Jehovah deserves our obedience (10 mins.)
Dear brothers and sisters, we all face situations where we don't understand why we are asked to do something. Perhaps in our families, at work, or even in spiritual matters. In those moments, an important question arises: Will I obey even if I don't fully understand the reason?
The experience of the prophet Jeremiah helps us answer that question. His example teaches us that Jehovah deserves our obedience, not only when we understand his instructions, but also when we do not yet see the purpose behind them.
Although Jeremiah may have been surprised by what Jehovah had asked of him, he made a great sacrifice to obey (Jer 13:1-7; jr 51, 52 pars. 17, 18).
Let us consider the task that Jehovah gave Jeremiah. Jeremiah 13:1-7 indicates that he was first to obtain a linen belt and put it on. Then Jehovah instructed him to travel to the Euphrates River, about 500 kilometers away. There he was to hide the belt in a cleft of a rock and return to Jerusalem. Some time later, Jehovah asked him to return to the same place to retrieve it.
That meant traveling almost 2,000 kilometers in total. There were no cars or modern means of transportation. Jeremiah had to walk through mountains, valleys, and possibly desert areas. The journey must have taken months.
Imagine the scene. The prophet leaves Jerusalem with a new belt. After a long absence, he returns without it. Some time later, he makes the same journey again to retrieve a belt that has now been ruined. From a human perspective, one might ask, "What is the point of all this?"
However, Jeremiah did not argue with Jehovah. He did not say, “Explain to me first what this will be for, and then I will obey.” Nor did he think it was a waste of time. He simply obeyed.
Why was he able to do it? Because he had allowed himself to be molded by Jehovah. He had learned to trust in him. He understood that, even if he didn't understand the reason, the instruction came from the wise and loving God.
This story makes us think: if we had been in Jeremiah's place, would we have made the same sacrifice? Would we have traveled that enormous distance? His example demonstrates that true obedience is especially evident when obedience requires effort, time, and sacrifice.
Later, Jeremiah understood why Jehovah had given him those instructions (Jer 13:8-11; jr 52 par. 19).
What's interesting is that Jehovah didn't explain the purpose from the beginning. First came obedience; then, the explanation. When Jeremiah returned to the Euphrates a second time and retrieved the belt, it was rotten and useless. Then Jehovah revealed its meaning.
LET'S READ JEREMIAH 13:10
“These wicked people, who refuse to obey my words, who stubbornly follow their own hearts and worship other gods, serving and bowing down to them, will end up just like this useless belt.”
What a powerful illustration! The belt represented the people of Judah. Jehovah wanted them to be close to him, just as a belt fits around a person's waist. But the people became stubborn, followed other gods, and stopped obeying. As a result, they became useless, just like the ruined belt.
Now Jeremiah understood why he had made those long journeys. His obedience had served to deliver a powerful message that could touch people's hearts.
This teaches us something very valuable. Sometimes Jehovah asks us to do something and we don't immediately see the benefit. But in time we understand that his instructions had a wise purpose.
Perhaps in the past we accepted an assignment, made a change in our life, or followed Bible counsel that we didn't fully understand. Later, we saw how Jehovah protected us, strengthened us, or helped others through our obedience.
We will never regret obeying Jehovah. We may not understand everything today, but we can be sure that Jehovah loves us and that our obedience protects us.
We Christians strive to be obedient like Jeremiah even if we do not understand why we receive certain instructions (w22.12 21 par. 16; w08 6/15 19 par. 7).
We too face situations where we don't fully understand the reason for certain Bible instructions or the guidance we receive in the congregation. What do we do then?
The Bible says in 1 John 5:3: “For this is the love of God: to keep his commandments; and his commandments are not burdensome.”
Obeying Jehovah is not gullibility. It is trust. We trust that he knows what is best for us. Just as a child obeys a loving parent even if they don't understand all the details, we obey our heavenly Father because we know that he loves us.
Furthermore, obedience demonstrates our love for Jehovah. It is easy to say that we love him; the test comes when his commandments require sacrifice.
For example, when we reject dishonest practices, uphold high moral principles, prioritize spiritual activities, and loyally support the organization's direction.
Sometimes we may not see the benefit immediately. But let's remember Jeremiah. If he had waited to understand first and then obey, he would never have fulfilled his commission.
Obedience also protects us. Jehovah sees the big picture; we see only part of it. He knows which decisions will draw us closer to him and which could harm us spiritually.
Therefore, when we receive an instruction that we do not fully understand, we can ask ourselves: “Do I trust in Jehovah as much as Jeremiah did?” If the answer is yes, we will obey joyfully.
Illustration
The picture in our Activity Guide shows a group of brothers gathered in a basement during the great tribulation. As an elder reads the organization's instructions, one of the brothers watches him with a skeptical attitude. This scene teaches us the importance of obeying Jehovah's instructions, even if we don't understand them at first, because we trust in his love and know that all his instructions are for our good.
Conclusion
Today we have seen three important lessons.
First, Jeremiah made a great sacrifice to obey, even though the task seemed strange and difficult.
Second, later he understood the purpose of Jehovah's instructions and saw that his obedience had been very valuable.
And finally, we Christians imitate that attitude by obeying Jehovah even when we do not yet fully understand the reason for his instructions.
Jehovah never asks us to do anything to harm us. Everything he commands is for our good and to strengthen our relationship with him. So, when we face a situation in which we don't fully understand a divine instruction, let us remember the prophet Jeremiah.
Let us continue to obey with confidence, with love, and with the full assurance that Jehovah truly deserves our obedience.
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