Obeying God

There are a total of 613 commands in the Bible. Many do not apply to the New Testament Church, but many do. Are God's commands unreasonable? Does He really expect us to obey all of His commands? As believers, we can easily become overwhelmed-not only by the sheer number of commands we are to obey, but also by the gravity of small, yet, weighty words like "every" and "all," found in verses such as: "Take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ" (2 Cor. 10:5) or "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength" (Deut. 6:5). When Jesus walked the earth, He showed us that obeying God's commands are not burdensome (1 John 5:3). He proved that they are doable, as we yield to Him and allow His transforming love and resurrection power to work in us. Only as we walk with Him, moment by moment, can we experience the fullness of His blessings and fulfill our life's purpose to glorify Him. Monica Burney is a pastor's wife who has served as a ministry leader in several areas of church life: Women's ministry director, children's ministry director, church secretary, and Bible memory resource consultant. She is an award-winning poet whose works have spanned several genres: author, poet, songwriter, columnist, and free-lance journalist. She resides in Northern California and is the mother of three grown children and grandmother of three grandchildren.