Faith and Obedience. One without the other is nothing. It leads to absolutely nothing. If we hear from God and act on what He is calling us to do without the faith that it will succeed, it will fall. If we believe God will do great things, even miracles, in this world but refuse to be the medium through which He works, nothing will happen. One without the other is nothing.
"Now therefore, if you will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then you shall be a peculiar treasure to me above all people: for all the earth is mine." ~Exodus 19:5
"Therefore you shall love the Lord your God, and keep his charge, and his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments, always." Deuteronomy 11:1
Obedience is an act of love. It is an act of submission to God, knowing that He is far superior to ourselves. He is far wiser than we could ever hope to be. We must trust Him with our lives. If we do so, scripture tells us over and over again that we will be rewarded. We will be blessed and will have abounding riches. This of course is not earthly riches. In fact, often times we must first give up our earthly riches to attain an even greater treasure, God's treasure, the gift of salvation and eternal life. Are you willing to give everything you have and follow God even if that leads you into trials and tribulations? Will you follow God even if it doesn't make your life easier, but instead more difficult? Jim Elliot said this before he was killed by the very people he was sent to save.
"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose."
This can mean different things for different people. For him it literally meant life. He gave his life while working to bring the gospel to the lost. What does it mean for you? What are you holding onto? For some it is money. For others it might be work. Many people overwork themselves. Maybe you need to cut back on work and trust that things will get done. Rather than working for ourselves, for money, or for the company's success, work for God. Dedicate it to God. As soon as we introduce God into the "unspiritual" areas of our lives, we will see growth in every area. God should be Lord over all areas of our lives, not just the "spiritual" ones.
We can do none of this if faith doesn't accompany obedience. We can fall into a dark pit where nothing grows. Without faith, things become just routines. Without faith, there is no passion. There is no hope. If we do things without expecting God to come through, nothing will happen. Maybe you feel like God has called you to do something so impossible that you doubt anything will ever come of it. You do it anyways, but you do it grudgingly not expecting any fruit to come from it. Sometimes we pray for things, doubting the entire time that anything will happen.
"If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" ~Matthew 7:11
"Jesus looked at them and said, 'With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.'" ~Matthew 19:26
Not only should we believe that God answers prayers and that God works miracles, we should expect it! Doubt is of the devil, not of God. When we doubt, we question God's power and even His love for us. That is exactly what the devil wants. He wants us to question God's love for us, especially in times of trial. God intends for trial to lead to perseverance, maturity, and wholeness (James 1). If we trust in God during those times and seek out Him and His wisdom, trials will be some of the most fruitful times in our lives, and satan knows that! That is why he introduces temptation into our lives in an effort to steer us away from God's will. Maybe it's a voice saying, "if God loved me, he would give this to me," and we begin to question God's love for us. Luckily we see how Jesus himself dealt with this. Jesus was led by the Spirit to be tempted in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11). He responded in obedience to God by quoting scripture, even as the devil used scripture to try to lure him into temptation, into believing that God is withholding things from him and that he knows better.
We will be tempted by satan. We will be trialed by God. We must turn to God and ask for wisdom in both, and it shall be granted. We shall come out the other side of both with a greater love and understanding of God.
I challenge you to open your heart to whatever God may be trying to do in and through your life. No matter how extreme, may you be willing to follow God with everything you have. May you be willing to give up everything, even if that means your very life. May you die to your desires, die to world, and live for God, for Jesus said,
"'If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.'" ~ Matthew 16:24
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