Proverbs 27:17
Monday, July 13, 2026
The Simplicity of Obedience
The Simplicity of Obedience
I was faced with a simple choice today… God’s way or my way.
My way would have included anger and self-justification. God’s way included an apology from me to someone I hurt, and eating some humble pie. Turns out, that pie can taste pretty good when you are being obedient to Jesus.
I grew up hearing a simple song in church: “obedience is the very best way to show that you believe. Doing exactly as the Lord commands, doing it happily.” As a kid, I sang the words, but living them was another story! Even now, I recognize how easy it is to hear the truth and still choose my own way.
The reality is, obedience has always been simple in concept but difficult in practice. God speaks clearly through His Word and invites me into alignment with Him. The Bible simply says:
“If you love me, keep my commands.” (John 14:15, NIV)
Jesus doesn’t complicate the equation. Love leads to obedience. Obedience reflects trust. And trust leads to peace.
When I obey God, I am not earning His love—I am responding to it.
I’ve learned that obedience is not about perfection, but about direction. It’s about choosing God’s way over my own, even when it costs me something.
Sometimes that means saying “no” to myself.
Sometimes it means trusting God when I don’t understand the outcome. Sometimes it means doing exactly what I know to be right in my heart.
I’ve also discovered that obedience brings something the world cannot manufacture: peace. Not necessarily ease or comfort, but peace in the middle of whatever comes next.
So today, I remind myself: obedience is not complicated. It’s a daily, moment-by-moment decision to trust God’s instruction over my own instincts. Let’s pray together:
Lord, help me to choose obedience over convenience.
Teach me to trust Your Word even when it challenges me. Align my heart with Yours so that my actions reflect my love for You. Give me the courage to obey immediately and fully, and fill my life with the peace that comes from walking in Your will. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
Never forget, my friend,
You are a miracle!
Grant Fishbook
Reconciled for a Purpose
Reconciled for a Purpose
Have you ever attempted to balance a difficult equation? There’s a lot more to it than simply getting the right answer. You need to understand the step-by-step process if you want to be able to apply it and find new solutions in the future. In fact, most solutions in life involve a process, and the idea of reconciliation is no different.
It’s not enough to know that reconciliation is the answer to disunity and injustice. We have to seek to understand and actively engage in the process. Reconciliation is the hard-but-good, messy-yet-beautiful, worth-it kind of work.
“Turn from evil and do good, seek peace and pursue it.”
Psalm 34:14
As a follower of Jesus Christ, you are not only called to understand and engage in the process of reconciliation; you are thoroughly equipped to be a minister of reconciliation. Scripture affirms that every believer is a minister of reconciliation, empowered by God Himself (2 Corinthians 5:11-21).
So how do we do that? Psalm 34:14 lays out a few steps for us:
TURN FROM EVIL AND DO GOOD. Turning from evil means both rejecting evil outwardly and addressing it inwardly within our own hearts. We confess the sin that caused the fracture by acknowledging our role in conflicts with God and others, and we turn from our old ways and actively seek peace.
SEEK PEACE AND PURSUE IT. Peace isn’t the absence of conflict; it’s the presence of restored harmony. Seeking peace means we aren’t just peace-keepers; we are peacemakers who actively pursue being a part of restoration. We listen empathetically and strive for understanding. We see and are attentive to the brokenness around us and ask where God might be calling us to be a part of reconciliation. And we put in the work because this kingdom work is worth it.
Because of the reconciliation work of Jesus Christ, accomplished on the cross, reconciliation is not a problem to be solved—it's a process that you’ve been invited to. Jesus Christ is reconciling the world to Himself. How will you join Him?
“Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it.” Psalms 34:14 NLT
“Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it.”
Psalms 34:14 NLT
I'm reading the @YouVersion plan 'End Your Day With God: A 6-Night Plan'.
I'm reading the @YouVersion plan 'End Your Day With God: A 6-Night Plan'.
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I'm reading the @YouVersion plan 'Victory Beyond the Cup'.
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