Obeying God is Sacrificing to God

The Life of Abraham: Living Out God’s Story | Marked by Obedience
Bible Reference: Genesis 17:1-17

Day 33 | Marked by Obedience - Obeying God is Sacrificing

“Obeying God means you don’t always get to do what you want to do. We deny ourselves and choose what God wants for us. ”

Gen 17:9-12 
9 God also said to Abraham, “As for you, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations are to keep my covenant. 10 This is my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you, which you are to keep: Every one of your males must be circumcised. 11 You must circumcise the flesh of your foreskin to serve as a sign of the covenant between me and you., 12 Throughout your generations, every male among you is to be circumcised at eight days old—every male born in your household or purchased from any foreigner and not your offspring.

Abram’s obedience was painful and costly. Jesus speaks of the same principle:

Matthew 16:24
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow Me."

Obeying God means you don’t always get to do what you want to do. We deny ourselves and choose what God wants for us. Jesus demonstrated this in the garden of Gethsemane. Your outward obedience is reflective of the inward relationship between you and God. Is there an area of your life that the Holy Spirit is pointing at that might be painful for you to process through? Just like how Jesus struggled with God through the pain, may you be encouraged to pour out your pain to the God that is there with you.