Numbers 2:1 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron....

Numbers 2:33 Moses obeyed the Lord....

mike and i are reading the Bible through in a year. yes, yes, we have tried this before. and no, we did not make it, but what the heck we are gonna try it again. anyhow, that is not the point. my point of these two phrases taken from Numbers (which is one of today's chapters) is that the Lord spoke to Moses and Moses obeyed. he questioned the Lord at first (like back in Exodus when God first wanted Moses to do things for Him). and Moses made excuses too. but God can use us anyway, if we let Him. we just have to learn how to obey.

i really do know this is not the easiest thing in the world. just like with our earthly parents, we sometimes do not want to obey them. it is like we think "obey" is a bad word these days. 1 John 2:3 We can be sure that we know God if we obey his commands. John 15:10 I have obeyed my Father's sommands, and I remain in his love. In the same way, if you obey my commands, you will remain in my love.

so... obedience is about showing our love and loyalty to someone (of course, right now, we are talking specifically about the Lord.) for me, it is hardest when the Lord is asking me to do something that i feel might embarass me or make me uncomfortable. like, the other day, i was sure i was hearing Him urge me to witness to a patient. i tried, but i know i did not go all out like He would have wanted me to. He wants us to be BOLD for Him, and sometimes i am just too meek.

our obedience to God's Word and commands is also a living testimony that we know Him and desire to follow His will for our lives, which is not always the path of least resistance. Moses and the Israelites wandered in the dessert for 40 years because of their disobedience. i wandered in my personal life for a while because i was not willing to get down and dirty and change some things for God. His will and plans for our lives are always better than our own. it is like we have to learn that lesson over and over, and sometimes we still don't believe it.