By Mary Carothers

How important is obedience? In the case of our dog Thor, I would say it is pretty important. Where we live, there is a law requiring dogs to be confined in their yards or on a leash (under control). The dogs we see being walked are always on a leash because their owners have no control over them. But Merlin and I have trained our dog to come on command and to heel. Because he is obedient, he gets to do all the things that dogs like to do. . . such as sniff all around and in general check things out. When we take him for walks, we always carry the leash, yet rarely need to use it. Thor’s obedience allows him the freedom he enjoys.

When our children were growing up and in their teens, some of them were obedient and trustworthy. These children rarely had their privileges revoked. We gave them a great deal of leeway in making decisions, going places, and doing fun things with friends. We also had some children who were less obedient. They were more easily led astray, and therefore had more restrictions. . . and less freedom. There was one son who seemed to attract trouble. It’s hard to remember when he wasn’t in hot water, and therefore on restriction. He had a rebellious attitude, resenting all authority. Consequently, he had the least amount of freedom. I’d say obedience in a family is important, too.

In I Samuel 15, King Saul disobeyed God. When confronted with his sin, he tried to excuse himself by explaining why he had done so. But God was not deceived, and at that time rejected Saul as king. Although Saul continued as king for some years, the Spirit of God departed from him, leaving him vulnerable to a tormenting spirit. Does that seem harsh to you? Saul had been given absolute power in his nation. In Luke 12:48 Jesus said, “. . . from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.”

Our nation was built on godly principles. For most of its two hundred years, its leaders have been men of strong moral values. As long as our country has honored God, walking in obedience to His Word, He has given us abundantly of His blessings. Today, however, we see a turning away from God’s Word. How many of the laws in our country completely ignore what God has clearly said in the Bible? If we continue to turn away from the Lord, He has no choice but to turn away from us. . . removing His blessing and His Spirit from our nation.

However, all is not lost! There is still time to repent and turn away from those things that do not honor the Lord. I urge you to search the Bible to find what is required of those who claim the name of Christ. We are His children; if we want to live in freedom and with His blessings, we must walk in obedience to His commands. Because He loves with an unconditional, everlasting love, it’s not difficult to obey Him …. He wants only what is best for us! What a wonderful Lord we have. Let’s determine to begin walking in obedience today, that we may receive His blessings! (January 1991)