Obedience Is Not Easy, but It Is Simple
By: Sue-Ellen Howe
Tags: Koinonia, Struggle, Obedience, Christianity, Hope

Today, I read Joshua 7.

The Israelites had already gone up against Ai and failed miserably, losing about 30 men.

Now they were told to go up against them again? I can imagine the soldiers saying, “Are you kidding me? Did you see how big they were, and how fast on their feet?”

Can the simple act of obedience change the odds?

I am sure, if they dared to think about the past, they would realize and remember that obedience to the Lord God does change everything!

Some of those soldiers lost friends on that battlefield. The fear must have been tangible!

And yet, at the word of the Lord through Joshua, they went. The new plan was a good one, one they would not expect. Half the men lay in wait behind the city, while the other half ran for their lives again…. Okay, not really. They just coaxed them out of the city, playing to their pride because of the earlier victory.

I can imagine the warriors at Ai, laughing and slapping each other on the back….“Haha, they are back for a second smackdown! Well, we will gladly oblige; come on guys!”

Then God told Joshua to hold out the javelin, and they would win.

We would like to think that the soldiers were good and obedient, not doubting at all. But I still think some of the men were like, “Oh, yeah, Moses did that too. Just what is Josh trying to do? Show us he is as good as Moses?”

That’s not to say they didn’t do what they were told, but they were human after all.

And they had already been defeated once by this foe. Yet, God had so many times before delivered armies and kings into their hands. Hadn’t He promised?

Can you hear the what-ifs running around in the minds of the people? I am sure going out against these men again was not easy. It could potentially cost them something — or everything. Yet, God had said He would give this city, this land, to them.

We seldom have to face actual physical wars in this part of the world. That would be so scary! But I am sure that there are times when we know we need to obey something God has told us. We squirm, and whine and cry, or sometimes throw ourselves to the ground and do the all-out tantrum thing.

I am sure none of you have ever had this experience…

But when you finally choose to get up and do what He said, laying aside the fear, love, lust, money — whatever it is that you need to let go of, — obedience is very simple.

After you have taken the first dozen steps, you look at the whole thing and think, ‘That wasn’t as hard as I thought it was. Why did I struggle with it so long? Why didn’t I just obey the first time?’

I have a children’s song in my head now:

Obedience is the very best way to show that you believe

Doing exactly as the Lord commands, doing it happily

Action is the key, do it immediately, joy you will receive

Obedience is the very best way to show that you believe

O-B-E-D-I-E-N-C-E

Obedience is the very best way to show that you believe “O-B-E-D-I-E-N-C-E”

We want to live pure, we want to live “clean,” we want to do our best

Sweetly submitting to authority, leaving to God the rest

Walking in…

If you are struggling with something you know God wants you to do — whether it is to step out beyond your comfort zone or let go of something so close to you that it seems part of you — take heart.

It is hard! But, honestly, when we get past our will, our fear, our stubbornness, and just obey, we will find it is actually very simple. And the best thing we could do, even if we don’t see that right away.

Remember Moses? It was said that as long as he held the staff up, they prevailed in battle (Exodus 17). How did they know that?

He must have let his hands down once or twice, even just out of sheer exhaustion.

We might not get it right the first time. But the good news — amazingly — is that God is merciful and longsuffering. And, just as Moses had, there are friends to help us if we are humble enough to ask.

As hard as the thing you are called to do is, the blessings, peace, and joy on the other side are so worth it.

So, step out, let go, or whatever the thing is God is nudging you in your heart to do. He is on the other side, just waiting with arms open wide.