Thursday, 11th November 2021–Pondering Obedience
Hello! I want to start out by saying, that I wrote this blog on the day! So, please, if you find any errors, anything confusing, let me know. I will make corrections. Without further ado, the post.
Tuesday, 9th November I sat down to write the post for the week. My body was betraying me—with essential tremors, weakness, exhaustion. I finally gave up and went to bed for the day. I simply have days like that!
Today, though, I am feeling better. As I prayed about what to write, it came to my mind that I’ve been wanting to write a series on obedience. The challenge and beauty of obedience are aspects I struggle with in my Christian walk. My heart desires to draw closer to God, yet my broken humanity balks at the thought.
Obedience has so many facets. I want to take some time and share my meditations and insights as I study this topic.
The scripture I want to use as a foundation is from Hebrews 5:7-10, Amplified Version.
“7 In the days of His earthly life, Jesus offered up both [specific] petitions and [urgent] supplications [for that which He needed] with fervent crying and tears to the One who was [always] able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverent submission toward God [His sinlessness and His unfailing determination to do the Father’s will]. 8 Although He was a Son [who had never been disobedient to the Father], He learned [active, special] obedience through what He suffered. 9 And having been made perfect [uniquely equipped and prepared as Savior and retaining His integrity amid opposition], He became the source of eternal salvation [an eternal inheritance] to all those who obey Him, 10 being designated by God as High Priest according to the order of [b]Melchizedek.
Asking Jesus into my heart as a child, I simply understood that Jesus was my friend. He took away my sins. As I grew up, I began to understand that to develop a deeper relationship with God, I needed to come under the Lordship of Jesus. That meant following His example.
Just like Jesus, I could be secure in the Father’s love, because He is my “Abba” (Daddy). I can trust Him, as a child who trusts a Good Father.
Now here is the rub: to be like Jesus, I also need to be unfailingly determined to do the Father’s will. The writer of Hebrews says that Jesus learned active, special obedience through what He suffered.
Great! That means that my obedience will take me to places of suffering. Who wants to go down the path of pain?! Not the average human being. (We must exclude masochists here.) And yet…
In 1975 I bought a double record album entitled “To The Bride”, which was a live-recorded concert with the group, Second Chapter of Acts and Barry McGuire. Barry had put a poem by Robert Browning Hamilton to music; I Walked A Mile.
I WALKED a mile with Pleasure;
She chattered all the way,
But left me none the wiser
For all she had to say.
I walked a mile with Sorrow
And ne’er a word said she;
But oh, the things I learned from her
When Sorrow walked with me!
The truth of those words sunk into my heart and brain. As a teenager, I had no experiential understanding of those lyrics. In my 30’s I ruptured discs in my back, requiring surgery to repair them. Now I have an understanding of “the things I learned.”
Jesus, being human, dreaded the cross. Yet, His unswerving determination led him to death and hell. Hebrews 6:7 says that the Father heard Jesus’ prayers and supplication because of His reverent submission to the Father. Jesus’ prayers were answered—not by avoiding the betrayal, torture, and death on the cross. Rather He was resurrected by the power of the Father’s love and then delivered from hell, bringing out a host of believers with Him.
What did Jesus learn in the obedience? He was equipped for His ultimate purpose as the final blood sacrifice for sin. He showed us how to retain our integrity in the midst of troubles, pain, and difficulties. In Hebrews 12, the writer says that Jesus, because He knew of the joy before him despised the shame, yet ignored it. Because He endured suffering, His position with the Father was secure. Therefore, our position as God’s children is also secured.
Like Jesus, obedience does not lead us to suffering. Obedience leads us through suffering to the joy set before us.
Suffering has been the proving of my faith. Obedience has led me through the angst, frustration, fear, and ache of my trials. Obedience has revealed the Father’s love and cares for me in times of destitution. Obedience has provided me with experiences that have left me amazed. So, will I continue to do as the writer of Hebrews instructs; ignore distractions and look solely of Jesus, the Author, and Finisher, the very source of our faith.
Serving Jesus, Author of our faith,
Dalletta