Title: Obedience / Deuteronomy 30:8-20.
Contents
Obedience / Deuteronomy 30:8-20.
Among the praises we sang a lot in our old years, “I decided to live according to the will of the Lord. I will not turn back.” There is such praise. We are all determined to live according to the will of the Lord. However, sometimes we do not really know what God's will is. What on earth is God's will? How to live is God's will? The Bible explains the will of God in this way. “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in everything. This is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16)
God wants us to live happily. God wants us to pray and live with thanksgiving. In other words, we can see that God wants us to live happily ever after. The wish of everyone in this world is probably happiness. There is not a single person in this world who does not want happiness.
But the problem is that living a happy life is not really easy. How many people are living happily in this world today? How many people in this world are always happy? How many people in this world are thankful for everything? Are you always happy? Are you overflowing with joy? Are you grateful for everything? Are you overflowing with gratitude? Ask 100 passers-by, “How are you today?” How would you answer if asked? Most of them are “just getting along.” Or “I live without dying.” I will answer like this. It means most people are not happy. Most people live a depressing and frustrating life. Why? Why are people unhappy?
1. Because life is inherently difficult. This world is not heaven. This world is a wilderness. It is natural that life in the wilderness is difficult and difficult. Living happily in this harsh wilderness world is not always easy. If that was easy, why would we seek God? If that's easy, why do we need faith? Again, happiness is not inherently easy.
But that doesn't mean happiness is impossible. How could God command us to do the impossible? If happiness is impossible and joy is impossible, God tells us, “Rejoice always, give thanks in everything, for this is the will of God.” You cannot say this. It is true that our lives are as rough as in the wilderness, but there are certainly ways to live happily in this harsh world.
2. The reason people are not happy is because they do not know how to live a happy life. There is a way, but I couldn't find it. There is no road to happiness. But it's unfortunate that he couldn't find the way. So, how can we find the way to happiness? Philosophers are professional seekers of the path to happiness. “How can I be happy?” I ponder and study this day and night. Unfortunately, their troubles and efforts were not successful.
What to do when you don't know the way? “I will find a way with my strength and effort.” It's foolish to keep insisting. What to do when you don't know the way? The answer is to ask. When you don't know the way, it's wise to ask someone you know. Men really hate asking for directions. So he insists on finding it on his own, and gets lost for hours. But women are good at asking for directions. If you don't know, ask right away. Proof that women are wiser than men. It is wise and wise to ask when you do not know the way.
But when asking for directions, don't ask anyone. It is useless to ask someone who does not know the way. How can the blind guide the blind? You should ask someone who knows the way well. Who in the world knows the way best? Of course, he must be the one who made it. If you ask the person who made the road, you can find the path with 100 or 100 accuracy.
Jesus said in John 14:6: “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” Jesus said that he is the way itself. So we have to ask Jesus for directions. People aren't happy because they don't ask Jesus for directions.
3. The reason people are not happy is that they know the way but do not go along it. Those who believe in Jesus know the way. Those who know that Jesus is the way to happiness. But there is one really strange thing. Then, the question is, are all believers happy? Are all the people who go to church happy? As we all know, the reality is that not all people who believe in Jesus are happy. Why? I know the way to happiness, but why am I still not happy?
Disobedience refers to the act of knowing the way but not going along it. The reason we continue to be unhappy even though we believe in Jesus is because of our disobedience. Jesus taught us the way to happiness, and a stubborn heart that does not follow that path is disobedience. let's not forget The result of obedience is blessing, and the result of disobedience is destruction. The Bible clearly teaches that.
“Behold, I have set before you today life and blessing, death and disaster, that I command you today to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commands, his decrees, and his precepts; and if you obey, you will live. You will multiply and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are going to take possession of. It will perish.” (De 30:15-18).
In 2012, I sincerely hope that you will experience happiness by obeying the Word of God. Amen.