WRONG WAY
A wise person chooses the right road; a fool takes the wrong one.
Ecclesiastes 10:2 (NLT)
"But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn't obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand."
Matthew 7:26 (NLT)
All of us have disobeyed God. It's part of human nature and goes back to Adam and Eve. Eve took a bite of the forbidden fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, gave some to Adam to eat, and they became filled with shame. We're not exempt. The enemy can cast doubt and deception in our minds, too, just as he did with Adam and Eve, leading us to sin or take matters into our own hands. Disobeying God can lead to consequences such as shame, delayed blessings and broken relationships with others and God.
When I was younger, and we disobeyed our parents, consequences followed. The same goes for our relationship with God. When we disobey Him, we're essentially saying to God, I know better than You do. God is an all-powerful God who knows what's best for us, even when we seem to have confidence that we're on the right path.
In the book of Jonah, the Lord told Jonah to go to Nineveh. Jonah had his own plans and decided to run from the Lord due to his fear and pride, and he boarded a ship. The Lord caused a powerful wind and storm to blow through, threatening to break the ship apart. Due to Jonah's disobedience, the sailors aboard the ship threw Jonah into the sea, where he was swallowed by a great fish for three days and three nights. At this point, Jonah was in a worse position than before. Does that sound familiar? We do things our own way and end up in worse situations.
Jesus doesn't expect us to be perfect, but He does expect us to obey Him when He tells us to do something. He won't twist our arm, but ask yourself how many times your own way has worked? Let the Lord take the wheel. He will never fail.
APPLICATION: Today, pray and ask God where in your life you're not following His teachings. Ask Him to remind you of His truths and to develop a heart to follow His path.
PRAYER: Jesus, oftentimes we are disobedient and try to follow our own desires instead of following You. Help us to be obedient when it's uncomfortable or even unpopular. I pray You give us strength to resist the lies of the enemy. Amen.
"… Our Father in heaven…" Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
• What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
"… may your name be kept holy." Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
• What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
"May your Kingdom come soon." Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
• Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
"Give us today the food we need," Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
• Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I'm around today?
"and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us" Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
• Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
"And don’t let us yield to temptation…" Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
• Is there anywhere I'm vulnerable to temptation?