By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed and he went out, not knowing whether he went Hebrews 11:8 (KJV).

Oh, the joy that obedience brings to the lives of faithful children of God. It was true in the life of faithful Abraham, and it is equally true for us.

If I could emphasize any of the above scripture, it would be "'when he was called to go out", Abraham went out. He did exactly what God told him to do. No addition. No subtraction. No change in the command. Faith in God always yields exact obedience.

Initially, Abraham faltered when God spoke to him concerning leaving Ur of the Chaldees. He only got as far as Haran and stayed there until his father died. But God spoke to him again, and Abraham set off for the land God had promised to give him.

I am so glad that God is persistent when we become complacent. When things are going well, we tend to put the things of God on hold; even things that God told us to do. Just because God is blessing us is no reason to sit back and relax. There is always something to receive from God.

Obedience to God involves denial of one's self. It is not until we forget our ideas and philosophy that we can really see the move of God. God’s ways are far above ours, and when we see His manifestation in our lives, we then understand how awesome God is.

I find it very interesting how people try to give God everything but what He asks.

Proverbs 23:26 says, "My son, give me thine heart." Instead, we give Him ceremonies. He asks for obedience, we give Him religious sacrifices. He asks for faith, we give Him excuses. Too often, we miss what God is really asking for. He desires exact obedience, but we give Him substitutes. To obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams 1 Samuel 15:22.

Exact obedience also involves paying attention to small details. "The essence of obedience lies much more in the little things than in the great ones." Few people would dare to rush into great crimes, yet they will indulge in secret sins and rebellion. In each case, the heart is not right toward God.

Far too often, we mar what we call obedience by forgetting that we serve a God who searches the heart and tries the mind; who observes our thoughts as well as our motives. God wants us to obey Him with our heart.

Obedience with the heart leads us to not only regard a few of God's commands, but to have respect for His perfect (complete) will.

Thirdly, obedience involves acknowledgment in the authenticity of God's Word, for it was by God's that creation was brought into existence. God said, "Let there be light and it was so" Genesis 1 :3.

Knowing the joy of obedience also involves acknowledging the pain of disobedience.

Continued delay of obedience is continuous sin. This is a serious matter, and one that requires our attention. Continuous neglect leads to callousness (insensitivity) on the part of the believer. The refusal to obey leads to a state of numbness where we no longer regard God or His commands.

I pray that the spirit of enlightenment will overtake all of us as we continue to search for God and seek to obey Him. "Exact obedience is the only way in this evil day."

By: Travestine Wright