A loud yet calm voice commanded, “Come here.”

My father-in-law (still a young boy) quickly obeyed. A beam crashed where he’d just stood. Had he paused, had he argued, had he refused, he may have been killed.

Why didn’t he argue? He trusted his father. Maybe he heard the authority in the command and intrinsically obeyed. It made all of the difference for him (and for his children and grandchildren that are now alive because of his obedience, carrying on his father’s legacy of overseas work to the 4th generation).

Our Father has given us many authoritative statements in Scripture. All too often, we write them off as mere “suggestions.” And yet, they are not. They are commands, as vital to preserving our lives as walking out of the path of a falling beam. God is a good Father, and He knows what He is asking of us. He knows that we are frail like dust, and so He promises to always be our strength... to forever be the power that enables us to obey His commands.

Here are some of God’s commands that we sometimes take as suggestions:

• Do not worry (Matthew 6:25)




• Rejoice (Psalm 32:11)




• Forgive as the Lord forgave you (Colossians 3:13)




• Let your light shine before men (Matthew 5:16)




• Do not conform to the pattern of this world (Romans 12:2)




• Give to the poor (Luke 12:33)




• Honor your father and mother (Matthew 19:19)




• Love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:39)




• Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge (Leviticus 19:18)

There are so many more! These verses are not suggestions, they are commands. Do some of these sound too hard to accomplish? The good news is that we are not meant to obey these commands on our own. God gives us the faith and the strength to obey every single command He’s ever given us. And, when we obey God, He blesses us beyond the sacrifice of our obedience.

What are some of God’s commands that you’ve been putting off obeying? Make this the moment that you resolve to take that first step of obedience toward your Heavenly Father.