Psalm 55, Deuteronomy 11:18-28, Hebrews 5:1-10, John 4:1-26
Being obedient for me, only seemed temporary. I felt that I only had to be obedient while I was young and still living in my parents' house and under their rule. For a long time, I felt obedience was only for kids. So, when I first got to college, as you can imagine, obedience was completely out the window I wasn't about to obey my professors, let alone my parents. Long story short, things went downhill very quickly. I did get my act together, however I am still picking up the pieces from the damage I left during my rebellion from obedience. The kind of obedience I'm talking about rebelling from is nothing compared to the obedience God calls us to. It can sometimes seem like obedience on steroids! But, it has a right to be this way, considering all the things of His glory.
God's obedience even had to be learned by Jesus Christ while He was suffering here on earth:
"During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek."-Hebrews 5:7-10
He was heard because of his "reverent submission." In a lot of ways, today, submission is looked upon with negative connotations. Many women, including myself at one point or another, make the joke about not wanting to submit to a man at all, even in marriage. I can see now that I really have no true understanding of what submission really is. Reading about the submission of the Lord to do God's will no matter what has driven that point home time after time this week. I have not truly submitted myself to God just yet I don't believe, but I am slowly learning and educating myself as to what this means!
Obviously my struggles would not ever add up to one millisecond of Christ's struggles while here on earth, but in an attempt to make an analogy, here is the latest on my ridiculously hard life (that's a joke). So, everyone knows it is spring break right now, and with spring break comes gorgeous weather, what else comes with gorgeous weather??... Barbecues!! I love barbecue, but I have been so surprised at his immediate peace that He has given me when I cried out to Him. Granted, its just a barbecue and I'm not addressing this like its some big huge deal where I was trapped and people were trying to force meat down my throat. But, I bring this up because it was a temptation for me that I haven't really experienced before. It kind of made me feel as though Lent was really finally happening officially... I wasn't a fan at that moment. But, as I took a deep breath and prayed for strength silently, I started to appreciate it, and thank God for showing me that His call for obedience is never for nought, and that nothing is ever too small or too unimportant to tempt us.
EVENING PRAYER-- Now to God the Father who first loved us, and made us accepted in the Beloved: to God the Son who loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood; to God the Holy Spirit who fills our hearts with the love of God, be all love and all glory for time and for eternity. Amen.
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