April 23rd, 2024
For the past few days, I’ve been thinking about the importance of our response to God. When God created mankind, He gave us free will, and it was that gift which gave Eve the power to disobey God and allow sin into the human story. However, God still thought it was worth it to create us with the power to choose.
Have you ever realized that you are the only being with that ability? God’s Word has absolute authority and power, but He’s given us the ability to choose whether to align with it.
Think about it. Everything else comes into alignment the moment God speaks.
Creation itself is in existence because God spoke. Hebrews 1:3 says,
“[Jesus] is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and He upholds the universe by the word of His power. After making purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high…”
The earth itself is upheld by the power of His Word and everything in it responds to its Maker!
Jesus commanded the wind and the waves to be still, and they obeyed Him. (Mark 4:35-41)
Jesus stepped onto the water and every molecule aligned to hold Him up. (Matthew 14:22-33)
Jesus cursed the fig tree, and it was withered from its roots the next day. (Matthew 11:12-20)
Demons couldn’t argue or disagree with Him. They simply obeyed His Word, as they still do today. (Matthew 8:28-34)
Blind eyes, deaf ears, and crippled bodies simply responded to the touch of the Word Himself.
When Jesus commanded Lazarus to come out of his grave, death immediately released its hold. (John 11)
All of creation bows to His authority, without question.
The rocks themselves would cry out to praise Him if men did not give Him glory. (Luke 19:40)
It is humanity alone that He has given an opportunity, in this season, to choose.
He leads, seeks, and loves but He will not control. He freely gives and never constricts. He has given everything He could to make a way for you to choose life, but He won’t make you. Look at some verses that demonstrate this:
Deuteronomy 30:19-20 says,
“I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore, choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the LORD your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.”’
Psalm 32:8-9 says,
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding,
which must be curbed with bit and bridle,
or it will not stay near you.”
1 John 5:2-4 says,
By this we know that we love the children of God when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.
Zechariah 1:3-4 says,
‘Therefore say to them, “Thus declares the LORD of hosts: Return to me, says the LORD of hosts, and I will return to you,” says the LORD of hosts. “Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets cried out, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, Return from your evil ways and from your evil deeds.’ But they did not hear or pay attention to me, declares the LORD.’
Look again at that last verse. Free will means you can decide not to respond to the truth of God’s word. They “didn’t hear or pay attention,” but that didn’t mean God hadn’t spoken. His truth and the Holy Spirit have been given, and men must choose to respond when they hear the call.
Hebrews 4:2 conveys this well, referring to the people of Israel who complained in the wilderness. It says,
“For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened.”
When you hear the voice of God, by His Word or His Spirit, how do you respond?
Romans 4:16-17 says,
“That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.”
Faith is the only appropriate response to God’s voice and His Word will create that faith in you to receive all His promises. It’s a law as certain as the natural law of gravity. The Word of God carries power, all by itself. We don’t have to fight to make His promises come to pass. All we must do is surrender and obey. All of creation will align to His voice when He speaks. When you submit your free will to the authority of His Word, in surrender, your battle is won because His Word cannot fail!
This week, I want to encourage you to respond. Hold nothing back! If there is any area of your life that you are struggling or feeling resistance, it’s as simple as surrendering it to Him. His Word will do what it always does! We aren’t battling the world, the enemy, or even principalities and powers because they are already defeated in Christ Jesus. Our fight is the fight of faith. It’s the battle to simply believe every word that God has spoken and respond. It isn’t always easy, but His Word and Spirit will always make a way.
We are the only part of His creation that can willingly surrender the life He purchased for us and there is no greater joy. It’s what you were created to do! It’s the only place your heart will find peace. Even now, let our response to our Creator be wholehearted, that every area of our lives would be filled with light! His Word will work mightily in us to accomplish everything that He’s spoken. It’s healing, hope, life, and peace. In our surrender is absolute liberty.
As it says in John 8:36,
“Whom the Son set free, is free indeed.”
Have you ever realized that you are the only being with that ability? God’s Word has absolute authority and power, but He’s given us the ability to choose whether to align with it.
Think about it. Everything else comes into alignment the moment God speaks.
Creation itself is in existence because God spoke. Hebrews 1:3 says,
“[Jesus] is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and He upholds the universe by the word of His power. After making purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high…”
The earth itself is upheld by the power of His Word and everything in it responds to its Maker!
Jesus commanded the wind and the waves to be still, and they obeyed Him. (Mark 4:35-41)
Jesus stepped onto the water and every molecule aligned to hold Him up. (Matthew 14:22-33)
Jesus cursed the fig tree, and it was withered from its roots the next day. (Matthew 11:12-20)
Demons couldn’t argue or disagree with Him. They simply obeyed His Word, as they still do today. (Matthew 8:28-34)
Blind eyes, deaf ears, and crippled bodies simply responded to the touch of the Word Himself.
When Jesus commanded Lazarus to come out of his grave, death immediately released its hold. (John 11)
All of creation bows to His authority, without question.
The rocks themselves would cry out to praise Him if men did not give Him glory. (Luke 19:40)
It is humanity alone that He has given an opportunity, in this season, to choose.
He leads, seeks, and loves but He will not control. He freely gives and never constricts. He has given everything He could to make a way for you to choose life, but He won’t make you. Look at some verses that demonstrate this:
Deuteronomy 30:19-20 says,
“I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore, choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the LORD your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.”’
Psalm 32:8-9 says,
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding,
which must be curbed with bit and bridle,
or it will not stay near you.”
1 John 5:2-4 says,
By this we know that we love the children of God when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.
Zechariah 1:3-4 says,
‘Therefore say to them, “Thus declares the LORD of hosts: Return to me, says the LORD of hosts, and I will return to you,” says the LORD of hosts. “Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets cried out, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, Return from your evil ways and from your evil deeds.’ But they did not hear or pay attention to me, declares the LORD.’
Look again at that last verse. Free will means you can decide not to respond to the truth of God’s word. They “didn’t hear or pay attention,” but that didn’t mean God hadn’t spoken. His truth and the Holy Spirit have been given, and men must choose to respond when they hear the call.
Hebrews 4:2 conveys this well, referring to the people of Israel who complained in the wilderness. It says,
“For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened.”
When you hear the voice of God, by His Word or His Spirit, how do you respond?
Romans 4:16-17 says,
“That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.”
Faith is the only appropriate response to God’s voice and His Word will create that faith in you to receive all His promises. It’s a law as certain as the natural law of gravity. The Word of God carries power, all by itself. We don’t have to fight to make His promises come to pass. All we must do is surrender and obey. All of creation will align to His voice when He speaks. When you submit your free will to the authority of His Word, in surrender, your battle is won because His Word cannot fail!
This week, I want to encourage you to respond. Hold nothing back! If there is any area of your life that you are struggling or feeling resistance, it’s as simple as surrendering it to Him. His Word will do what it always does! We aren’t battling the world, the enemy, or even principalities and powers because they are already defeated in Christ Jesus. Our fight is the fight of faith. It’s the battle to simply believe every word that God has spoken and respond. It isn’t always easy, but His Word and Spirit will always make a way.
We are the only part of His creation that can willingly surrender the life He purchased for us and there is no greater joy. It’s what you were created to do! It’s the only place your heart will find peace. Even now, let our response to our Creator be wholehearted, that every area of our lives would be filled with light! His Word will work mightily in us to accomplish everything that He’s spoken. It’s healing, hope, life, and peace. In our surrender is absolute liberty.
As it says in John 8:36,
“Whom the Son set free, is free indeed.”
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