Living in the In-Between: God Wants Your Obedience {Part 2}

Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father promised, "Which," He said, "you heard from Me..." 

Acts 1:4 [emphasis mine]

This week, as we continue our blog series   on living in the in-between, and as we search Scripture to discover the secret to cultivating a content heart during our seasons of waiting, we must look once again at the subject of obedience. 

I often catch myself grappling with great difficulty precisely how to walk in a spirit of obedience. How exactly does one know what God is calling him to do? How can I be sure that I am abiding by the Lord’s desire for my life and not merely the will of my own flesh? We need not look any further than to the Word of God to find the answers to those burning questions. Quite simply, we listen to His Voice.

Luke, the author who penned the book of Acts, uses the word ἠκούσατε or (ēkousate) in verse 4 to demonstrate to the reader that the key to obedience lies in one’s ability to listen intently to the Voice of God. In fact, according to HELPS Word Studies, it literally means, “to hear God’s voice which prompts Him to birth faith within.” Therefore, we can rest in full confidence, knowing that the One Who is beckoning us to come and follow, will also birth great faith within us so that we cannot help but to obey Him. As a result, our hearts become so in tune with the Shepherd’s Voice that we are lovingly compelled to live out our faith in a state of obedience- as an act of worship- holy and pleasing unto the Lord.

As the Lord draws us into seasons of waiting, He is essentially inviting us into His glorious Presence-to experience Him in all of His goodness. For it has been, and will continue to be, during these moments that God reveals to us exactly Who He is. And when we begin to comprehend and appreciate God in all of His majesty- the One who desires nothing more than to draw near to you- a sinner- our hearts yearn to abide by His commands.