Why?

In a Sunday school class, the children were asked, “How do you think the angels in heaven do God’s will?” The children thought for a while. Then one answered and said, “They do God’s will immediately and without any doubt.” Another child replied, “They do it quickly and without stopping, once they have started.” A third child said, “They do it always and at every opportunity, most definitely!”

It was quiet for a while. Everyone was still busying themselves with this thought. Then a shy little boy dared to say, “They do God’s will without asking why!”

The boy was right. And it is the same with us. When we are obedient, we do not ask with everything we are told and commanded, “Why should I do that?” We obey, though we do not fully understand why we should do this or that.

In the Bible we find an interesting story of the people of Israel. They were to conquer the city of Jericho. This was a solid city with high walls and tightly locked gates. At that time there were no bombs or weapons like the soldiers have in our time.

But God showed Joshua a plan: all the people of Israel were to march around the city. No one was allowed to talk, only seven priests were to blow a trumpet. In the evening they went back to their tents.

The next day, they did the same thing. What might they have thought? And so it went on for six days in a row. – Perhaps some of the people of Israel asked themselves: “Why this? How can we conquer a strong city if we just walk around it?”– But they were obedient because God had commanded it that way.

And then on the seventh day they were even supposed to  go around the city seven times. They went once – nothing happened! Twice, three times… Yes, God had said seven times! At the seventh time, the priests blew the trumpets loudly and all the people were allowed to scream out loud – and what happened? The walls fell and Israel could take over the city!

Would they have captured the city if they had given up after the first or second day or even after the third round on the seventh day? No! They had to fully complete God’s command!

Dear children, we should all learn, though we do not always understand why our parents or especially God forbid or command us to do something, to still be obedient and not ask “why?” Yes, let us obey immediately, completely, and gladly!

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