(Jer) 35:13-15 CJB “ADONAI-Tzva’ot the God of Isra’el says to go to the men of Y’hudah and the inhabitants of Yerushalayim and say: ‘Won’t you ever learn to listen to my words?’ says ADONAI….I have spoken to you, spoken frequently, and you have not listened to me. I have also sent you all my servants the prophets, sent them frequently, with the message, “Every one of you should turn back now from his evil way, improve your actions and not follow other gods in order to serve them. Then you will live in the land I gave you and your ancestors. But you have not paid attention or listened to me.”
Why is it so difficult for us to listen to God and obey? I continue to be amazed by the hardness of the human heart. God speaks, commands, warns, corrects, and calls us back to Himself—and still we repeatedly choose our own way.
God describes exactly that problem in Jeremiah 35: “I have spoken to you, spoken frequently, and you have not listened to me.” Jeremiah 35:14 CJB
The problem wasn’t that God hadn’t spoken.
They simply wouldn’t listen.
And neither do we.
Why Is It So Hard to Listen to God and Obey?
Think about a toddler defying his mother.
She feeds him, clothes him, protects him, comforts him, and provides virtually everything necessary for his life. Yet that same child can look directly at her and defiantly say, “No!”
That’s us.
God is our Creator and Sustainer. Every breath, heartbeat, meal, ability, opportunity, and possession ultimately comes from Him (Acts 17:25, 28).
Yet we routinely tell Him no.
And what does God actually require?
Jesus summarized it: “You are to love ADONAI your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” Mark 12:30 CJB
That’s not unreasonable. He is God.
Furthermore, God’s commands aren’t designed to make us miserable.
John tells us: “For loving God means obeying his commands. Moreover, his commands are not burdensome.” 1 John 5:3 CJB
Jesus similarly said: “My yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:30 CJB
God’s boundaries are for our good.
The Problem With Living for Ourselves
Our culture tells us happiness comes from gratifying ourselves.
Get what you want.
Buy what you want.
Experience what you want.
Do what feels good.
But self-gratification is a terrible master. Sin promises satisfaction and eventually produces slavery, shame, emptiness, and death (Romans 6:21–23).
Jesus offers a radically different path: “Whoever wants to save his own life will destroy it, but whoever destroys his life on my account will find it.” Matthew 16:25 CJB
We find life by giving it away.
That’s why Jesus joins loving God with: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Mark 12:31 CJB
A purposeful life moves increasingly away from What can I get? toward Whom can I serve?
But even serving people isn’t enough if God remains excluded. We can perform good works for recognition, reputation, pride, or our own glory (Matthew 6:1).
Christian service begins vertically before it moves horizontally.
Love God first. Then love people because you love God.
The Greatest Service We Can Give
That makes one act of service especially important.
Paul says God has entrusted believers with “the message of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:18–20).
People need food, friendship, encouragement, generosity, and compassion. Christians should eagerly provide those things.
But people’s greatest need is reconciliation with God through Jesus Christ.
The greatest love we can demonstrate is helping someone know the God who created him and the Savior who died to reconcile him to Himself.
Run Today’s Play
God told Judah:“I have spoken to you, spoken frequently, and you have not listened to me.”
Don’t let Him say that about you.
Open His Word today. Find something God has clearly commanded that you haven’t been doing—and do it.
Love your wife.
Serve your children.
Forgive someone.
Give generously.
Confess your sin.
Tell someone about Jesus.
Don’t merely hear God’s Word.
Listen to God and obey.
Lose your life serving God and others, and you’ll discover the purposeful life Jesus promised.
