WEDNESDAY - 5TH OCTOBER, 2022
MORNING WINGS DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE - Olusola ADEJUMO
WILLINGNESS AND OBEDIENCE - Discipleship Series 001
Read Gen.2 2:1-3
Isaiah 1:19,KJV
"If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:"
Men and brethren, there are many marks of a disciple but for our benefit, one or two is at hand. God told me, "the marks and costs of being a disciple is that they are willing and obedient." It's that they're ready to go always. It's that they don't harbour a way in themselves which they'll later resort to at being discontented or offended. When you are willing, "you're pleased to act." You believe you're not being coerced and so you operate from same mindset. Since you're positive in your mindset, the energy there vigorously fuels your entire body for action (obedience). Anyone who's willing is contented and never becomes a murmurer. The mark of being unwilling is discontentment, murmuring and sluggishness in heeding or taking the instructed step. But, it's not only willingness that makes a disciple who God calls him. What about "obedience?" Our willingness is in vain unless we make it a reality by acting. The same way bones without tendons and flesh can't walk also. "Faith without work", men of old says "is dead". No one sees and eats the reward of willingness without obeying! Willingness finds expression in obedience. Willingness is the water flowing through the pipe of obedience or action. You can be prompted or stirred but you must wake up and agree to make promptings a reality; or else, you'll have a horse in a book. Willingness is the drive, energy, passion, inner stirring and standing up or momentum one gather towards achieving a commanded goal (as a disciple). Willingness is also your resolution or resoluteness and final decision to take a course of action. "Obedience" is doing that thing (starting it) and finishing it. That reminds me of what Jesus, our Master says somewhere. He said, "I have food to eat that you know not of. My meat is to do the will of He that sent Me and to finish it (John 4:32,34)." You see, no other agenda. What have you been commanded specifically by the Lord that you're cultivating willingness for but which obedience must help you act out and finish? There should be a thing. If there's none for now, there'll be one or some by the morrow. A young believer may be receiving every good and perfect gifts but a day will come that from the same sky will fall every instruction that'll look tedious and unwelcoming. Such may have to confess like Job, "can we receive good of Him and not evil?" Yet, he'll finally see that His commandments are not tedious to bear but are rather way of life to any who finds them.
Abraham suddenly received a call one day. "Take your son, your only son Isaac (as if he didn't know how many he has) whom you love to Moriah and offer him as sacrifice where I'll show you there." What a rude shock! It looked like the devil just spoke. It is unseemly you'll say that was God's voice. Nothing could be a greater hurt. Imagine God telling him to go and kill his only son and then somebody he loves. This is hard to cultivate willingness for let alone obeying. Our minds can't even conceptualize it let alone accept or deem it fit. If people hear, even those of the household of faith, they'll say, "a demon had spoken to Abraham because our own God is peace." But Abraham can't pretend not to have heard God or acknowledge the voice which spoke. He can't become pretentious now. He had proved that voice long enough as to know who's commanding this. What did Abraham do? I thought he'll debate it and plead with God not to cause him shame and embarrassment before all those who had known he has a child. I thought he'll suddenly break down like David and begin to fast overnight so that God might change his mind (II Sam.12:15-17). No! Abraham is a disciple - ever willing, ever obedient. He rather gathered gears for the journey and went the next day to do God's bidding. That's a disciple. He hears - receives a command and doesn't contemplate let alone debates it. Disciples like this have lost their will. Their confession is, "for to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain" (Philippians 1:21). Let me ask you if you're developing these traits of willingness and obedience. The last time God wanted to collect a thing from you, you knew how much debate went over it. Same was not let go until later situations made you see what God was protecting you from. You're not willing and obedient. A willing heart gives up anything, yields up whatsoever. At a call, he leaves all to heed God. He's always at hand to serve His will because He sees himself as an unworthy servant who after serving him must still tarry to wait on Him. Yet, he discharges all in elatedness. God is putting willingness and obedience in your custody. He can't be willing and obedient for you. He only issues commands. It's not only every good and perfect gifts that comes from above; every command and instruction do come from above too. When it does, may you not throw them out. May you rush to embrace them in order to have them manifested in your life.
PRAYER: Humble me Lord. Teach me willingness and obedience. Let me eat the good of all instruction and command from above.
BIBLE IN A YEAR: Jeremiah 2:31-4:18, Colossians 1:1-17, Psalm 76:1-12, Proverbs 24:21-22
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