When we look at scripture, we find example after example of people who claimed to love God or claimed to worship Him as the true and living God yet disobeyed His clear instruction to them.

Abram. “Now the Lord said t Abram, ‘Go forth from your country, and from your relatives and from your father’s house to the land which I will show you’”. Genesis 12:1 NASB
So Abram takes Lot, his nephew with him. Obedience or partial obedience?

Moses. In Exodus 17, God tells Moses to strike a rock to get water. Water is provided.
In Numbers 20:8 NASB the Lord says, “Take the rod and you and your brother Aaron assemble the congregation and speak to the rock before their eyes that it may yield its water. You shall thus bring forth water for them out of the rock…” So Moses strikes the rock. Disobedience.

Samson. Judges 13. Manoah and his wife are told by the angel of the Lord that they will have a son even though the wife has been barren. He strictly instructs them that she is not to drink wine or strong drink and eat no unclean thing. That the son, Samson will be a Nazirite unto the Lord.
So Samson breaks the Nazirite vows. He drinks and is morally lax. Disobedience.

And if I started with kings of Israel, I’d never get to the point. Our Father God considers obedience an important part of our relationship with Him.

Obedience can spare us much pain and unpleasant consequences. Moses did not enter the promised land for his disobedience. Instead of speaking to the rock as God had told him, Moses struck the rock as he did in the past. Abram found Lot to be a regular source of trouble. Samson’s life was shortened and although he killed many Philistines, he rejected the Nazirite life that was prophesied over him.

Hebrews 5:8-9 NASB “Although He was a Son, He learned obedience by the things He suffered. And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation.” Look what obedience brings…

I think love and obedience are connected. Because I loved my parents, I tried to honor them by obeying their rules. Their rules were for my protection, not my harm. I think that way about Father God. He gave us a guide on how to live. As we walk in obedience we are blessed. I’m not talking about money or position, I’m talking about a clear conscience, peace, a satisfied heart, and not shrinking away from Him in shame.

I love the Sermon on the Mount. When we read it, we find the heart that our God is seeking. Will we keep every rule? Probably not. We can, however, determine in our hearts to seek Him and His ways. We can hear what pleases Him in this sermon.

Will I choose to hear? Will I choose partial obedience which is disobedience? Will I turn my back on the truth and completely disobey? Will I simply obey?

We make the choice every day.