Psalm 119:1-2
Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD.  Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.

Obedience to God must be a total-heart thing.  It’s more than just obeying Him; it’s having a relationship with Him, seeking to know not just what He wants us to do, but to know Him, the God behind the law.  That’s what makes such a difference in following Him, because then it’s not just an adherence to an impersonal set of rules, but it is pleasing our Father.  Our motive becomes love, not duty.  We walk righteously not to stay in line with some taskmaster, but to follow our Lord closely.  We do what He says to do because it is He who said to do it.

And then because of that obedience, we experience blessings.  We are blessed by doing what He’s asked because they are good and right things to do that bring other good things into our lives.  Following God’s ways keeps us undefiled by the world’s ways.  That obedience allows us to live peacefully with our fellow man and our Creator.  We live free from the burdens and the darkness that sin brings.  We experience God’s grace in many personal ways that enrich our lives.

So, how is our walk with the Lord, and what is our attitude toward His Word?  Is it something that we’re seeking to obey because we desire to please our Lord, or have we wandered off the path a little bit?  Do we take it seriously and realize the importance of following it, or do we have a casual attitude toward it?  He has given us this precious gift.  He has revealed His heart to us through it.  And if we heartlessly cast it aside, we will not experience the fullness of life that He offers to us nor the abundant blessings that He will give to us.

Let us turn toward the Lord and seek Him with our whole heart.  Let’s strive to learn and grow every time we are exposed to His Word, whether it is through our own daily Bible study or at church or some other place.  Let’s commit ourselves to a life of obedience to what He wants us to do and then rejoice in the blessings that He gives to us because of that.  There is no shortcut to righteousness.  It’s all about that step-by-step walk with the Lord, following His way closely and carefully.