Growing Strong Through Obedience

“Therefore shall ye keep all the commandments which I command you this day, that ye may be strong, and go in and possess the land, whither ye go to possess it;” (De 11:8 AV)

There is more than one reason to keep God’s commandments.  The ultimate motivation is that in obedience, we please the Creator.  Another motive which is not that far removed from the first is in obedience, we realize the purpose of our existence.  The Creator made us to walk in obedience to His law.  Thirdly, in obedience, we understand purpose and calling.  We accomplish that which we were designed for and live in accordance to the Creator’s master plan.  However, the motive stated above is more practical than those previously listed.  In obedience, we grow in strength.  Sometimes that strength is physical or emotional strength.  More times than not, the strength mentioned is spiritual.  By walking is the commandments of God, internally, we become a stronger person.  We learn humility, patience, faith, and a desire to please God more than self.  We learn maturity.  We learn more and more of God by obeying Him.  We learn why He gave His commandments and that in His commandments is abundance of life.  In short, complying to the commands of God makes us stronger people.

Strength is a funny thing.  Sometimes, the smallest of thorns can drain the body of all strength.  This winter has been a hard one.  The flu is ravaging through the population.  Even my care givers have noticed it is particularly robust.  This writer contracted the flu.  It wasn’t too bad in the sense it was mostly a fever and body aches.  Fatigue was also a factor.  However, once having come out of it, I got an ear infection.  I haven’t had one of those since I was a kid.  It feels like a sharp object is jammed into my ear.  No fever.  Coughing from the flu has all but ceased.  Yet this painful earache is taking more out of me than the flu ever did.  Swallowing is a bit of a problem.  But the worst is when the pain comes on like an icepick being thrust into my ear and down into my throat.  As things go, this problem would be considered a minor one.  Yet, I’d rather have the flu again.  This small little infection is sapping all my strength.  It is considered very minor.  The urgent care doctor, who was fantastic, wrote scripts for meds.  Yet, there was nothing to do but wait it out.  One little thorn in the flesh and I need a serious nap in the middle of the day.

When we suffer even the smallest of consequences of disobedience, it can suck the spiritual life right out of our souls.  We pray for encouragement.  But one has to wonder how much of our discouragement is caused by disobedience.  Moses tells us that obedience to the commands of God brings internal strength to face the battles we must face.  The context is conquering the land of Canaan.  The way in which they were to win the battle was to first learn obedience.  Submission to a higher commander was key to following instructions that won the war.  If we are weak of disposition, zeal, or spirit, maybe the answer is no more complicated than obedience.