A Long Obedience in the Same Direction

Close-up of someone playing the cello.
 

And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the Lord your God.

Deuteronomy 28:2 ESV

Pablo Casals is considered by many to be the greatest cellist ever to draw a bow. His career spanned the decades. He played for Queen Victoria in 1898 when he was only twenty-two.  He played for President Kennedy in 1962 when he was eighty-six.

In between, there were thousands of performances that literally spanned the globe. Adoring audiences flocked to see and hear a true master.

Casals lived to the age of ninety-six and at the end of his life, he was still practicing three hours a day.  When asked why, he gave a wry smile and said, “I’m beginning to notice some improvement.”

Now that’s what I would call faithfulness over time.


Faithfulness Over Time

I don’t know what sort of dreams you have for your life, but for them to be realized, but more times than not, it will require that same sort of faithfulness over time.

  • You get into shape one workout at a time.

  • You get out of debt one payment at a time.

  • You get the music scholarship one rehearsal at a time.

  • You get the game ball one practice at a time.

  • You get your graduate degree one class at a time.

  • You get the job promotion one project at a time.

We live in a culture that celebrates fifteen minutes of fame, where a person, against all odds, captures lightning in a bottle and becomes an instant winner. But success typically comes as the result of a lifetime of faithfulness.

We live in a culture that celebrates fifteen minutes of fame, where a person, against all odds, captures lightning in a bottle and becomes an instant winner. But success typically comes as the result of a lifetime of faithfulness.

This concept has a spiritual parallel. Scripture tells us that God is actively taking the initiative to look for faithful people that he can bless. Second Chronicles 16:9 says, “The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him” (NLT).

God is actively taking the initiative to look for faithful people that he can bless.

Faithfulness. Perhaps one of the best definitions I could offer for that is this: obedience over time.

Dream Big. Think Long.

In his best-selling book by the same title, Eugene Peterson described it as a long obedience in the same direction.  His premise is this: If you keep doing the right things day in and day out, somehow…someway…someday God is going to show up and show off.

Obedience earns compound interest. There is a cumulative effect. And eventually, the blessings of God will overtake you.

Notice that word eventually. All too often we over-expect what we can accomplish in a matter of weeks even as we under-expect what God can accomplish in a matter of years.

All too often we over-expect what we can accomplish in a matter of weeks even as we under-expect what God can accomplish in a matter of years.

As I look back at my life, many of my greatest blessings showed up after a protracted time of daily faithfulness – a long obedience in the same direction.

If you’re discouraged these days at seeing your dreams realized, zoom out. You can’t just dream big; you have to think long. And eventually, the blessings of God will overtake you.

You can’t just dream big; you have to think long. And eventually, the blessings of God will overtake you.

PRAYER

Lord, I’m so grateful that you are actively looking for those who are committed to you. And that You are looking for ways to show Yourself strong on their behalf. Thank You that as continue my long obedience, your blessings will overtake me.

 
 
 

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Dave DeSelmdevotionals, devotional, Pablo Casals, cello, practice, faithfulness, obedience, God's blessings, God's blessing, dream big, think longComment