Volume 4: Stop Playing God And Start Obeying God

Day 160 Devotional

STOP PLAYING GOD AND START OBEYING GOD

From the beginning of Scripture, humanity has wrestled with the same temptation. Not just to disobey God. But to replace Him.

The serpent tempted Eve by saying, “Ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:5). The temptation was never just about eating fruit. It was about deciding for themselves what was good and what was evil instead of trusting God to decide.

That temptation has never left us.

WE KEEP TRYING TO TAKE GOD’S PLACE

Pharaoh’s magicians copied several of God’s miracles through their secret arts (Exodus 7–8). They wanted Pharaoh to believe they possessed the same authority as the God of Israel.

They could imitate some of God’s works. But they could not duplicate His power. Eventually they confessed, “This is the finger of God” (Exodus 8:19).

Even they reached a point where they had to admit they were not God.

EVEN THE DISCIPLES GOT IT WRONG

After Jesus fed the five thousand, the people were determined to make Him king by force (John 6:15).

Consider that. They were trying to tell the King of kings how His kingdom should operate. They wanted a Messiah who would fulfill their agenda instead of submitting to His.

Jesus withdrew from them.

He refused to let people define His mission.

WE STILL DO THE SAME THING

We don’t build golden calves.

We build our own versions of God. We tell God how to bless us. We tell Him when to answer. We tell Him what success should look like.

Sometimes we spend more time giving God instructions than receiving them. And we have the nerve to call it prayer. But biblical prayer is not about getting God to obey us. It is about learning to obey Him.

JESUS SHOWED US A BETTER WAY

In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed, “Nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42).

If the sinless Son of God submitted His will to the Father, what makes us think we shouldn’t?

Faith is not persuading God to adopt our plans. Faith is surrendering to His.

GOD IS GOD. WE ARE NOT.

The greatest spiritual breakthrough often comes when we stop trying to manage God’s responsibilities and start fulfilling our own.

Our calling is not to rule God. Our calling is to obey Him.

Stop trying to sit on God’s throne. Instead, get back on your knees.

Because peace begins the moment we stop playing God and start obeying Him.