What God wants

2 jehovah witnesses came knocking on my door yesterday. Our conversation transversed many topics, but I didn't know that they were JW until the final moment.

Anyway, while I was talking we had this particular question. The woman asked me:

"What do you think God really wants from people?"

drawing from the bible studies we did this year, quickly, I replied that it is obedience. 

How does God intend obedience to happen? By faith. Faith in what? Promises. 

Hebrews 11:8 reveals that  “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance.”

He obeyed by faith. The object of his faith was the promise, the inheritance that he would receive if he obeyed. 

Is this an exclusive incident? Not so, the bible often follows a command with a promise.
“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward” (Colossians 3:23–24).

Or love one another (command), by this the world will know you are my disciples (promise).

So this morning I was considering my disobedience and noticed that I've often gotten ahead of myself in the work of obedience. I think "nah, promises? It's okay, I can do it without any reward."

But I'm wrong. God's design is for the promises to motivate my obedience. However because the promises are not yet, I need to have faith in them, a trust that God will honour His word and fulfill His promises. This is what the bible means when it says "by faith Abraham obeyed", by faith in God that the promises will come to fruition, Abraham obeyed. 

Isn't this very... reward centric and not God centric then? It is reward centric if I don't read the bible well. But the bible does not shy from exerting that ultimately, God is the greatest reward to our every act of obedience. The omnipotent God Himself will be our help, He will be our God, our exceeding reward.

After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward." Genesis 15:1

Oh God help me to consider you as my reward. When I turn from obedience remind me of what I'm missing. Move my heart into enthusiastic surrender, give me the appetite for this great great reward.