“This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Go and tell the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem, ‘Will you not learn a lesson and obey my words?’ declares the Lord. 14 ‘Jehonadab son of Rekab ordered his descendants not to drink wine and this command has been kept. To this day they do not drink wine, because they obey their forefather’s command. But I have spoken to you again and again, yet you have not obeyed me. “
Obedience is something we should all strive for. As children, we are made to obey our parents because our parents know that in order for their children to succeed, they must learn the art of obedience. Think of life without obedience for a minute, no one obeying traffic signals, no one obeying the law. Just imagine how crazy things would be if we all ignored the fact that we have to obey and instead stole everything without paying the price for a product. Life as we know it would be chaos.
The Lord came to Jeremiah and told him to bring some Levites into a room, all of the descendants of Jehonadab. The Lord said to tell them to drink wine. They refused because they were Levites and lived under a code of dedication to the Lord, one of which was to never drink wine. They received an A on that test. The Lord then brought them before the people, and we see verses 13 and 14 play out. He compares the obedience of Jehonadab’s descendants to obeying the Lord. His children simply obeyed Jehonadab because they knew they were called to serve the Lord.
I see many people struggling with this word “obedience.” They are all in when it comes to Jesus and His saving grace, but when obedience kicks in… Houston, we have a problem! Just as things would go completely crazy if people did not obey traffic laws—or laws, period—your life will spin out of control and into chaos without obedience to the Lord. Ephesians 6:13-14 says:
“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then…”
In order to fulfill the work of the Lord in your life, you have got to learn to stand firm and obey. And when you have been standing and obeying for a long time, keep standing firm with the full armor of the Lord. The military trains men and women to be a united fighting force, and in the process, obedience is key. When you give the Lord your obedience, you open yourself up to God working in and through your life. It is simple, just like obeying your dad or mom or a traffic light. Yielding your will to the will of the Father starts with simply saying, “Yes, Father, I will obey,” and then going and doing it. Are you done doing things your way?
Prayer: Father, too often we think we can manage things on our own. Too often, we also mess things up. I pray that today we simply obey You and Your Word. I pray that we meditate on it day and night, and I also pray that we always have it on our lips, speaking the Word of God and using it as a weapon. Under the obedience of the Lord, may we do the works of the Lord. I pray that signs and wonders will follow us when we obey You, oh Lord. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Let It Go 
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