It is Best to Do EXACTLY as God Asks

 

It is Best to Do EXACTLY as God Asks !!

When you are in the kitchen cooking something nice, - if you are like me, you often add something to the recipe and change it to fit your liking. Usually it turns out good, but not always.

If you are following instructions to put an item together, it is best to go with the plan and not change it just precede as they ask you to do.

In the military, when orders are given, you are expected to follow them to the letter.

When God gives us His commandments, they are not suggestions, and His words to us are not to be tweaked to fit our whims, impulses, and desires.

So often we hear a teaching, and we understand it is in God's word, but we feel shy, or worse yet, we are not willing to step up and follow what is being asked of us.

We say to ourselves, Well, we have never done this before, and although God is a God of mercy, we take the liberty to think in our minds, that God will overlook this, if we just go the way we have always worshiped, the way we have always prayed, the way we have always read our Bible, the same way we have seen other's do, so there!! we say to God. - Our thoughts and our voices have been impertinent and offensive to God, and believe me, it is possible for God to lose his patience.

In the Old Testament there are two instances recorded where water came from a Rock.

In the book of Deuteronomy we see Moses leading the Children of Israel out of Egypt and on their way to the promised land. This was a large multitude of people along with their many herds of sheep, goats and cattle, and they had no water. The people began to complain and criticize Moses and blame God for taking them out to this barren desert with no water. God had mercy on them and told Moses to take his rod and smite the rock once and water would flow out. Moses obeyed as he was instructed and water flowed in abundance.

This was a picture to us of Christ Jesus who was smitten ONCE and He is our rock of Salvation, and in John 7:38 Jesus spoke saying; “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’”

Many years passed as the people wandered in the dessert, but now it was almost time to enter the promised land. Sad to say, the people were again murmuring and blaming Moses and God, because there was no water for them to drink.

This time, God told Moses gather all the people and to speak to the rock – which is another picture of Jesus. After Jesus rose from the dead, he does not need to be crucified again, because this was a one-time deal for our salvation. Now we are to speak and make declarations with our voice, as Jesus told us to speak to our mountain. So here we have Moses facing a problem, and he has been given instructions but he is not listening well - -

Numbers 20:8-12 God told Moses; “Take the rod; you and your brother Aaron gather the congregation together.

SPEAK to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water; thus you shall bring water for them out of the rock, and give drink to the congregation and their animals.” So Moses took the rod from before the Lord as He commanded him.

And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock; and he said to them with a voice of anger, “Hear now, you rebels! Must we bring water for you out of this rock?” Then Moses lifted his hand and struck the rock TWICE with his rod; and water came out abundantly, and the congregation and their animals drank.”

About that time, Moses was feeling pretty good about himself, and no doubt proudly said under his breath, “Well, I have the God Kind of faith and I am anointed to do miracles so look how it all worked out so great.” However, Moses was so wrong - - Moses had done his own thing and not obeyed God's explicit instructions to speak to the rock, but instead he shouted to the people and struck the rock twice. God was merciful and allowed the water to flow to the thirsty people.

“Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.”

Because Moses took things into his own hands and did not obey God's instructions, he was not allowed to enter the Land of Canaan, but could only view it from a mountain top, before the Lord took him to heaven.

May I caution you to heed the still small voice of the Holy Spirit when he says, to “Fast a meal” or to eliminate certain items from your diet, or lifestyle. If God is telling you to give in addition to your tithes, do so and He will provide for you. Be sure it is God and that you are not giving out of guilt or from hearing a good sob story.

If God is telling you to share a book or an item with someone, do not hesitate, because it is important to them to you and to God.

As the Holy Spirit leads us into a closer intimacy with Jesus, may we always be quick to respond to his call to praise and worship.

There are times we are simply willful and not obedient, but the fact is that God requires a full surrender of our will to Him.

I am reminded of the young boy Samuel, when he heard God call his name. This was new to him, and he misunderstood, and thought the voice was Eli the priest. Finally the priest realized this was God speaking to Samuel, so instructions were given.

Samuel went back to his room, and this time when his name was called, he said these words;

“Speak Lord for your servant is listening.”

These very words are what we must learn to say when God speaks to us, and to follow exactly as He says to do.

May we be willing to say; “Speak Lord for your servant is listening, and I will obey as you ask me to do.”