50 Days to More

A Seven Week Campaign to Begin 2018

Week 5: Cultivating the Habit of Hourly Obedience

Day Thirty (2/5/18): Obedience and Miracles
Recommended Reading: John 21:1-14

Yesterday, we talked about the fact that God requires our obedience. This principle is so important when it comes to seeing increase in our lives. Whenever we need a miracle, God will give us a set of instructions to obey. This makes total sense because if God handed out miracles left and right, we would never need to have faith and we would never grow. People would not follow God because of who he is, but because of what they could get from him. We have to give God our obedience in order to get what we are asking for.

When we are obedient to the instruction that The Lord gives us, the miracle is produced. This is something that we see all throughout scripture. Remember when God told Noah to build an ark to save his family because he was going to flood the earth? The thought of that happening was insane. In fact, there were less than ten people who believed Noah and got on the ark. But Noah still said “okay” and God produced a miracle. The flood really happened and God spared them.

What about when the Israelites marched around the walls of Jericho to bring them down? They had not a single weapon except their march and the sound of their voices--which God told them was all they needed. Even more insane, but they said “okay” and God produced a miracle. The walls came crumbling down before their very eyes.

In our recommended reading, the disciples wanted to call it quits because they hadn’t caught a single fish. Jesus told them to cast their nets again. To them, this sounded like a silly waste of time. They were fishing all night and didn’t catch anything! What was going to change? Although skeptical at first, Simon said “okay” and God produced a miracle. Their nets had so much fish in them that they started to rip!

On the other hand, being disobedient to The Lord’s instruction withholds the miracle. If the only thing that God requires of us is our obedience, then he can’t produce miracles if we don’t listen to him. Before we ask God for a miracle, we have to be prepared and willing to do whatever he asks of us.

God asks us to be obedient in different situations in different capacities. But he asks every one of us to say “okay” to him. Miracles don’t grow on trees. God instructs us to plant seeds of obedience, and that’s where the miracles grow from. Do you need a miracle in your life? Perhaps you’re believing God for the impossible, and he has asked you to do something seemingly impossible or crazy first. No matter how big your problem is or how crazy God’s instruction may be, take this as your challenge to be obedient. Obey God’s instruction--whatever it is--and see if he will not perform a miracle in your life!

“He replied, ‘Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.’” Luke 11:28 (NIV)

Compiled by Christine Thompson & Meredith Hobbs
Taken from the Sermon Series “7 Steps to One Thousand Times More”
By Pastor Timothy Coats
Family First Church - Spring Hill, Florida