“Determine which things please the Lord.”
Ephesians 5:10
I recently read a devotional written by Sandra Sibley that was shared with me by fellow church member, Chuck Wilson. What resonated with me was the story of total obedience of Noah and the building of the Ark. It’s a simple story of an ordinary person giving total obedience and commitment to his Heavenly Father.
Let’s ask the question, what would have happened if Noah had not been fully committed; if he had completed only ninety percent of what God asked him to do? Imagine if he had left part of the hull incomplete, choosing instead to take a week off and do something inconsistent with God’s will for him.
What was God really asking of Noah’s commitment? Some have said, God wasn’t asking for an imperfect being to create a perfect product out of imperfect material, but He was asking Noah to stay committed and complete His request. Noah could not afford to be indifferent to God’s will, and neither can we. Noah had to complete the Ark, because it was God’s will. His salvation, his family’s chance of surviving catastrophe, and the fulfillment of God’s will, were all dependent upon his complete and total willingness to trust God. The same is true for us. We need to trust God completely. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6
Every day we are being tested to see if we are committed to pleasing God and following His will. Real commitment is certainly difficult, yet we are asked to do it every day. We’re asked to commit to spouses, children, jobs, exercise programs, diets, and countless other things. Many of these types of commitments require balance. We have to take time and effort from one commitment to give to another. While this works with certain aspects of life, it does not always work with our commitment to follow Jesus. God does not expect us to be perfect, but He does expect our first commitment to be to Him. Much of our spiritual life is a process of letting go of old habits and embracing our new life as a follower of Jesus. We won't always get it right and we will make mistakes, but we will keep moving forward if we remain steadfast in our commitment to God. “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” 1 Corinthians 15:58.
Jesus doesn’t ask for our perfection; He asks for our commitment. We are called to press forward with our best effort acknowledging our complete dependence on the sacrifice Jesus made. There can be no partial commitment when it comes to this one decision of following God’s will. What decision will you make today?
Heavenly Father, We know we fall short of perfection each day and we thank you for giving us second chances. When we pause and reflect we see how you have carried us in days past and loved us when we fell short of doing your will. We want you to know our commitment is to you and we promise to do our very best to live all the days of life being the child of God you have created. In Christ Holy Name, Amen
My love and prayers,
Ann
