Disobedience Hinders God's Plan : Mark 1:45 : What Jesus Did! : HEARTLIGHT®

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Disobedience Hinders God's Plan - Mark 1:45

The man left there and told all the people he saw that Jesus had healed him. So the news about Jesus spread. And that is why Jesus could not enter a town if people saw him. Jesus stayed in places where people did not live. But people came from all the towns to the places where Jesus was. (ERV) Full Text

Key Thought

Many times we think we know what is best. Unfortunately, some of those times we actually disobey the clear teaching of the Lord because we think we know a better way. Invariably, our attempts at doing good by disobeying the Lord end up hindering his will. Certainly God can overcome our misguided attempts at helping his cause for he is God and he is sovereign and all-powerful. That's not the point. We need to obey him even when we can't understand the reasons behind the command and when we think we may know a better way to help and honor the Lord. The man who had leprosy disobeyed Jesus and told those around him about what Jesus had done. Instead of being able to fulfill God's purpose for him by going to the cities and villages and proclaiming the word there (see vs. 38-39), Jesus now has to stay in secluded spaces. People came to him, but he was cut off from going to them. The man's disobedience, though well-intentioned, interfered with Jesus' desire to fulfill his mission. In the same way, our disobedience of the Lord today often interferes with the Lord's desire to accomplish his mission in us!

Today's Prayer

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Father, forgive me when I do not obey you. I know my disobedience hinders my own growth and can also interfere with your work in building the Kingdom and reaching the lost. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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Today's Verses in Context

A man that had leprosy came to Jesus. The man bowed on his knees and begged Jesus, "You have the power to heal me if you want." Jesus felt sorry for the man. So Jesus touched the man and said, "I want to heal you. Be healed!" Immediately the leprosy disappeared, and he was healed. Jesus told the man to go. But Jesus warned him strongly. Jesus said, "Don't tell any person about what I did for you. But go and show yourself to the priest. And offer a gift to God because you have been healed. Offer the gift that Moses commanded. This will show people that you are healed." The man left there and told all the people he saw that Jesus had healed him. So the news about Jesus spread. And that is why Jesus could not enter a town if people saw him. Jesus stayed in places where people did not live. But people came from all the towns to the places where Jesus was.

— Mark 1:40-45 (ERV)

Then Samuel received a message from the Lord. The Lord said, "Saul has stopped following me. So I am sorry that I made Saul king. He is not doing what I tell him." Samuel became angry and cried to the Lord all night. Samuel got up early the next morning and went to meet Saul. But the people told Samuel, "Saul went to {the town in Judah named} Carmel. Saul went there to set up a stone monument to honor himself. Saul is traveling around to several places and will finally go down to Gilgal." So Samuel went to the place where Saul was. Saul had just offered the first part of the things he took from the Amalekites. Saul was offering them as a burnt offering to the Lord. Samuel went to Saul. Saul greeted him. Saul said, "Lord bless you! I obeyed the Lord's commands." But Samuel said, "Then what is that sound I hear? Why do I hear sheep and cattle?" Saul said, "The soldiers took them from the Amalekites. The soldiers saved the best sheep and cattle to burn as sacrifices to the Lord your God. But we destroyed everything else." But you didn't listen to the Lord! Why? You wanted to keep those things, so you did what the Lord said is bad!" Saul said, "But I did obey the Lord! I went where the Lord sent me. I destroyed all the Amalekites! I brought back only one person--their king Agag. And the soldiers took the best sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the Lord your God at Gilgal!" But Samuel answered, "Which pleases the Lord more: burnt offerings and sacrifices or obeying the Lord's command? It is better to obey God than to offer sacrifices to him. It is better to listen to God than to offer the fat from rams. Refusing to obey is as bad as the sin of sorcery. Being stubborn and doing what you want is like the sin of worshiping idols. You refused to obey the Lord's command. For this reason, the Lord now refuses to accept you as king."
1 Samuel 15:10-15, 19-23 (ERV)

"Not every person that says that I am his Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven. The only people that will enter the kingdom of heaven are those people that do the things that my Father in heaven wants.
Matthew 7:21 (ERV)

You are my friends if you do the things I tell you to do.
John 15:14 (ERV)

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HEARTLIGHT^® Magazine is produced by Heartlight, Inc. HEARTLIGHT is a registered service mark of Heartlight, Inc. PO Box 7044, Abilene, TX, USA 79608-7044. Copyright © 1996-2008. Heartlight is supported by Westover Hills Church, Southern Hills Church, and loving Christians from around the world. Scripture quotations are taken from the Easy-to-Read Version copyright © 2001 by World Bible Translation Center. Used by permission. All rights reserved.