Willing and Obedient

UV 860/10,000 Willing and Obedient If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: Isaiah 1 v 19 The world looks for people who are willing and able. But the Lord looks for people who are willing and obedient. The world rewards people who are able. The Lord rewards people who are available and obedient to His Word. This is one of the biggest “ ifs” in life for the probability of people being willing and obedient to the Word of God is very low since we are born sinful and disobedient. The Word is same as God and so when we hold the Word in us, we are hugging and holding God. The Lord says,” hug me tight and you will squeeze the honey of my promises out of the honeycomb. “ Why does God reach out to those who are openly rebellious and opposing His will like the apostle Paul when he was Saul? He sees their heart and knows that they would respond with single minded zeal to the truth once it is revealed to them. Willingness implies that we offer ourselves to the Lord as a living sacrifice. We reach the point in our lives when we stop running away from doing the will of God and offer ourselves as Isaiah did, saying, “ Here I am.” It means that I surrender here and now completely to the Lord to use us as He knows best. We no longer struggle against His will and act like a horse that has not been bridled. The Scripture says that He became the author of eternal salvation unto all that obeyed Him. Every day as He sees us walking in obedience, He releases fresh anointing and blessings. Jesus spoke of the parable of two sons, one of whom promised to do what the father asked him to do, the other declined but later changed his mind and went and did it. The former is a metaphor for the religious class who promise and act as if they are willing and obedient while the latter is the image of those who were changed from within, who might have led a wild lifestyle in the past but on hearing the word of the Father receives it as truth and accepts His Son as Saviour. When we are willing and obedient to the revealed will of God, He blesses us abundantly so that we eat the good of the land. Our life, land and possessions will be blessed and these will be a blessing to others. The good of the land is an euphemism for what is best for us. Our spiritual, intellectual, social, familial, emotional and financial need will be satisfied. When we walk consistently in the cross hairs of God’s will, we will be blessed. We will fulfil our purpose like an arrow that hits the bull's eye on the target. Prateep V Philip