Memory Verse:

Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.
Proverbs 16:3

Re read that verse several times. It is very powerful. Have you ever committed to something as fully as the Lord wants you to commit your plans to Him?

The word “commit” is a verb (action word) that means to confer a trust upon. Do we really trust GOD with all of our plans? Usually, if we are honest the answer is no, we do not consciously commit all of OUR plans to God. That would take the glory and honor away from us. In today’s lesson we are going to look at doing it God’s Way and how rebellious we are.

I’m sure you’ve heard the story about the little boy being punished by his mother. He was told he had to sit on a chair in the corner. During this time he was heard muttering, when his mom asked him what he was saying he told her: “ I’m sitting on the outside, but I’m standing on the inside!” We are so much like this little child when it comes to doing things God’s way. I am constantly amazed at the amount of rebellion that occurs within the Lord’s church. People that arguing over opinion issues is a form of rebellion. Trying to “interpret” God’s word to fit your situation is also a form of rebellion. God’s word, God’s way is the ONLY way! The knowledge of this statement comes from my heart and God has had to show me many times. God’s way is the ONLY way. Satan is fully aware of my stubborn independent streak and is constantly trying to use it on me. He tells me “It’s OK to do it your way – no one else will do it, and no one is going to get hurt!” as on e of the tools that he uses over and over on me. Overcoming Satan is difficult at best, but if I remember to commit to God on a daily, hourly, minute-to-minute time frame, it is easier for two of us to fight than one.

However, we do not have a blanket authority to do whatever we want to just by committing the plan to God. Psalm 37:5-6 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: 6 He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. God in His wisdom has given us the free will to make choices and as a result of those choices we also have consequences. Our trust in God is evidenced by the action of committing our plans to God and then LEAVING the plan with HIM. When we give the plan to God and see no immediate action or result we have a tendency to go back and say something to the effect “if He isn’t going to do anything, I will”; or we think, “this isn’t worth giving to God, I’ll do it and save Him some time!” What a mess we make when we practice this kind of Christianity. We have a choice to make, we either give it to God or we don’t. By making that choice all the other choices are made for you. When we make the choice to give the problem to God – He will take care of it. Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. Keep the problem for yourself and you get to do it all by yourself reaping the consequences of this choice. You get pride, boasting, bad example, will-full person, unloving, self-righteousness, worry, and on and on! Do we really want to reap theses types of consequences also?

There is joy in allowing God to guide you. Psalm 16:11 11You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Psalm 119:35 Make me walk in the path of Your commandments, for I delight in it. God’s words through David are powerful. When we commit to doing things God’s way we will ultimately have to deal with any sin that hinders God’s directions. But the results of giving God the sin will be wonderful. Psalm 61:2 From the end of the earth I will cry to You, When my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. Psalm 143:10 Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness. We all struggle at times to fully commit our way to the Lord. Over time as we learn and experience more of His plan it does becomes easier to trust Him. But this does not mean that it does not take continual work on our part. I equate this to a marriage. In the early stages of marriage you are learning to trust one another. You experience a lot of new things together – you experience life together and come to expect a certain reaction from your partner. Just as God expects us to read His word to experience things with Him, we do this in order to build a relationship with Him. Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. We can count on Jesus all the time; we can’t always count on people. As in all areas of Christian living this is an area where we have a lot of room for spiritual growth.

As God surveys the world he looks for committed followers: 2 Chronicles 16:7-9
7 And at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said to him: "Because you have relied on the king of Syria, and have not relied on the LORD your God, therefore the army of the king of Syria has escaped from your hand. 8Were the Ethiopians and the Lubim not a huge army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet, because you relied on the LORD, He delivered them into your hand. 9For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars." 10Then Asa was angry with the seer, and put him in prison, for he was enraged at him because of this. And Asa oppressed some of the people at that time. This section is a warning that the seer Hanani gave to King Asa because he had not relied on God. Being fully committed to giving Christ first place in your life means living a readiness to obey God’s commands. Reflect a bit on your willingness to obey God. Not just in thought but in deed.

King Solomon challenged the people of Israel in 1 Kings 8:61 Let your heart therefore be loyal to the LORD our God, to walk in His statutes and keep His commandments, as at this day." Is your heart loyal to God? Do you always walk in His statutes and keep His commandments? This challenge is one that every Christian struggles with daily. If we take it one day at a time it is easier. God has promised us help in our loyalty to Him. Psalm 28:7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, And with my song I will praise Him. Trust in Him and He will help – what a promise! Jeremiah 33:3 "Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.' It is wonderful to know that God will answer my prayers and help me understand this world in all of its confusion. Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. The reassurance of my strength is wonderful; I can always go back for more.

Psalm 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. How regular is your Bible study – daily, (like your vitamins?) What promise do you see in the promise of Psalm 37:4 when you read “delight yourself in the lord?”
Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. God promises that you can do everything through the strength He gives you. His strength becomes a shield that protects you. Decide which path you will follow. Jeremiah states “As for me and my house we will serve the Lord.”

Is your spirit willing to serve God? King David was a man “after God’s own heart” Acts 13:22 After removing Saul, he made David their king. He testified concerning him: 'I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.' Yet David sinned again God, and then compounded the problem through stubborn rebellion. When God’s prophet Nathan confronted David with his sin, David repented and returned once again to following God’s ay. This experience is recorded in Psalm 51.
Psalm 51:2 tells us of David’s repentance. 2 Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. How would your life as a Christian change if you gave God a willing spirit? Would it help you do the things you need to do to serve God?

