After Obedience, What?

This article is from Issue 5, “Called To Obedience”

By Oswald Chambers

“And straightway He constrained
His disciples to get into the ship,
and to go to the other side. . . . “
( Mark 6:45 )

We are apt to imagine that if Jesus Christ constrains us and we obey Him, He will lead us to great success; but He does not. We would have thought these men would have had a most successful time, but their obedience led them into a great disaster. If our Lord has ever constrained you, and you obeyed Him, what was your dream of His purpose? Never put your dream of success as God‟s purpose for you; His purpose may be exactly the opposite.

“And He saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them:
and about the fourth watch of the night He cometh unto them,
walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them.”
( Mark 6:48 )

The obedience of the disciples led them into the greatest trouble they had known. Jesus did not go with them, a storm came, and they were at their wits‟ end— “the ship was in the midst of the sea, and He alone on the land.” They thought they were going straight to the other side: Jesus knew they would face a storm in the centre of the lake.

Each one of us has had similar experiences—“I did obey God‟s voice; I am sure He led me to do this and that,” and yet these very things have led to consternation in our lives. Beware of saying the devil deceived you. It is as true for saints as for anyone else that “there is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. ”

We have nothing whatever to do with what men call success or failure. If God‟s command is clear, and the constraint of His Spirit is clear, we have nothing to do with the result of our obedience. The purpose of God in calling us is not something in the future, but this very minute— “Now is the accepted time,” always now; God‟s training is for now, not presently. The ultimate issue will be manifested presently, but we have nothing to do with the afterwards of obedience.

We get wrong when we think of the afterwards, the purpose of God is our obedience. Never have a material end in your mind and imagine that God is working towards that by means of your obedience; that is man‟s way of looking at things. What man calls training and preparation, God calls the end. The end God has in mind is to enable us to see that He can walk on the chaos of our lives just now.

“He is there!” The first time we saw Him we were terrified; the “other side” was covered with clouds, the surroundings became wild, and the wind contrary. With how many is the wind contrary these days! There was no point of rest for the natural mind of the disciples as to what Jesus was after—it was the deep, the dark, and the dreadful: our Lord‟s purpose was that they should see Him walking on the sea.

We have an idea that God is leading us to a certain goal; He is not. The question of getting to a particular end is a mere incident. “For I know the plans that I am planning for you, saith the Lord, plans of welfare, and not of calamity, to give you an expected end” (see Jeremiah 29:11 ). What men call the process, God calls the end.

If you can stay in the midst of the turmoil unperplexed and calm because you see Jesus, that is God’s purpose in your life; not that you may be able to say, “I have done this and that and now it‟s all right.” God’s purpose for you is that you depend upon Him and His power now; that you see Him walking on the waves —no shore in sight, no success, just the absolute certainty that it is all right because you see Him.

Can I see Jesus in my present circumstances? Is it an obscure farther shore, with wild waves between? Can I see Him walking on the waves? Is it a fiery furnace? Can I see Him walking in the midst of the fire? Is it a placid, commonplace day? Can I see Him there? If so, that is the perpetual mystery of the guidance of God, that is Eternal Life.

We have to be transformed by the renewing of our mind, that we may “prove what is the will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect”, not the thing that is going to be acceptable, but which is good and acceptable and perfect now. If we have a further end in view we do not pay sufficient attention to the immediate minute; when we know that obedience is the end, then every moment is the most precious.

By Arthur W. Pink

“And therefore will the Lord wait, that He may be gracious unto you, and therefore will He be exalted, that He may have mercy upon you: for the Lord is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for Him”
(Isa. 30:18).

There are seasons when the saint’s faith is sorely tried; eyes are dim with tears, and it is difficult to trace the outworkings of His love. We sought to be faithful to God, yet a dark cloud hides Him from us. We find it difficult; impossible, for carnal reasons to harmonise His frowning providence with His gracious promises.

When you are tempted to doubt the faithfulness of God, cry out, “Get thee hence, Satan.” Though you cannot now harmonise God’s mysterious dealings with the avowals of His love, wait on Him for more light. In His own good time He will make it plain to you. “…What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter” (John 13:7).

God will yet demonstrate that He has neither forsaken nor deceived His child.

Taken from Life On The Altar Publications
Issue 5 Summer 2022