WILL WE FOLLOW GOD OR MAN?

Musick-al note # 78
God has promised from the beginning of creation that He will bless those who listen to Him and follow His will. Moses spoke of the love of God when he was leading them out of Egypt and to Canaan (Deuteronomy 4:35-38). He also stated that God will curse those who do are disobedient.(Deuteronomy 4:39-40). Read the Old Testament and you will see that every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward (Hebrews 2:2) God not only revealed how He wanted man to live but also warned of impending doom should man follow his own will in disobedience. Nadab and Abihu offered unauthorized fire before the Lord (Leviticus 10:1). It was a small thing, (after all fire is fire isn’t it), but they died. In the books of Jeremiah and Ezekiel His warnings reached the degree of unprecedented horror and destruction that all men should fear (Jeremiah 25:3-11,42:13-22, Ezekiel 23:13-48). These two references are only examples out of many that show the end to all who are disobedient. The greatness of God’s love and compassion was revealed as He forgave and accepted everyone who turned from evil to do His will. Yet the people kept turning away from God to follow the teachings of man. The prophet Malachi asked, “Will a man rob God?” and man replies, “How have we robbed you?” (Malachi 3:6-9). They thought they were doing all right but they failed to remember that God knows man and is able to bless or curse as they respond to Him and His will.
What about us today? Are we willing to follow God’s Will or are we following men’s teachings? Is it a small thing to set aside the Word of God to advance an idea or thinking of any man? Are we smarter or greater than God? Are we free to change His Word or do we only think that it doesn’t matter (Matthew 7:22)? How many times and in how many ways does God’s Word, the Bible, reveal that those who sought to change God’s will results in their own destruction! (Revelation 18-19) Are we to continue doing what we want or shall we truly begin to ‘live by faith’? We know that faith comes from hearing the Word (Romans 10:17) but hearing without obeying is building on sand and will fail (Matthew 7:21-27). Is God’s wording of His people no longer sufficient? Did God forget to instruct us in all things? God forbid such a thought! (2 Peter 1:3). His Word must be our rule in all things (Matthew 4:4). He has revealed in His Word how to become His child, how to live daily before Him, how to organize His church and how to worship Him acceptably. Dare we to discount and set aside God’s Word to do things in our way? (Revelation 22:18-19) Can we supplant His revealed Will to follow our own will without incurring God’s wrath?
Gordon Musick