Obenience

Hosea 1:2-3

What is your definition of the word obedience?  Mine came about many years ago on the way to Czechoslovakia, by car from Austria with our friend Val Kimmel and her children Page and Andrew.  I was sitting in the front seat and Jan was in the back with the children when Val ask them to stop doing whatever, and they kept doing whatever.  And the next words that came from her mouth formed my understanding of “Obedience.”  This is what she said: “Children, obedience is doing what you are told as soon as you are told, anything else is not obedience.”

I believe Hosea also had this as his understanding of obedience; as we ponder on verses 2-3, see if you’re in agreement with my premise? “When the Lord first spoke through Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea, “Go, take to yourself a wife of whoredom and have children of whoredom, for the land commits great whoredom by forsaking the Lord.” So he went and took Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son.”  Now we do not know much about Gomer but that she was the daughter of Diblaim, and depending on what version of the Bible as to how she is addressed, in the (NIV) as a “promiscuous woman”, a "harlot" (NASB), a "whore" (KJV), and in the (ESV) a wife of whoredom.  Gomer was one loose gal, she was not prophet wife material, but when the LORD said to Hosea, “Go, take to yourself a wife of whoredom and have children of whoredom,” Hosea did as he was told.

Earlier this morning in my reading of the Scriptures in Proverbs 4:20-27, I believe the Spirit of God was speaking to me about the importance of living a life of obedience.  “My son, pay attention to my words; listen closely to my sayings. Don’t lose sight of them; keep them within your heart.  For they are life to those who find them, and health to one’s whole body.  Guard your heart above all else,
for it is the source of life.  Don’t let your mouth speak dishonestly, and don’t let your lips talk deviously.  Let your eyes look forward; fix your gaze straight ahead.
Carefully consider the path for your feet, and all your ways will be established.
Don’t turn to the right or to the left; keep your feet away from evil.”

I believe the following are questions each of us who claim to be a follower of Christ must ask: 1) Am I paying attention to what God is saying to me from the Scriptures?  2) Have I lost sight of what God is saying to me, or have I taken the attitude of “I’ll do it later, at a better time.” 3) Do I believe that God’s word will bring life, and health to my whole body? 4) Am I guarding my heart from the darkness found all around me? 5) What about my mouth, is it deceitful, or is it known as a source of truth and light? 6) What are my eyes fixed on, the ways of the world or the things of God? 7) Am I carefully considering the path I’m on, is it going to guide me away from evil?

This I’m sure of, a life of discipline will not give your flesh what it is looking for, but one who has set their eyes on the path of obedience will find it’s only possible by living a disciplined life in all areas.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice