John 4 | Obedience

December 4th, John 4.

Over the last few days I felt like my time with God in my Bible reading and prayer were not producing much in me. That changed this morning, and it sits as another example for my soul as to why we should always persevere in the spiritual disciplines even when it doesn’t “feel like” anything is happening. More is happening under the surface than you realize.

My reflection

I’ll highlight two verses from the text today.

“I have food to eat that you do not know about.” 33 So the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought him something to eat?” 34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.”

Jesus speaks about obedience in terms of hunger and food. He has a deep hunger to be obedient to God. What is hunger but a deep longing? Something within us that needs to be satisfied. Could it be said of us, his disciples, that we have a deep desire to be obedient?

I don’t always have that. And as I read about Jesus’ desire for it, I paused to pray. “God, give me this desire. Help me see being obedient to you the way Jesus does.” I then pondered… how do we get this? I thought for a little bit… in those two verses, Jesus speaks with such intimacy about His father. “My food is to do the will of him who sent me…” I then remembered Jesus would often leave the people to get alone with God on the mountain.

Then it struck me: one way we grow in this growing desire and hunger for obedience is fellowship with God. The more time I spend with God, drinking from the water that will never satisfy, the more I grow in my heavenly delights. And as I grow in fellowship with God, the hunger that begins to overtake the sinful desires of my flesh, is the hunger to “do the will of my Father and to accomplish his work in this world”. Just like Jesus.

Reflection question:

What time during the week ahead will you set aside time to “drink deeply of fellowship with God” so that your hunger for godly obedience will grow? After my time of prayer, I set a reminder in my phone for Monday and Wednesday nights to end my days with time with God before bed. We will not drift into holiness. We plan into holiness.

Hungering for more obedience with you,

Josh.