the desires of the Spirit.

And as the bible says in Romans 6:16-18 (NET)

“16Do you not know that if you present yourselves as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or obedience resulting in righteousness? 17But thanks be to God that though you were slaves to sin, you obeyed from the heart that pattern of teaching you were entrusted to, 18and having been freed from sin, you became enslaved to righteousness.”

Today’s devotional started with the statement:

“Obedience does not come naturally to man.”

If we look at this statement from the perspective of today’s theme scripture, we can see this notion further strengthened in Hebrews 5:8 –

 “though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.” Hebrews 5:8 NKJV

This scripture was referring to Jesus Christ, who though being God incarnate, took on the form of mortal man, giving up Himself in complete obedience to the will of the Father.
 
As the bible says in Philippians 2:6-13,
 
“6who though he existed in the form of God did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped, 7but emptied himself by taking on the form of a slave, by looking like other men, and by sharing in human nature.

8He humbled himself, by becoming obedient to the point of death – even death on a cross! 9As a result God exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, 10so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow – in heaven and on earth and under the earth – 11and every tongue confess

that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

12So then, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence but even more in my absence, continue working out your salvation with awe and reverence, 13for the one bringing forth in you both the desire and the effort – for the sake of his good pleasure – is God.”

 

Obedience is a “learned” behaviour, as it is contrary to what man in his natural fallen state is inclined to do.

But the bible gives us some pointers about how we can learn this nature of Christ:
  • – He emptied Himself
  • – He humbled Himself to the point of death
  • – He sacrificed Himself, giving up His will to please the Father
  • – It is God that works this change in us as a response to our submission to Him. 

So dear friend, the power of God is available to you today, to commit to living a life of obedience to God. All He’s asking of you is to be willing and available. To surrender your will to Him and make the decision to prioritise pleasing Him above every other thing.

I’ll leave you with this verse of scripture from our text above:

“8He humbled himself, by becoming obedient to the point of death – even death on a cross! 9*As a result God exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name…*”

God exalted Jesus as a result of His obedience.

 This is yet another reward of obedience to the child of God – God Himself lifting you up and honouring you with dignity, with power and with influence.

Do you not agree it is a reasonable price for you to pay for such a great reward?

Selah,

Pastor Wale Ola

LIFE APPLICATION

1. What is God saying to me in today’s message?

2. What was ministered to me in the bible verses that I read today?

3. What are the changes or adjustments I need to make in my life to align with the word of God?

4. What is my commitment to the word for today?

5. What practical steps can I take to benefit from the word I have read today?

 

 

PRAYER FOCUS

Ask God to give you the grace to fully trust and obey Him today.

Is there a decision that you are about to make? Ask God to give you the strength to stand true and firm on His word.
 
I empty myself of every pride that is in me to hinder my obedience to Your word.
 
I humble myself before You as the God from whom all wisdom flows. I surrender to Your ways.
 
Please work in me both to will and to do that which pleases You.
 
THIS WEEK’S MEMORY VERSE: Philippians 2:13
 
Song For Today: Set a Fire – Jesus Culture