Mornin’ Juice (trust and obey)

Trust and obey
for there’s no other way
to be happy in Jesus
but to trust and obey…

Trust and obey…

Words that most of you reading will be familiar with and more than likely have sang a trillion times. The words have stood the test of time has they were penned in 1887 by fella named John H. Sammis. Takes me back to a time riding in the front seat of a Pontiac chieftain listening to my daddy and his daddy (B) belt out the words of the famous hymn.

The two (trust and obey) really do go hand in hand, don’t they? Think about this for a moment. When we trust the source of the message being delivered to us, then we have this tendency to walk forward in belief. Or we can trust the source of the message, but the message God is delivering just may be too big for the god (notice little g) that we have constructed. Therefore, creating unbelief of God, the one who knows the plans laid out for us…plans to prosper…

There is a word in the Greek that is tied to disobedience. Now class, the obedience doesn’t disqualify who we are in HIM when we said to Jesus. We are secure because of who HE is not what we do or don’t do…the purpose of this discussion is to help us realize moments when the spirit of God is wooing us within to take certain steps in our lives. Steps that we either will trust and obey (follow) or we will:

The Greek word is apeítheia

At first glance what does that word remind you of?

Looks like apathy, doesn’t it? …. check out the definition…. unbelief, a stubborn willingness against the divine will of God

The will of God resides in each of us through the holy spirit…. would you take 3 minutes before reading any further and repeat this over to yourself. Go ahead set a timer, repeat to yourself.

The will of God resides in me
The will of God resides in me
The will of God resides in me

Ok you’re back…do you trust?

You see we have these moments throughout our day in our homes, at work, in our schools, and in our universities to agree and trust which means to be certain, to believe in the directions God desires for us to move. Yet our trust can waiver when the message, the steps God is desiring to take are out of how we “think” life should roll. So, in those moments we can choose whether or not to be certain that in doing so we are following through with the divine will of God within us which is to trust, or will we choose to live in a stubborn unwillingness against the divine will of God (apeítheia).

Good gracious does that not take on bit more depth. Flipa dippa gang. Is this saying what I think we are saying? When we choose to not follow to not trust God in that particular moment are we choosing to be our own god? Are we agreeing with the spirit of me vs the God of the ONE within? I mean really, am I that stubborn…unwilling really…. don’t we typically say our yes is on the table…didn’t we say we trust God with our lives, but not this moment. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE don’t let me the only one who wrestles and is wrestling with this.

Aren’t his purposes for his creation (us) trustworthy? Sure, I can say yes in a room full of other bible carrying folks on a Sunday or whatever your day of worship is, but what about when I’m face to face with the “situation” …the person…the obstacle…maybe it’s something that felt as ridiculous as marching around a wall 7 times and watching it come down (Joshua 6).

Just wonder what was going on with John Sammis on the day in 1887 when the words trust and obey for there’s no other way. What was his “wall…?”

What is ours?…what is yours? What is that “situation” in your life today where you can drop the stubborn unwillingness in following the divine will and begin to believe, to be sure of his divine will and trust?