What Are You Missing When You Disobey the Lord?

 May 1, 2024

Wednesday

Each week I offer God's invitation at the end of our worship services. I call it God's invitation because it isn't my invitation or the church's. God speaks to the people to come to Him either by faith as a new believer or by faith in become a church member or by faith in making some other commitment to the Lord. Could I offer an invitation that is mine? Yes, but what good would it do? They will have responded to my invitation rather than the Lord's. They will have given into the pressure I exuded on them by guilt or challenge or some other manipulation. They will not have responded by faith.

Why is it that many people refuse to make a commitment to the Lord? I believe that a public commitment is humbling. Many people believe that only children become Christians. Adults should made that decision a long time before. The sad thing is that their pride will leave them on the road to hell.

The great general Naaman came to Elisha to be healed of his leprosy. Elisha didn't even come out of the house to meet him. He sent word by a servant that Naaman should dip himself in the Jordan River seven times. Naaman was incensed. Elisha didn't come out and told him to dip in the muddy Jordan rather than the waters of better rivers. He wouldn't have anything to do with that a left in a huff.

However, Naaman's servants came to him urging him to do as Elisha said. He humbled himself by obedience to what he was told. He was healed because he didn't let his pride get in the way. We can only speculate what would have happened if he didn't dip in the Jordan River. Naturally, we would assume he would not have been healed. Was giving up his pride worth being healed? I believe Naaman would say that it was. Would an eternity in heaven be worth giving up pride? Is there any doubt?

Yes, you have the ability to say no to the Lord. But, please believe me when I say that you will therefore be in the place you are right now. You are assured of reaching hell if nothing happens to change your destination.

If you are already a Christian, things will get worse for you. You may be walking with the Lord and know the sweet fellowship of His presence. That can end with your refusal to obey. Maybe it isn't pride. Maybe it's something else. Will what it is matter when you aren't walking with the Lord?

I guess many people don't know what it is like to have that joyous fellowship with the Lord. They don't know that obedience to what He is telling them to do will provide a fulfilled life. So, they keep chasing after the things of this world: physical pleasures, possessions and pride. These things are like cotton candy. With them, you have a better chance of throwing up than filling up.

What is it that the Lord wants you to do today? Whatever it is, it will cause you to come closer to Him. It may cost you your pride or your money or even your physical pleasures. Unfortunately, you won't know what your missing if you refuse.

2 Kings 5:14 (NASB 2020) ¹⁴ So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, in accordance with the word of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.