The God Who Makes Obedience Possible
Obedience moves forward as grace carries us beneath every step.
Devotional Credit: Day by Day by Grace by Bob Hoekstra
Photo Credit: Unsplash
Today’s reflection from Bob Hoekstra centers on the truth that obedience isn’t something we muster from ourselves—it is the fruit of what the God of peace works into us through the finished work of Jesus Christ. We were once alienated, enemies of God by nature, incapable of pleasing Him, much less obeying Him. But now, by the blood of the eternal covenant, the same God who raised Jesus from the dead has made a way for us to walk in His will—not by striving, but by sufficiency.
Through Christ’s death and resurrection, enmity has been abolished. Peace has been made. And in this covenant of peace, God does not merely forgive—He equips. He works in us what is pleasing to Him. The resurrection life of Jesus becomes the means by which our obedience is lived out. It is not a summons to try harder, but a promise that He is completing us for every good work to do His will, not by our merit, but through His power and grace.
The obedience God desires flows from His covenant provision, not our best intentions. His everlasting covenant guarantees that He will never turn away from doing us good. That includes shaping our desires and carrying out His purposes within us. His sufficiency becomes our obedience.
✍🏼 Personalized Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
I am the God of peace, not confusion or condemnation. I reached for you when you were far off. You did not return to Me by your strength—I brought you near through the blood of My Son. In Him, I abolished the hostility that once stood between us. I did not make peace with you on the basis of your improvement, but through the cross, and now I abide in you through the risen Christ.
You are no longer defined by disobedience. I have made you a participant in the everlasting covenant—a promise sealed not with ink, but with blood. That blood cleanses more than your record; it cleanses your heart and opens the way for Me to dwell within you and work through you.
You don’t need to muster up enough goodness to please Me. I am the One who makes you complete for every good work. The obedience I require, I supply. My Spirit within you is not a demanding taskmaster but the very breath of resurrection life. I make you sufficient as a minister of this new covenant. Your adequacy is not of yourself—it is Mine, gifted to you.
Walk in this assurance. Let obedience be the fruit of our fellowship. I am forming you, moment by moment, to walk in what I’ve already prepared. I delight to do this in you.
Scriptures referenced: Hebrews 13:20–21; Colossians 1:21; Ephesians 2:2–3, 14–16; Jeremiah 32:40; Ezekiel 37:26; Luke 22:20; 2 Corinthians 3:5–6
🧺 Real-Life Analogy
It’s like stepping onto a moving walkway in an airport. You still walk—but the movement is no longer by your own energy alone. You’re being carried forward by something greater beneath your feet. All you need to do is step on and move in the same direction. That’s how grace works in obedience—it carries you in the will of God.
🙏🏼 Prayer of Confidence
Father, I rejoice that obedience is not a burden I must carry alone. Thank You that, in Christ, You have already made peace with me and supplied everything I need to walk in Your will. I trust Your Spirit within me to complete what You’ve begun. I rest in the covenant that You Yourself will not turn away from doing me good. You are the source of my sufficiency, and I walk forward today confident in what You have already accomplished.