For five days we’ve talked about the cost of obedience. Today, let’s talk about what’s on the other side.
Because obedience costs something. But so does disobedience.
Sometimes we become so focused on what saying yes to God might cost us that we never consider what saying no might cost. A missed opportunity. A delayed calling. A damaged relationship. Years spent wandering around something God asked us to deal with long ago.
Or simply the regret of knowing: God asked - and I refused.
We usually see the price tag attached to obedience. God sees what’s on the other side of it.
Jesus Said Yes
Yesterday we stood with Jesus in Gethsemane. He prayed: “Not my will, but thine, be done.” Then He got up and walked toward the cross.
Philippians tells us He became: “obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”
From the outside, His obedience looked like loss. He was betrayed. Beaten. Mocked. Stripped. Crucified. Buried.
If you had stood near the cross that Friday, obedience might have looked like a terrible decision. But Friday wasn't the end of the story. Sunday was coming.
Jesus could see something beyond the suffering that everyone standing around the cross could not yet see. Hebrews says: “Who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross...”
Hebrews 12:2 KJV
There was something on the other side of His yes. Redemption. Forgiveness. Freedom. Salvation. You and me.
You Rarely Know What Your Yes Will Produce
That’s one of the difficult things about obedience. We want God to show us the results before we make the sacrifice. But He usually doesn't.
Abraham couldn't see a nation when he left home. Moses couldn't see the Red Sea opening when he returned to Egypt. David couldn't see the throne while hiding in caves. The disciples couldn't see the resurrection while Jesus hung on the cross.
They simply had to obey. And so do we.
Your obedience today may be producing something you cannot see yet. The conversation God tells you to have. The person He tells you to forgive. The thing He asks you to surrender. The place He tells you to go. The habit He tells you to stop. The step He tells you to take.
It may feel small. It may feel costly. It may even feel pointless.
But never confuse unseen results with wasted obedience.
Look How Far We’ve Come
This week God has challenged us.
Day 1 - Obedience Has a Price
We learned that following Jesus eventually costs us something. We opened our hands and surrendered even the things we love. We learned that God often gives us the next step instead of the whole map. We decided that we would stand even when everyone else bows. We learned to pray the difficult prayer: “Nevertheless, Lord.”
And now Day 6 brings us to one final question: Will you actually do it? Because a devotional about obedience that never produces obedience has accomplished very little.
Don’t Just Agree - Obey
James gives us this warning: “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”
James 1:22 KJV
That’s the danger. We can read. Highlight. Agree. Share. Say “Amen.” And remain exactly where we were.
Information isn't formation. Formation happens when truth changes what we do.
So don't finish this series merely knowing more about obedience. Finish it having obeyed.
Today's Challenge
Think back over these six days. What is the one thing God has been putting His finger on? You probably already know. Write it down.
Then underneath it write: MY YES IS __________. Fill in the blank with one specific action.
Not “someday.” Not “when things settle down.” Not “when I understand everything.” Take the step.
You may not know what’s on the other side of your yes. But you know Who is. And He can be trusted.
5 Around
We may be finishing this series, but FORMED isn't supposed to stop with you. Think about five people who could benefit from these six days. Send the series to them.
Then don't just send it - pray for them. Pray that God speaks. Pray that hearts open. Pray that somebody finally says yes to something they’ve been resisting.
Because the goal was never simply to finish six devotions. The goal is to become more like Jesus.
Surrendered. Faithful. Obedient. FORMED.
Prayer
Father, thank You for speaking to me throughout this series. I don't want to simply hear Your Word; I want to obey it. Give me courage to surrender what I’ve been holding, move when You say move, stand when others bow, and trust You when I cannot see what comes next. Today I give You my yes. Whatever obedience costs, remind me that following Jesus is worth it. Continue forming me into someone who doesn't merely believe Your Word but lives it. In Jesus’ name, amen.