OC January 11th

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“As they led Jesus away, a man from Cyrene, happened to be coming in from the countryside. The soldiers seized him, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus.” Luke 23:26 NLT

Chambers discusses obedience in todays reading. How obedience to God could have consequences for others.

“If we obey God, it is going to cost other people more than it costs us, and that is where the pain begins.”

“If we obey God, it will mean that other people’s plans are upset.”

“If we obey God, He will care for those who have suffered the consequences of our obedience. We must simply obey and leave all the consequences with Him. Beware of the inclination to dictate to God what consequences you would allow as a condition of your obedience to Him.”

There are many pitfalls and traps to leading a life traveling towards God. We are reading “Little Pilgrims Progress” to the kids. It is an adaptation of the old book “Pilgrims Progress” about the character, Christian’s journey to the Holy City, leaving his old city behind, the city of Destruction. He is bound and determined to stay on the straight and narrow path but there are many things the enemy throws in his way to try and knock him off course. His obedience cost him friendships, and caused him hardships. But he knows his end goal is so much greater than anything he had, or might find along the way. 

So stay obedient. Enter the narrow gate, stay on the straight path. Don’t be enamored with the wide, easy path - it only leads back to Destruction. 

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