The necessity of responding to the Word of God

And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm (Mark 4:39, KJV)

Jesus was in a boat one faithful day when strong winds and waves of the sea threatened to drown the entire crew. Jesus rebuked the wind, and there was an immediate calm. The disciples were puzzled and astonished beyond measure. As soon as Jesus spoke to the winds, the winds reacted immediately, and the response was instantaneous. How wonderful! What is the lesson for us today?

Jesus spoke to the winds, and the result was immediate. The same Jesus has spoken to us, and we are far from seeing the same immediate results. The same God who spoke to the winds has also spoken to us and told us: “we are blessed”, “we were healed by His stripes”, “we shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover”, etc etc. Why on earth are we not seeing the same kind of immediate results which we expect from the Creator whose words are powerful? Therein lies the mystery of human response to the word of God.

God created man differently with a powerful freewill. Man has the capacity to say “no” to God, and choose something God does not want. The wind or the fig tree cannot say “no” to God’s words. They do not have that capacity. God’s words do not automatically produce results in human being just as it does on inanimate objects such as the wind. For God’s words to produce any effect in our lives as human beings, we have to receive it and respond to it. That is the reason why there are so many promises in the scripture that are not being fulfilled in our lives. This is a bitter truth: the fact that God said it does not mean it will come to pass in our lives. We are not winds, rocks, mountains, or fig trees. We have to respond to God by receiving His word and choosing to allow that Word to work in our lives.

MEDITATE

I really want you to understand what I have shared above. Why is it that God’s word does not produce an automatic and immediate response in our lives just as it does with the wind or fig tree?. Please take a moment and answer this question carefully to ensure you have fully understood the devotional.

APPLY THE WORD

Are you responding appropriately to God? Disobedience is a human response that inactivates God’s Word, just like unbelief, fear, etc. When you hear His voice, as you are hearing right now, do not harden your hearts. Respond appropriately to Him, no matter what that response means to you now. I will continue with part 2 of this important mini-series tomorrow.