What’s Obedience Got to Do with It?

Claire Black: This is True Girl, a podcast for girls and their moms. Together, we’ll explore God’s truth for us, one hike at a time! Grab your hiking boots.

We’re going to grow closer to each other and closer to Jesus! 

Have you ever done the right thing . . . but not as soon as you were supposed to do it? Maybe your mom asked you to do the dishes right after dinner, but instead you watched TV first.

Well, Staci Rudolph is experiencing the same kind of thing as she and Dannah Gresh continue their camping adventure. Find out what she learns.

Episode three is called “What’s Obedience Got to Do with It?” It’s based on one of the lessons in our new Bible study that’s written just for tween girls: Mary: Becoming a Girl of Faithfulness.

Here’s Dannah.

Dannah Gresh: Staci! Staci! Where is that girl? Staci, where are you?

Staci Rudolph: I’m up here! The view is great!

Dannah: Ah, Staci, come down from there! 

Staci: Not yet! I’m taking it all in! I can see everything—all the way back to your house even! Hey, I think I see Bob on the porch.

Dannah: Staci! Seriously, you have to come down! 

[Donkey bray]

See, Cassie says so too. Get down here please!

Staci: Just one more second . . .

Dannah: No, no, not one more second. Right now! You can’t see it, but that branch is about to . . .

[Tree branch breaking and a big thud]

Staci!!

Staci: Ahhhh! My leg!

Dannah: Oh no! I’m coming; I’m coming!

Oh Staci, let me look at it. Is it broken?

Staci: Ahhh, no, I don’t think so. 

Dannah: Good! That’s a pretty big gash. Let me grab the first aid kit we brought. 

This is gonna hurt a bit, but I have to clean it out.

Staci: Ahhhh!!

Dannah: Sorry. There we go. I think we can take care of this. And this bandage looks about the right size.

Staci: Easy, easy. Thanks, Dannah. I’ve gotta get to my sleeping bag. I need to sit for a while. 

Dannah: Alright. Here, lean on Cassie. That’s what she’s here for.

Staci: Come here. 

Dannah: Almost there . . .

Staci: Ahh, thanks. Oh man, my leg really hurts.

Dannah: I bet it does. That was a pretty far fall.

Staci: Would you talk to me about something? Anything. Just something to take my mind off the pain.

Dannah: Hmm, well, wanna talk about Mary? You’ve been enjoying her story, right?

Staci: Yeah, let’s talk more about her.

Dannah: Where did we leave off, let me see? 

Staci: We were talking about how she chose to worship and not whine.

Dannah: Oh yeah! And, let me just say, she was a champ for not whining because she had enough reasons to. I mean, not only had she just received life-changing news, she also had to travel a lot during this time. And traveling back then wasn’t as easy as it is now. 

Staci: What do you mean?

Dannah: Well, back in Mary’s day travel was dangerous, difficult, and just down right disagreeable. People often traveled in big groups called caravans. A caravan provided safety. You see, there were thieves on the road. Robbers were less likely to harm people who stayed in a group.

Staci: Oh.

Dannah: And not only was traveling unsafe, it was also extremely hard and uncomfortable. There were no cars, comfy seats, or cup holders. Some people would have traveled on animals, like camels or donkeys. 

But really, it was either by animal or most people walked—everywhere in their open-toed sandals! And because of this, long trips could take weeks or months. And without cell phones, you couldn’t just phone home and tell the people who loved you that you were safe or that you needed help. I mean if the donkey “broke down” . . . Traveling was risky business.

Staci: Sure sounds like it to me. They didn’t have the options and luxuries we have today. 

Dannah: No ma’am. 

Staci, what’s your favorite way to travel?

Staci: Hmmm, believe it or not, I’d say flying. You know, I used to hate flying, but since I’ve had to do it so much the past few years, I’ve kind of grown to enjoy it. What’s yours?

Dannah: Well, I dream of owning a yellow Jeep one day!

Staci: You don’t say?

Dannah: I do say! 

But if we were back in Mary’s time, Staci, we wouldn’t have our pick of travel options. It would either be on foot or on Cassie!

