And sometimes, obedience makes no sense. God requests things us us that we do not comprehend, that we do not like, or that we want no one to know about. Obedience can be embarrassing for us while faith is the domain of the lions of Christianity.
We love the ones with faith. We put them on pedestals, while the obedient often toil in anonymity for years. The one who teaches the children's class or cleans the sanctuary is overlooked as we praise the one who makes the big splash.
Obedience is hard. It requires discipline, practice and effort. We often end up being punished when we fail and ridiculed when we succeed.
Faith certainly seems like the better option, but obedience is more important.
- Ezekiel lacked faith when questioned by God. (v. 3) He appears to be somewhat agnostic about the issue of whether or not the dry bones could live. He was so non-committal that his response was simply, 'you know, Lord.'
- God's commands to us are not based on whether or not we have faith. (v. 4) Ezekiel definitely did not have faith, but God gave the order anyway. The example is clear: We are to obey whether or not we have faith in God. Obedience is more important than faith.
- Ezekiel obeys God without regard to his level of faith. (v. 7) Even though Ezekiel was not sure about the outcome of his preaching, he obeyed God. He did what God asked.
- In response to Ezekiel's obedience, the Holy Spirit brings life. (9-10) God honors our obedience. He never asks us to do something that is useless. God always has a purpose. When Ezekiel obeyed, the Holy Spirit was able to bring life.
- When we obey, our faith is established and strengthened. As we allow God to work, He will work. As he works, our faith in his work grows.
Try to get faith. Work on your faith. Strengthen it. Nurture it. Exercise it. But do not neglect the importance of obedience. Above everything else, obey God.
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