Obedience

via TJC

“Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the Lord their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the Lord their God had sent him. And the people feared the Lord.”

‭‭Haggai‬ ‭1‬:‭12‬ ‭ESV‬‬

One of the biggest misconceptions about men in military service is that we mindlessly follow orders. I’ve spent 6 years in the service and I have yet to meet anyone who checked their brain at the door. Everyone knows full well when things are going well and when they’re not, who’s a good leader and who isn’t, and most people are pretty vocal about such things when around trusted friends. What I have found amongst the warrior profession is that we become keenly aware of the presence of authority. You might not like it at the time, but you learn to press pause on your opinions, say “Yes Sir”, and execute. Warriors recognize authoritative commands and obey.

In the continuing story of Israel, the same is true. The people are brought into the presence of God of all authority and brought into the knowledge of the truth, time and time again. Both of these things, God's presence and the truth, can be very uncomfortable if you are not oriented properly. The only proper orientation towards God is deep love, which for us looks like recognition of authority and obedience. Haggai records that the king (the state), the high priest (the church), and all the remnant of the people (the nation) obeyed the voice of the Lord.

Daily Battle Order:

As you enter the Lord’s tent to inquire what he has for you today, ask yourself: “Was I issued commands in the past that I have ignored?” How will you pledge obedience today?