But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you. – Jeremiah 7:23
Obedience to God will come with a price tag. It will cost!
While preparing for the life of a missionary, Hudson Taylor purposed to live frugally and in dependence upon God alone. One day, he found himself with only one coin left in his pocket, and at that juncture, was asked by a poor man to go and pray with his wife who was dying. When he entered the squalid room where the woman lay, he observed that several half-starved children were with her.
Taylor recounted that the woman’s pathetic condition, along with his own limited circumstances, led to a spiritual conflict like he had never before experienced. He tried to pray but he could not. He felt it would be mocking God to ask aid while he withheld his own money, and yet—that was all he had! If he had possessed two coins, he would have given half, but he had only one, so it was all or nothing. In vain he tried to speak words of comfort. Finally, he rose from his knees, only to have the distracted father say to him, “If you can help us, for God’s sake do.”
At that moment, the Lord’s words, “Give to him that asketh of thee,” flashed through his mind. Thrusting his hand into his pocket, he drew out his last and only coin, and gave it to the man. The struggle was over, and joy flooded his soul. Later he wrote, “Not only was the poor woman’s life saved, but my life had been saved too. It might have been a wreck—probably would have been as a Christian life—had not grace at that time conquered and the striving of God’s Spirit been obeyed.” He went home that night with a light heart, and one that resounded with praise. And the rest of the story: in the morning, the postman delivered a letter containing half a sovereign and a pair of gloves.
Today, what is God asking of us? Very likely, it will require a commitment of some sort: our time, money, energy, or will. Often obeying God is a struggle because it means giving up something we truly want. How important it is that we say yes! Remember, God has promised that if we walk in the ways that He has commanded, it will be well with us. Our spiritual progress is dependent upon our obedience to God in “small” matters!