God works in our lives to discipline us when we stray from His path. When this discipline occurs, we need to respond appropriately. Our attitude towards God’s discipline makes a huge diffidence in how successful our repentance and consequently the changes that we make when we will be serving God. God only wants the best for us, Relax, and let God lead you. His control is not meant to chain you to hard rules but to set you free to enjoy life!

Hebrews 12:5-6 tells us how we should respond when God disciplines us and according to Hebrews 12:10-11 we can expect God’s discipline to accomplish much in our life.
Hebrews 12:5-6 And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son. Hebrews 12:10-11 Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. 11No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. These verses are also full of warnings that we must be aware of. We are not to lose heart when God rebukes or disciplines us. Once you decide to go God’s way you will find wonderful things will happen. Your job will be easier (you have extra help), as well as, God’s job will be easier if you are willing.

I always think of Job in situations where trusting God comes up. His heart was definitely in the right place at ALL times. Job knew that God would not lead him in a bad direction. God did allow Satan to destroy all of Jobs external happiness, but Satan did not touch Job’s steadfastness.

We have to always be on guard for our enemy Satan. He delights in seeing us suffer and turn to our own ways. Remember even the most obedient Christians will stray at times. God is always there.

God deals harshly with those who resist His plans. The Bible is full of warnings about a rebellious spirit. You may not think of yourself as rebellious, you may have a strong personality, or think you know what is right for you. In reality, you might be rebelling against God’s plan. Just because we say we are doing God’s will it is not necessarily so. A person who is truly seeking God’s direction will find it, and the peace that accompanies the decision. Let’s look at some verses and see what the Biblical principles about rebellion teach us.

Deuteronomy 9:22-24
22"Also at Taberah and Massah and Kibroth Hattaavah you provoked the LORD to wrath. 23Likewise, when the LORD sent you from Kadesh Barnea, saying, "Go up and possess the land which I have given you,' then you rebelled against the commandment of the LORD your God, and you did not believe Him nor obey His voice. 24You have been rebellious against the LORD from the day that I knew you.

Job 24:13 "There are those who rebel against the light; They do not know its ways
Nor abide in its paths. (Job is complaining about the violence in the world)

Psalm 25:7 Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions; According to Your mercy remember me, For Your goodness' sake, O LORD.

Psalm 106:43 Many times He delivered them; But they rebelled in their counsel, and were brought low for their iniquity.

Psalm 107:11 Because they rebelled against the words of God, And despised the counsel of the Most High, 12Therefore He brought down their heart with labor; They fell down, and there was none to help.

Isaiah 30:9 8 Now go, write it before them on a tablet, And note it on a scroll, That it may be for time to come, forever and ever: 9That this is a rebellious people, Lying children, Children who will not hear the law of the LORD; 10Who say to the seers, "Do not see," And to the prophets, "Do not prophesy to us right things; Speak to us smooth things, prophesy deceits.

Ezekiel 12:2 "Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house, which has eyes to see but does not see, and ears to hear but does not hear; for they are a rebellious house.

Hosea 14:9 Who is wise? Let him understand these things. Who is prudent? Let him know them.
For the ways of the LORD are right; the righteous walk in them, But transgressors stumble in them.

God uses graphic word pictures in the Bible to help us understand rebelliousness. The images God uses to describe rebellious hearts should make us evaluate our lives and make changes no matter how tough.

Isaiah48:4 Israel's Unfaithfulness Rebuked
1 "Hear this, O house of Jacob, Who are called by the name of Israel, And have come forth from the wellsprings of Judah; Who swear by the name of the LORD, And make mention of the God of Israel, But not in truth or in righteousness; 2For they call temselves after the holy city, And lean on the God of Israel; the LORD of hosts is His name: 3"I have declared the former things from the beginning; They went forth from My mouth, and I caused them to hear it. Suddenly I did them, and they came to pass. 4Because I knew that you were obstinate, And your neck was an iron sinew, And your brow bronze, 5Even from the beginning I have declared it to you; Before it came to pass I proclaimed it to you, Lest you should say, "My idol has done them, and my carved image and my molded image Have commanded them.' Do we look for excuses to justify our stiff-necked stubbornness? Jeremiah 7:24 24Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but followed the counsels and the dictates of their evil hearts, and went backward and not forward. Two steps forward and three steps backwards – due to our own stubbornness!
Hosea 4:16 uses a contract between heifers and lambs in this word picture. What do you see when you read this passage? Hosea 4:16 "For Israel is stubborn like a stubborn calf; now the LORD will let them forage like a lamb in open country. Another word picture in Acts 7 tells us about the Jewish religious leaders who resisted the Holy Spirit. "You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you. These are pretty tough words to hear. But God can show us how to overcome stubbornness.

WE make a choice to let God work in our life. Make it a wholehearted choice. As a Christian, God’s Sprit is continually working in you. You must respond obediently to Him and commit your paths to Him. God is always willing for you to have a willing spirit. He forgives times when we are unwilling to make changes if we recognize, and repent of those times.

In order to be fully committed to God’s purpose in your life, you must read and search the scriptures for instruction for living.