Submit yourselves therefore to God ...

James 4:7

The hymn Trust and Obey was written in 1887 because of one of Dwight L. Moody’s revival meetings. When you think about the definition of “obey,” it’s more than expecting your child to make her bed or teaching your dog to do some tricks. “Obedience” is a complete surrender or the act of embracing God’s will for your life. It’s a profound statement that reflects your desire to do what God expects of you.

So, how do we obey God? In addition to obeying his commandments, he also expects us to witness to others about Jesus. Doing that doesn’t come easily for some people. Children, on the other hand, are natural evangelists. Some don’t seem to have any trouble submitting to God’s will when it comes to talking about him to others. We adults could take a lesson from the younger people in our lives, couldn’t we?

Jan Bathke
Eau Claire, WI

Jesus, help me to trust and obey you. Amen.

Reflect: Read through the song “Trust and Obey” and discuss some of the verses with others.

Read: James 1:22 and 1 Corinthians 15:58