Staci: So, I know Mary traveled from Nazareth to Hebron to visit Elizabeth, but where else did she go? Why did she have to travel so much?

Dannah: Well, let’s pick her story back up in Luke 2, we’re going to start in verses 1–21. Let’s see where else Mary went and why. I can read. You just relax and listen.

At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child. (vv. 1–5)

Staci: Aww, this is the Christmas story! 

Dannah: It sure is! We have some key things happening here, but I want to focus on the first one for a moment. It’ll help us understand Mary’s next journey. 

So, the census was the first thing we see mentioned in this passage. It was decreed by the Roman Emperor Augustus. Do you know what a census is?

Staci: It’s when a government takes a count of everyone in an area, right? Kind of like in school when the teacher counts everyone in the class to see how many students are there. 

Dannah: Exactly! The Roman empire decided to do this and the most organized way they could think to do it was to count people based on the cities they were originally born in, not where they were living at the moment. So, that was the reason for Mary’s next bit of travel. She and Joseph had to get back to his hometown so their family could be counted for the census. 

Staci: Ahh, gotcha. Hey, can I read the rest?

Dannah: Sure.

Staci: I love Christmas!

And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.

That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”

Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,

 “Glory to God in highest heaven,
and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.

Eight days later, when the baby was circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel even before he was conceived.

Makes me wanna sing “Hark the Herald Angels Sing.” But it’s not actually Christmas, so I’ll refrain.

Dannah: Ah, Staci, you’re crazy!

Now, Mary and Joseph weren’t the only ones traveling around this time. And I’m not talking about the other people who may have been traveling to their homes for the census. Let’s read another passage of scripture to see who else was traveling. Because I have something I want you to see. Can you read this?

It’s Matthew 2, read verses 1–15.

Staci: Sure! 

Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.”

King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem. He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?”

“In Bethlehem in Judea,” they said. (vv. 1–5)

Well, we know that’s true!

Dannah: Yeah we do. Skip to verse 7. It’s about to get very uncozy in Bethlehem!

Staci:

Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared. Then he told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!”

After this interview the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

When it was time to leave, they returned to their own country by another route, for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod.

After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother,” the angel said. “Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”

That night Joseph left for Egypt with the child and Mary, his mother, and they stayed there until Herod’s death. 

Dannah: Whoa! That was a lot of reading. How’s your leg, Staci? Is all this reading and studying keeping your mind off of it?

Staci: Well, it was. Now I’m thinking about it again!

Dannah: Ooops! Okay, well, let’s keep your mind off it. So, quiz time. Who were the other travelers we just read about?

Staci: The wise men. 

Dannah: Yes, they were. After Jesus was born, a star caught the eye of some wise men who loved studying the skies. These men traveled to Jerusalem and asked King Herod for directions. They wanted to know where the newborn “King of the Jews” could be found. How did Herod react to their request?

Staci: He seemed jealous and mad.

Dannah: That’s right, he was. Herod wanted to be the only king, so he created a sneaky plan. Herod told the wise men that when they found Jesus, they should come back and tell him where he was. Now, although Herod said he also wanted to go worship the new king, we all know the truth. Herod just wanted to kill Jesus! But the wise men didn’t know this. They went on their way and followed the star, which led them to Bethlehem, where they worshiped Jesus. They gave Him some expensive gifts, perfectly fit for a king.

When the wise men left Jesus, they were warned in a dream not to return to Herod. So, they went a different way home.

Staci: I’m glad they did! The story got even crazier in that passage though, right? Then an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream, right? He told Joseph to take Mary and baby Jesus on yet another adventure!

Dannah: You are correct. The angel told him to take Mary and baby Jesus to Egypt because Herod was trying to find Jesus and kill Him.

Now, here’s what I want to focus on. When did the angel tell Joseph to do this?

Staci: It seems like he told him to do it immediately. He said “Get up!” That seems like a “right away” command to me.

Dannah: Seems that way to me too! And did they obey? When did they do what the angel told them to do?

Staci: That very night! They obeyed immediately.

