Believe and Obey

In America today, many people have adopted the convenient theory that the Bible is a book to be explained, when first and foremost, it is a Book to be believed and after that to be obeyed. There is a world of difference between knowing the Word of God and knowing the God of the Word. Some people told me that they search the Word of God daily, but in real life I don’t see them allowing the Word to search their hearts thoroughly. There is a big difference between searching the Word and allowing the Word to search us.

In the last several days, I keep on hearing what Tommy Tenney said, “David defeated Goliath not because he fought well, but because he believed well.” Not all of us are good fighters in the natural, but all of us can be good believers. Is it not true that for old-time Christians, they hear only old things repeated at church, Sunday after Sunday, conference after conference, and will most likely go away without any increase in faith?

Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mk. 9:23-24, NKJV) Have we become like the father of the child? Have we called ourselves believers but living in unbelief? Do you have any challenge that causes your faith to be tested? Are you struggling to understand first and then you will believe? Jesus did not say that if you can explain the Scriptures, all things are possible to him that can explain. “God being who He is will never be explained in time; nor, we think, will He try in eternity to explain either Himself or His ways.” (Leonard Ravenhill) Jesus said, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him that believe.”

” … But the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.” (Dan.11:32b, NKJV) This is not just a cliché. Daniel shut the lions’ mouth with his faith. He was known as a man in whom lives the Spirit of the Holy God. Elijah shut up the heavens with a word. Joshua crumbled down the wall of Jericho by his simple obedience. Peter and John, both uneducated and untrained, marveled the educated and trained teachers of the law, the rulers, the elders and the high priests simply because they had been with Jesus.

Although it is not always easy to follow God’s simple solution during your journey, it is always worth it because it will lead you into a new place of communion and revelation. “No one can tell us where the shadow of the Almighty is, we have to find it out ourselves. When, by obedience, we have discovered where it is, we must abide there - there shall no evil befall you, neither shall any plague come near your dwelling. That is the life that is more than a conqueror because the joy of the Lord has become its strength, and that soul is on the way to entering ultimately into the joy of the Lord.” (Oswald Chambers)

Obedience to the will and the Word of God leads us into the shadow of the Almighty.