Day 23
Acts 9:6b amplified version
" ... But arise and go into the city and you will be told what you must do."
Saul, later called Paul, was instructed by Jesus to go into a city, not knowing what he would do after he got there. His first set of instructions, after choosing to follow Christ, was a lesson in trust and faith. Like Abram, he had to begin walking with God without knowing exactly where he was going.
It is important to understand 'basic training' in God's 'army'. As in any army, strict and quick obedience must be learned, even when we don't know why we are doing what we are doing. At times, it is essential for a commander not to give details about his instructions for various reasons, such as not enough time to explain, or the inability of those under his command to comprehend fully the complexity of the situation. However, it is also appropriate for a leader to give unexplained commands just for the practice. A soldier must have learned strict obedience to his superiors before an emergency occurs. My husband, who is a pastor, was led to purchase a piece of property that he would not have selected personally. It made no sense to him to purchase the amount of acreage that this parcel contained. It was too much land for his needs, in his opinion. Thank God he had some basic training prior to this incident and knew to obey without further explanation. It turned out that he would need every inch of the soil to fulfill parts of the vision that was yet to unfold. Since then, he has been entrusted with not only that land, but more than twice the amount of the original piece. Jesus said if we are faithful (reliable,dependable) over a little, we can be trusted with much.
Promotion comes in the earthly army by being a good soldier -a faithful one, and one that can be counted on to honor, respect and obey his superiors. In God's army, we can expect promotion when He has proven we can be trusted in the same way. Since we are the Body of Christ in the earth today, our Commander must be able to depend on us to carry out His plan. He has chosen us to accomplish His mission on earth.
Finally, we must realize that strict obedience without questioningcan not only earn us promotion, but it can save us from losses, disappointments and even premature death. If we obey today, we will be glad we did tomorrow.
I will obey my Father when I don't understand as well as when I do understand. My Heavenly Father can count on me.