Obey

Accepting and Obeying
Leviticus 9:1-10:20

"So fire came down from the Lord and destroyed Nadab and Abihu, and they died in front of the Lord. Then Moses said to Aaron, 'This is what the Lord was speaking about when he said, 'I must be respected as holy by those who come near me; before all the people I must be given honor.'' So Aaron did not say anything about the death of his sons." (Leviticus 10:2-3)

This is a tough story I came across this morning, and one that I like to forget. It's certainly not one that we use for children's Sunday School classes. But important it is... God-breathed and God-inspired as the Bible is. Nadab and Abihu hadn't used the special fire that they were commanded to use in God's presence... not showing respect for God's holiness. So, I once again think about how God and only God is so worthy of all our respect of all our reverence for his holiness. His greatness is too great for me to even comprehend.

But also quite shocking about this story is Aaron's obedience and faithfulness- his acceptance of God's will. He understood what had been done, why it had been done, and accepted that it was the will of the holy Lord God. To not say anything about the death of one's sons, to not cry out in frustration. Lord, I only pray that I could be so obedient- accepting the good and the bad and the ways of your world, your answers that sometimes don't agree with mine.

Trusting and Obeying
Psalm 25:1-7

"Lord, I give myself to you; my God, I trust you." (Psalm 25:1-2)

There is a song that I was very fond of in Sunday School that goes,

"When we walk with the Lord in the light of his word,
What a glory He sheds on the way.
What he says we will do, Where he sends we will go,
Never fear, only trust and obey.

Trust and obey. For there's no other way,
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey."

The other verses are equally beautiful, but it's the same message again- "giving myself" to God... my whole life- what I do, where I go. Lord, I trust in You and in Your ways... and I give it all to You, for it is all Yours, Father and creator of all.

Fearing and Obeying
Mark 1:21-45

"The people were so amazed they asked each other, 'What is happening here? This man is teaching something new, and with authority. He even gives commands to evil spirits, and they obey him.'" (Mark 1:27)

When Jesus walked into the santuary, the evil spirit immediately recognized him and who he was, "God's Holy One!" as they exclaim. They were afraid... "What do you want with us? Why did you come here?" When I was younger, I was so confused with all the passages about "fearing" the Lord. "How could God be love and also be feared?" I would ask my Sunday School teachers, who were more accustomed to questions about the color of Jesus' clothes for activity book accuracy. But, just as referrenced in the previous two passages- God's holiness and God's power as creator of all. And here, also emphasized is Jesus' God-given authority... to strike fear into the heart of demons. To fear in this context doesn't negate our love for God but adds respect and honor, as shown by Aaron's acceptance. Lord, I love and fear You... for Your holiness, Your power and Your authority.

And with such authority, I cast everything upon You- a prayer for a job for Raad, healing for Kara, the Pastora's family, friends and family near and far, spoken and unspoken prayers... I know that You have You eye on all of us.