Obedience is a Spiritual Virtue

"So Samuel said: "Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams." (1 Samuel 15:22)

Obedience to God's command and instruction is the gateway to receiving His blessings in our lives. If this is so, then disobedience would definitely attract His curses. Many families are under such curses today because of the repeated disobedience of one of their fathers. 

The Bible records an account in Joshua 6:18-19, "And you, by all means, abstain from the accursed things, lest you become accursed when you take of the accursed things, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it. But all the silver and gold, and vessels of bronze and iron, are consecrated to the Lord; they shall come into the treasury of the Lord."

Scripture relates the story of one man in ancient Israel who discovered that bringing accursed objects into your dwelling place affects not only your spiritual victory but also that of those around you and also can eventually cost you your life!

Jericho was the first of thirty-one Canaanite cities that Joshua and the Israelites were to conquer. Thus, Jericho was a first-fruits city. All of the spoils gathered from this conquest were to go into the treasury of the tabernacle of the Lord as a first fruit offering.

The first fruits belong to the Lord, and if they are withheld, disobedience brings a curse, just as it brought a curse on the entire camp of Israel.

During the conquest of Jericho, Achan, a man from the tribe of Judah, secretly seized some gold bars and a beautiful Babylonian garment and hid them in his tent. That sounds like an innocent act, right? Perhaps he needed a financial blessing and saw an opportunity to bring some needed prosperity to his family. After all, don't soldiers enjoy the spoils of war?

God commanded Joshua to get up and listen (Joshua 7:10). God then revealed the hidden reason for Israel's defeat; someone had disobeyed God's orders and was hiding the accursed things among their possessions. Only when the sin of Achan was exposed, and the cursed things (buried in his tent) were removed from the house was Israel victorious over her remaining enemies. (See Joshua 7:24–26; 8:1–2.).

It's time for us parents to search ourselves and be sure we aren't the reason for the troubles in our family. It's time to think and be certain that we are not the channel of curse in our home. God is saying take away the accursed. 

When we flout God's commandment, we are not just incurring punishment on ourselves but ensuring God's wrath on our families. Achan took the accursed thing that belonged to God, and his entire family paid for it. So, this is a call to return to God in obedience. Perhaps you have disobeyed God in the past; it's time to say yes to Him.

Also, Israel assumed the reason for their failure, and they kept failing in battle until God spoke to Joshua, the leader. God had to direct him to the cause of their defeat. Then they discovered it was Achan. Imagine how many soldiers would have remained alive if they had discovered the cause on time.

It's time to tune in to God. Don't assume you know the cause of the challenges in your home; ask Him. Let Him lead you and show you where your family is missing it. Let Him show you the instruction you are disobeying. You have assumed for a while, and nothing has changed; it's time to lay bare before God and ask for mercy. Let Him direct your ways and paths out of the curses and struggles. 

Father, in the name of Jesus, I thank you for showing us the way always. I pray that you open our eyes to see where we are missing it. I pray that your grace be shed on us. I pray that you will guide us and lead us on the right way to go. I pray for the spirit of obedience upon every member of my family. In Jesus' name. Amen.