January 17: When Obedience Opens Doors

Corry Chambers,
Women’s Ministries Director, CIC

Isaiah 1:19 “If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land.” 

 Growing up, I always tried to demonstrate obedience and respect, especially toward adults. One childhood memory has stayed with me over the years. I had a grand-uncle who would occasionally travel from America and bring clothes for one of my siblings and me. The clothes were not always the most fashionable for our age, but whenever he handed them to me, I received them graciously. I said thank you, smiled, and never expressed disappointment. My sibling, however, reacted very differently. He openly and categorically expressed his disapproval of the clothing—commenting on how unfashionable or unsuitable they were. Over time, my grand-uncle seemed to take note. He found it more favourable to connect with me. On his subsequent visits, he would often squeeze a few dollars into my hand and remark, half-jokingly but very clearly, that he had “nothing to do” with my sibling because he was too feisty. At the time, I didn’t fully understand what was happening. I wasn’t trying to be rewarded; I was simply responding with respect. Yet my posture—my willingness and obedience—created a door for favour to flow.  

This childhood experience beautifully echoes the truth found in Isaiah 1:19: “If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land.” Notice that the verse does not say talented, loud, or demanding. It says willing and obedient. God is drawn to hearts that are humble, teachable, and respectful of His authority. 

 Obedience is not about pretending to like everything or suppressing honest feelings; it is about choosing the right response even when the gift, the assignment, or the season doesn’t look the way we hoped. My sibling focused on what the clothes were not. I focused on the relationship behind the gift. That difference mattered. 

 Here is the deeper layer: people often miss blessings not because God is withholding them, but because their posture blocks the flow. God, like my grand-uncle, delights in hearts that honor Him. When we grumble, resist, or respond defiantly to His instructions, we may still be loved—but we may forfeit certain doors, connections, and provisions that obedience unlocks. Isaiah 1:19 reminds us that obedience positions us to “eat the good of the land”—not just material provision, but peace, favor, growth, and divine opportunity. 

God sees our responses in the small things. How we accept correction. How we handle disappointment. How we respond when His will doesn’t match our preferences. 

 Prayer: 

Lord, give me a willing heart and an obedient spirit. Help me to trust You even when I don’t fully understand the gift or the season You’ve placed me in. Teach me to respond with humility, knowing that obedience opens doors only You can open. Amen. 

 Reflection Question: Is there an area in my life where God is asking for obedience—not complaint—so that He can release the “good of the land” He has already prepared for me?