Dannah: Yes, they did. And just in time too! Because if you’d keep reading that . . . well, go ahead keep reading that. It’ll be good for your leg.

Staci: More like my mind. Okay, here we go:

Herod was furious when he realized that the wise men had outwitted him. He sent soldiers to kill all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, based on the wise men’s report of the star’s first appearance.

Dannah: Oh, wow! Herod really didn’t want anyone else to be king! It’s a good thing Joseph left immediately!

Now, remember with me how hard travel was back in the day. It was not easy for Joseph and Mary to make a trip, it was a long one! And now they had to take a baby on that donkey of theirs, if in fact they had one. But despite all of these difficulties, Joseph led his family in obeying God. He didn’t ask questions or make excuses. He and Mary obeyed this message from God to go to Egypt immediately!

This brings us to our third faithfulness lesson:

Faithfulness Lesson #3: A faithful girl is immediately obedient.

Staci: Well, I can surely see your point. Obedience saved Jesus’ life!

Dannah: Yeah. I think this helps us have a good definition for obedience. 

Obedience means doing what you are told immediately and with a happy heart.

Staci: Ya know, I’m feeling the consequences of not getting down from the top of that tree right when you told me too.

Dannah: Ya think?

Staci: That branch probably wouldn’t have snapped if I’d gotten off of it the first time you asked me to. 

Dannah: Hmmm, I do agree. At least you learned the lesson though and aren’t too badly hurt.

Staci: That’s true.

Dannah: At the end of the day, obedience is a choice for all of us. Mary and Joseph made the choice to obey multiple times according to the Bible. They obeyed even though they did not always have a complete picture of what God was asking them to do, and together they faithfully trusted God’s plan and believed that He knew best.

Staci: And after a while, God let them return home, right?

Dannah: Yep! Herod died and another angel appeared to Joseph telling him they could finally return. So, Mary, Joseph, and Jesus took yet another long journey back to their hometown—Nazareth. They listened to God and were protected from Herod and then got to go home. They trusted God to protect and lead them.

Staci, God asks all of us to do things to obey Him. Why do you think He does that?

Staci: I think the main reason we obey God is because He’s God. I mean, He knows what’s best for our lives. 

Dannah: Absolutely. But there’s another reason we obey God too. Let’s read John 14:23. Are you feeling up to reading another?

Staci: Yep! John 14:23 says,

Jesus replied, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them.”

So, obedience shows God that we love Him too, right? 

Dannah: It sure does. When our relationship with Christ is sincere, there is evidence of it: love. We love Him. He loves us. Loving relationships are marked by trust. When you trust someone, you respond to them as if you do. Our true trust in God’s care for us causes us to respond to anything He asks of us with, “Yes, Lord! We obey!” And we do it right away.

Now I’m not saying obedience isn’t difficult, it is, but one thing has made it easier for me: loving Jesus. My love for Him grows when I spend time with Him. When I’m in the Bible and getting to know Him and worshiping Him, developing that loving relationship helps me be a faithful girl who obeys God immediately.

Staci: I needed to hear that. That is good stuff. My leg even feels a bit better too.

Dannah: I’m glad. Want to eat a little lunch? I’m getting pretty hungry

Staci: Yeah, me too. 

Claire: Yikes! Sometimes not obeying right away can land us in some pretty painful situations. That was a good reminder to not just obey God and those He’s put in charge of us, but to obey them immediately.

So, we’ve covered how a faithful girl responds to a change of plans and how she handles tough days. And today, we learned about what obedience has to do with being faithful.

But what about those ordinary days? Do those require faithfulness? Join us next time to find out.

Remember, this season of the True Girl podcast is based on our new Bible study for tweens. And you can join Dannah and Staci to dig in deep and study the life of Jesus’s mom. Our next online Bible study will be starting soon, and you’ll get a copy of Mary: Becoming a Girl of Faithfulness when you register. Learn more at MyTrueGirl.com.

The True Girl podcast is produced by Revive Our Hearts calling women of all ages to freedom, fullness, and fruitfulness in Christ!

All Scripture is taken from the NLT.

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