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Profile: King Saul
Saul demonstrated partial obedience to God…and suffered the consequences
Leaders are faced with many temptations. Whether the temptation is money or power, many leaders sell themselves out. Just take a look at the news—we read about high profile failures nearly every day. With this in mind, every leader needs to periodically ask himself or herself, “Do I have a price?” Out of this world leaders’ commitment to God should be such that they will obey him no matter what they are offered to compromise.
Unfortunately, Saul—the leader who had everything a nation could want—lacked such commitment. When the pressure was on, instead of obeying God’s command to completely destroy the Amalekites, Saul spared the king and the best of the livestock (1 Samuel 15:1-23). Later, when Samuel confronted the king, Saul feebly explained that he had saved the best for the Lord. Instead of owning his sin, he rationalized it. As a result, God ultimately rejected Saul as king over Israel…significant consequences for “partial obedience.”
Profiles: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
They obeyed God…even if it meant death
Daniel 3:16-18 (The Message): Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered King Nebuchadnezzar, “Your threat means nothing to us. If you throw us in the fire, the God we serve can rescue us from your roaring furnace and anything else you might cook up, O king. But even if he doesn’t, it wouldn’t make a bit of difference, O king. We still wouldn’t serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up.”
Obedience at that level requires clear conviction. To these three men, the furnace was real. The threat on their life was real. The choice they faced was real. But, more importantly, so was the sovereign God.
Although two conflicting orders were given, the issue wasn’t so much “What was the order?” but “Who gave it?” For these three, the order of a king who could take their lives would never take precedence over the will of Almighty God. Their story of courage has inspired untold numbers of believers who have faced the fire—both literally and figuratively over the centuries.
Profile: Jesus
Jesus modeled total obedience to God in the Garden of Gethsemane
Matthew 26:39 (The Message): Going a little ahead, he fell on his face, praying, “My Father, if there is any way, get me out of this. But please, not what I want. You, what do you want?”
This is the ultimate statement of obedience. What Jesus wanted at that moment was not in line with what His Father wanted. Although none of us will ever know the depth of suffering that Jesus faced in that quiet garden, his statement in that moment of decision should be every leader’s response to the Almighty God.
The Gethsemane mindset is the attitude of trustful self-surrender demonstrated by Jesus. We can develop this mindset as we follow Jesus’ example. We set our minds on doing the will of God, obeying him even though obedience involves renouncing our feelings, desires, dreams, hopes, and ambitions so that God’s purposes may be accomplished…keeping the main thing the main thing!
This week’s study reminds me of an old hymn I love to sing. Let me set the context. In 1887, just following an evangelistic meeting held by Dwight L. Moody, a young man stood to share his story in an after-service testimony meeting. As he was speaking, it became clear that he knew little about the Bible or Christian doctrine. His closing lines, however, spoke volumes to seasoned and new believers alike: “I’m not quite sure. But I’m going to trust, and I’m going to obey.”
Daniel Towner was so struck by the power of those simple words that he quickly jotted them down, then delivered them to John Sammis, who developed the lyrics to the hymn Trust and Obey. The chorus goes like this:
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.
May you Keep the Main Thing the Main Thing…by Trusting & Obeying God…as you shoot for the stars!