PODCAST
Halfhearted Obedience
July 4th, 2014
Numbers 22:1-20
At a busy intersection, a boy on his way home from school followed his mother’s instructions to wait for her before crossing. She hadn’t arrived when a voice boomed over a loudspeaker: “Little boy in the red cap, please cross the street now.” So, he crossed. Finding him on the wrong side of the street, the mother lectured him on safety and obedience. He protested: “But, Mommy, God told me to cross!” Later she discovered the order came from an unseen policeman who had stopped traffic.
I like that kid! His attitude was that God’s “go” trumped Mom’s “no.” No halfhearted obedience for him! Too bad that wasn’t true for Balaam. Scripture indicates his obedience was shaky, perhaps halfhearted. Maybe that’s why he ultimately failed God’s test.
Not all obedience is immediate. Jesus told a parable of two sons with different responses to their father’s command (Matthew 21:28-32). Strangely, Jesus commended the one who first refused, then relented. There may be legitimate reasons for delayed obedience. But it always should be done wholeheartedly.
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Author: Wil Watson
