24/03/2026
*WISDOM FOR TODAY*
Tues 24th March, 2026
LENT DAY 30
Gen 22:15-19
*IT PAYS TO OBEY THE LORD EVEN WHEN IT HURTS*
Beloved in the Lord Jesus Christ, we are privileged to be counted among the living this morning. It's not by power nor by might but by the grâce of God. Let us surrender totally to our God this day and allow Him to direct our lives.
This morning, the Holy Spirit wants to remind us of the benefits and reward of obedience to our God. It pays to obey the Lord. When you pass the test by doing what God wants you to do, your God cannot be silent. Unconditional obedience brings honour to our God and when God is honourrd by a man, He honours that man in return. Our passage today is a continuation of the story of yesterday in which we saw Abraham ready to sacrifice His son on Mount Moriah because God said so. It must have been a very emotional moment for Abraham, giving up his own son whom He loved so much, as a sacrifice to the Lord. No matter how difficult and hurting this sacrifice meant to Abraham, He obeyed the Lord. We saw how God Himself provided a ram as replacement for Isaac and Abraham took the ram and offered to God. God was very pleased with Abraham because HE DID NOT WITHOLD HIS ONLY SON FROM HIM. As such, the Lord made a vow to bless Abraham. Hallelujah!! He vowed by His name to richly bless Abraham in many ways:
- To give Him as many descendants as the grains of sand on the seashore
- To make His descendants conquerors over their enemies
- To make him and his descendants famous
- To make them outstanding and enviable to the point where other nations will want to be blessed like them.
All these blessings were pronounced on Abraham by God and sealed with a vow, all because He obeyed the Lord's command.
Beloved in the Lord, it pays to be obedient. Indeed! Obedience brings blessings but disobedience brings disaster. When you obey the Lord faithfully, you receive a great reward from him. It is so unfortunate that sometimes we feel that our blessings will come but from man. So we sometimes fall into the trap of seeking to please man even when it is against the will of God. Do not be deceived. Only God can truly bless us. When God blesses a man, no human being can revoke it. It is sealed by that vow taken in His own name. And you know as scripture tells us that, God honours His word. Once He has spoken, He makes sure that His word is established. If God vows to bless a man, then that man or woman is forever blessed.
Beloved in the Lord, strive to obey the Lord even when it hurts. Remember that Obedience is a choice. You can choose to obey or disobey. The choice is yours. However, the Holy Spirit wants us to submit to the Lord and to obey Him faithfully, so that we can reap this great reward. Therefore, as you go out today, examine yourself. Find out the areas where you have disobeyed the Lord. Turn to Him and ask for Mercy. He will forgive you and take you back to Himself for He is merciful and compassionate. Make up your mind to obey Him faithfully all the days of your life. The song writer says, "it pays to serve Jesus I speak from my heart..... " Indeed, it pays to submit totally to God, witholding nothing from Him because He owns everything. Because Abraham gave his own Son Isaac to God, God rewarded Him with uncountable descendants. When you sacrifice your best to the Lord, He gives it back to you in multiple folds. When you give Him the best of your time, He gives back to you more fruitful years. When you give Him the best of your resources, He gives back to you beyond your imagination. When you choose to give Him your heart, He gives you life in return. May God bless us as we choose to faithfully obey His commands and to withold nothing from Him but to give Him our best. What are you going to offer to the Lord today? Where have you disobeyed the Lord? Can you take a decision today to turn back to the Lord? Just repent and come back to Him as you are and He will cleanse you and restore you to Himself once again. I pray that wherever we have suffered disaster as a result of disobedience, may God show us mercy. As we begin to obey Him unconditionally, may the blessings and reward for obedience be ours in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen
_Rev Mrs Ntsam Emelda Bih_