Commitment

A couple of days ago I had some plans that I had been looking forward to. It was something that I really wanted to do, however when I got up that morning I did not feel real good. It's not that I felt bad, I just didn't feel good. So I canceled my plans. The next day I got up and felt horrible, however I got dressed and went to town. I had told a friend I would do something with them, and even though it was something I did not want to do to begin with, I went even as bad as I felt. A few days later someone asked me, why I canceled my plans, that I wanted to do when I did not feel that bad, and yet did something I did not want to do when I felt even worse. My answer was that I had made a commitment to someone else, and they were counting on me, and I always keep my commitment's unless something really major happens. I have went to work with a fever of 102F. Why? I had made a commitment to be there, and the company was counting on me to do my job, especially since I was the only one in my department, and there was a large order to get out.
I got to thinking about being asked the question about why I did what I did, and I got to thinking about my commitment to God. Luke 12:48b says, "For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required:". You see, when we say that prayer, and ask God into our heart to be our Saviour, we make a commitment to Him, to do His will, and obey His commands. God says in Acts 13:22b "I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfill all my will (23) Of this man's seed hath God according to His promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus:"
I had to start asking myself if I was fulfilling my commitment to God. Am I doing everything He wants me to do? Am I obeying all His commands to me? After all He is faithful to keep His commitment to me. He promised to forgive all my sins, and to seal me into His family, making my salvation permanent unto eternity. "For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day" 2Tim. 1:12. Paul said God is able to keep what we give Him, all the way until the judgment day. When we accept Him in our hearts, we are giving Him our bodies to use, and our souls to take into glory when the day comes. Jesus promises us in John 14:14 "If ye shall ask any thing in my name I will do it". That is a promise, God never breaks His promise. Then He goes on in vs 15 to say "If ye love me, keep my commandments". (vs16) "And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever:". Jesus was telling us how much He loves us, and that the Comforter would be with us forever, but right in the middle of that He adds, "If ye love me keep my commandments". He just sandwiches what He expects of us, between what we can know that He will do. Notice those two words "expect" and "know", what is the difference between those words? I'll let you think about that on your own.
Jesus made the ultimate commitment to us when he went to the cross, He died for us, and all He ask in return is that we live for Him. That we tell others about Him, that others see Him in the way we live, the way we compose ourselves, how we handle trials, and troubles. He ask that we spend time studying His word, not just reading, but studying, commiting it to memory. He ask that we spend time in prayer talking to Him, and listening to Him. If we love Him we should want to do these things.
But too often it's this way, I know that my wife loves "Moose Tracks" ice cream. So I buy some to surprise her, I take it home expecting her to eat it, but she takes it from me, sits it on the table and it sits there until it melts. This never happens, if I bring it home, she eats it, but so many times in our spiritual lives we take the ice cream which represents the Bible, and prayer, and we just let it sit there until it is of no use to us. Just as I would not be able to understand why she did not eat the ice cream, I have to imagine that God looks down and wonders why we pass up His word, and conversation with Him.
I am going to leave you with one more passage 1Peter 4:18-19 "And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to Him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator".