June 1 - Job 22:21

“Agree with God and be at peace; thereby good will come to you.”

This reads a little differently in the New Testament.  Jesus has plenty to say about obedience to God.

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock” (Matthew 7:24).  Rather than on shifting sand, the rock is a perfect foundation for a good life.

If we are obedient, Jesus promises that we are part of his family.  He says this several times in the Gospels: “For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother” (Matthew 12:50).

In John 14 and 15, he calls those who are obedient his friend: “Jesus replied, ‘If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him” (John 14:23).

“You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you” (John 15:14-15).

But from John’s first letter, we discover the end result of our obedience, “The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever” (1 John 2:17).

Everything else will pass away.  Nothing will remain.  We are given a choice.  We can be part of everything that passes away or we can choose life … full life, from now until eternity.  This is life that never ends; this is life lived out in love.  Obedience isn't difficult unless we make it so.  It is a choice.

In Deuteronomy we read, “This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses.  Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life.” (Deuteronomy 30:19-20).

Choose Life.