Obey Because God Says So - Daily Hope with Rick Warren - December 9, 2024
Obey Because God Says So
By Rick Warren
“It was by faith that Noah built a large boat to save his family from the flood. He obeyed God, who warned him about things that had never happened before.” Hebrews 11:7 (NLT)
Faith is being obedient even when you don’t understand. In the New Testament alone, there are at least 1,050 commands—and they’re all for your benefit.
God often says things that seem confusing, such as, “Love your enemies” and “Forgive the people who hurt you.” That’s not easy! Many commands in the Bible seem difficult, unreasonable, unrealistic, unachievable, and even impossible. But when God says things like, “You should save sex for marriage,” he’s not being mean. He says it because he knows more than you do what’s best and what will make you happy.
Every time God tells you to do something, it is a test of your faith. The question is this: Do you trust God, or do you trust your gut? Do you trust the Word, or do you trust the world?
Will you obey?
As a kid, did your parents ever ask you to do something that seemed unreasonable? When you asked, “Why should I do this?” they would say, “Because I said so!” Looking back, were the things your parents told you to do “because they said so” the right thing? Yes. Can you see in hindsight how they were wise?
Just like he did with Noah, God will ask you to do things you don’t understand for the rest of your life. When you’re 80 years old, God will say, “I want you to do this.” And you’ll ask, “Why? That doesn’t make sense.” And God will say, “Because I said so.”
Situations like these are a test. Faith is believing when you don’t see it, but it’s also obeying when you don’t understand it. If you don’t learn to obey, you’ll miss out on so many blessings God has in store for you.
But if you learn to do what God tells you to do without question, even when it seems absurd and the exact opposite of your natural tendency, then you will grow in faith—and be blessed.
PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick
For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit pastorrick.com!
Unleash the Power of Gratitude in Your Life!
The Bible tells us to “rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 NIV). But it’s not always easy to feel grateful.
That’s why Pastor Rick put together a Bible study called The Power of Gratitude. In it he’ll show you how to stay in God’s will, defeat discouragement, reduce stress, and experience God’s blessings—as you develop the habit of expressing gratitude!
We’ll send you The Power of Gratitude to show our appreciation for your gift to help Daily Hope take God’s Word and the hope of Jesus to more people around the world.
Request your copy below—and thank you for your partnership!
*The USA IRS code permits you to deduct the amount of your financial gift to Daily Hope that exceeds the fair market value of materials you received from Daily Hope.
This devotional © 2018 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
You can listen to Rick Warren on OnePlace.com.
