Editor’s note: During the month of June, we are focusing on “Created To Do Good Works.” Ephesians 2:10 states that “we are God’s handiworks, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” I pray that you will search for ways to be God’s handiwork as we learn from other women.
Throughout my childhood, it was engrained in my sisters and me that obedience brings freedom. This simply means, if my parents could trust us to meet the expectation of obeying with the little things we were asked to do then we would soon gain more responsibility and freedom. My parents knew something that I did not at a young age and that is that if I simply obey in a happy way, then I would reap the fruit of obedience: more responsibility and freedom. This same simple concept is now true with Josh and I as we parent our own children. We tell them often that obedience brings freedom not only on Earth but in Heavenly places as well, for their obedience to us is good and pleasing to the Lord (Colossians 3:20).
Throughout 1 Samuel, there is a clear theme of obedience and the value that the Lord has on it. It is demonstrated through two different leaders at the time: Saul and David.
Saul was rejected by the Lord as a leader because of his inability to obey completely and love others. When the Samuel approached Saul about his disobedience and destruction he states:
“Does the Lord take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? Look: to obey is better than sacrifice, to pay attention is better than a fat of rams.” 1 Samuel 15:22 CSB
However, David was a man that feared the Lord and was a willing servant and always ready to obey and trust the Lord. When in process of finding David and anointing him as the next leader, God told Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or his stature because I have rejected him. Humans do not see what the Lord sees, for humans see what is visible, but the Lord sees the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7
This is just one example out of so many of the value that God puts on an obedient heart. It is clearly demonstrated through the Bible that when obedience is present and we are able to submit and honor God through our act of willing obedience, good works will always flow freely and naturally. Ephesians 2:10 is so clear when it states what we have been created for, but it also goes on to say, “God [has] prepared in advance”. Therefore, we were born with the ability in us to have God’s goodness flow freely from us if we simply just need to obey his voice. Good things always happen when you are following the voice of the Father.
We would like to thank Mallory Burgett for writing this blog post.
Women's Ministry 