1 Samuel 12:14-15 (KJV)
14 If ye will fear the LORD, and serve him, and obey his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall both ye and also the king that reigneth over you continue following the LORD your God:
15 But if ye will not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall the hand of the LORD be against you, as it was against your fathers.

People misunderstand what it means to “fear” God, many think it means that God is like a monster, someone to hide from. I have so much love for God that I do not want to disappoint Him, I fear not pleasing Him. To fear God is to reverence Him; it is the utmost respect. We listen to people we respect.
As I continue my study of obedience I read 1 Samuel 12:14-15, in context Samuel is speaking to Israel because they insisted on having a king. Despite having Saul as their king the prophet reminds the people that the Lord, YHWH, is still the One who can and will lead them to victory. Even though the people have an earthly leader that can make rules and such, God is sovereign; God is the final authority.
Today, people have various governmental leaders, employment superiors and church leaders that influence their lives. When the words of these individuals are spoken, it is up to the individual to determine if they will acknowledge the words spoken. We are told in many instances that we have to accept gender identity that is contrary to DNA. We are told we must accept same sex unions and abortions; both are against God’s word. The promotion of body altering surgeries, even in minors, to promote a different gender is becoming problematic to those who fear the Lord. Many don’t fear the Lord and choose not to bey Him, these people accept the false teachings and anti-Christ guidelines of: gender identity, when life begins, what is a godly marriage and what information should be given to children.
As believers we must “obey his voice”; hear “his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of the LORD”. But if we ignore God’s word we will experience the consequences. Eternity outside of the presence of God is a long time to be wrong.
The United States has an election coming up in which one candidate has: joined to individuals in a “marriage” ceremony and promotes abortion, in addition I don’t think she supports Israel. Many individuals, including Christians, want to choose her as President. It is my opinion that these individuals have more respect for their political party than God’s word. These individuals choose to “obey” the voice of media personalities, celebrities and other entertainers, their liberal political organizations and even their church leaders who speak God’s word out of context.
The people who fear God allow the Spirit of God to direct their path.

Psalm 119:105 (KJV)
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
Psalm 119:133 (KJV)
Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.

Martyrs, individuals who suffer because of their faith in Christ, listen to the voice of God; their obedience is unto death.

Note: This is my personal study of the words obey and obedience. I am having issue with the term “obey” as it is presented in the King James Bible knowing that the word was translated in other Bible versions to listen. In my mind I understand but, I am certain it can be confusing to some as I write. It is not “to obey” it is “obey”; physically doing versus spiritually doing. If we are spiritually doing we will be led by the Spirit. (See Romans 8, 1 Corinthians 5:5, 2 Corinthians 7:1, Galatians 5:16)
Of course there is more, that’s what books are made of, this is a blog post that already has more words than most people care to read.

Written by Marsha L Floyd

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