1 Kings 5:1–6:38, Mark 4:1–24, Proverbs 1:20–27
Yesterday I had the opportunity to talk with a dear friend
who I’ve not seen for several months. Before he went away because of a personal
issue, he explained why he was going: “I have to do this right.”
Now that he is back, (not a perfect person as he so easily
admits), his desire to obey God has not changed. This delights me and is an
answer to my prayers for him. When we chatted, I affirmed and reminded him that
God honors us when we do what is right.
Most of us learn this that the hard way. However, today’s
devotional readings reinforce how God honors obedience. He also knows when obedience
is from the heart. This does not mean I ‘earn’ His favor, yet obedience results
in blessing. This is a spiritual reality just like oiling a squeaky hinge makes
it stop squeaking!
To illustrate,
blessings on a positive response to God, Solomon wrote, “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will
scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge? If you turn at my
reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known
to you. Because I have called and you refused to listen, have stretched out my
hand and no one has heeded, because you have ignored all my counsel and would
have none of my reproof, I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when
terror strikes you, when terror strikes you like a storm and your calamity
comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you.”
(Proverbs 1:22–27)
Solomon realized that the grace of God is extended to
needy yet sometimes disobedient people, but not to those who mock God and
refuse to respond to His counsel. He had learned this through his lifetime,
beginning with a promise God made to him early in his rule over Israel:
“Now the word of the Lord came to Solomon, ‘Concerning this
house that you are building, if you will walk in my statutes and obey my rules
and keep all my commandments and walk in them, then I will establish my word
with you, which I spoke to David your father. And I will dwell among the
children of Israel and will not forsake my people Israel.’” (1 Kings
6:11–13)
Solomon was not a perfect person, nor a perfect king. He
made many mistakes and disobeyed God. Yet God blessed him and blessed his
obedience. Solomon built an incredible place of worship. He also recorded the God’s
Word concerning wisdom and life. His proverbs and other writings have blessed
many generations of God’s people. Why did God use this imperfect king to do
that?
It seems to me that Solomon had some of his father’s heart
for God, but at the same time he not earn this grace; it is a free gift. However,
Solomon responded to grace and did not scoff at God or hate His reproof.
Obedience results in blessing. Jesus took the same
attitude toward those around Him. The religious leaders of His day seemed to be
concerned with obeying God, but Jesus knew their hearts. He would not bless
them with any deeper knowledge because they did not believe or obey what they
already had:
“And when he was alone, those
around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. And he said to them, ‘To
you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside
everything is in parables, so that they may indeed see but not perceive, and
may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven.’”
(Mark 4:10–12)
God isn’t interested in a mere intellectual response. If
someone hears the gospel and ‘signs up’ like they were buying fire insurance, this
is only lip-service. Their hearts are not in it. It seems to me that this is a
huge reason why the gospel makes no sense at all to anyone unless the Holy
Spirit opens their understanding. God knows we would mock and scoff unless He changes
our attitude.
How can grace be free and obedience be blessed? Even with
my efforts to try to sort out the difference between undeserved grace and
blessings for obedience, I really cannot make full sense of it. I’m just glad
that He works in human hearts so that I can respond to mercy and grace instead
of being left in the dark.
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