Real Help

Anyone who wants to know God—to walk closely with Him—must obey Him. There is no way that we can come into a close relationship with the Lord, walk fully in THE BLESSING, and enjoy the communion that our spirits desire without obeying Him. If we will walk with Him, obey His Word, and follow the direction and leading of the Holy Spirit, we will enjoy the close relationship with Him that we desire. Just look at these three examples of people in the Old Testament who enjoyed walking closely with the Lord, and note how obedience played such a vital part in each of their relationship with the Lord.

1. Enoch

   The Word records that “Enoch lived in close fellowship with God” for 300 years (Genesis 5:22)! Imagine spending 300 earthly years in close fellowship with the Lord—obeying His commands, learning His ways and caring for the things that most concern Him. That was Enoch’s life. And the result? Scripture tells us that Enoch did not experience an earthly death. Instead, “he disappeared, because God took him” (verse 24).

2. Noah

   Noah lived during a dark time. Scripture tells us that evil had grown to such an extent on the earth that “the Lord was sorry he had ever made [humanity]” (Genesis 6:6). Then He said He would “wipe this human race I have created from the face of the earth. Yes, and I will destroy every living thing” (verse 7). It was a desolate time, but then the Lord looked and saw Noah. The Word notes that “Noah found favour with the Lord” (verse 8). Instead of conforming to the wickedness of the civilisation around him, Noah upheld morality and goodness. The result of Noah’s obedience was that he and his entire family were saved from the flood that destroyed every other living thing on earth.

3. Adam

   Now we all know about Adam’s failure, but consider his life before that detrimental mistake. He had walked in communion—daily relationship—with the Lord. God had breathed life into him (Genesis 2:7), set him in the magnificent Garden of Eden where all his needs were met (verse 15) and then He gave him the privilege of naming all the animals (verse 19). That was the result of Adam’s obedience. He was set with a blessed life! In fact, his wife, Eve, was too. They only needed to continue to obey the Lord. Sadly, Adam followed the enemy’s voice and betrayed the trust that God had placed in him instead. That disobedience cost Adam big! He and Eve were thrown out of the Garden, forfeited THE BLESSING and endured hardship the rest of their lives.

God promises that if we will obey Him, blessing will follow. Just look at these verses that show the connection between God’s BLESSING and obedience:

• Joshua 1:8: “Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.”

• Isaiah 1:19: “If you will only obey me, you will have plenty to eat.”

• John 14:21: “Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”

We cannot claim to love God without obeying Him. Let’s commit to obey Him with heartfelt love and show an appreciation for all He has done for us. We serve a big, magnificent, awe-inspiring God. Let’s obey Him immediately and wholeheartedly so we can walk with Him closely!