Simple Obedience!

Not everyone who calls me their Lord will get into the kingdom of heaven. Only the ones who obey my Father in heaven will get in. On the day of judgment many will call me their Lord. They will say, "We preached in your name, and in your name we forced out demons and worked many miracles."  But I will tell them, "I will have nothing to do with you! Get out of my sight, you evil people!"  Anyone who hears and obeys these teachings of mine is like a wise person who built a house on solid rock.  Rain poured down, rivers flooded, and winds beat against that house. But it did not fall, because it was built on solid rock.  Anyone who hears my teachings and doesn't obey them is like a foolish person who built a house on sand.  The rain poured down, the rivers flooded, and the winds blew and beat against that house. Finally, it fell with a crash.  When Jesus finished speaking, the crowds were surprised at his teaching.  He taught them like someone with authority, and not like their teachers of the Law of Moses.

Matthew 7: 21 - 29

You can say that Jesus is your Lord, even when He isn’t!  It is a rather amazing truth that there will be people on the day of judgment who will call Jesus their Lord, claim to have preached in His Name, forced out demons and even worked miracles but will be called “evil people” and told to get out of the Lord’s sight!

These verses seem to be saying that it is not the ones who “do great things for God” who please Him, but rather those who obey His Word!  So the question for me is this: Not what can I do for God, but rather what has God asked me to do for Him?  Simple obedience to the Word of God is better than preaching, casting out demons and even working many miracles!  So instead of trying to do something great for God, listen for His voice and obey the Word you hear!  Of course, the best place to hear the voice of God is in the Bible!  

“Lord Jesus, I thank You for speaking Your Word to my heart today.  Help me to be obedient to Your every desire for my life.  May You be praised forever.  Amen.”