“Hey son, please take out the trash.” “Sure, okay dad.” One hour later, dad notices that the trash still has not been taken out. Even though the son heard his father and even agreed to take out the trash, he did not fulfill the task to which he was assigned.
The little girl stands by the side of the pool, hearing her father say, “Jump in, I will catch you.” The little girl remains frozen, unwilling to take the plunge. Even though she hears her father and even though she sees her father, she still chooses to not jump.
Whether or not you're that son or that little girl, we all identify with these situations. We may give verbal assent to a request, but do not act on it physically. We hear the assurance from our father, but we do not respond to it.
The Christian life, at times, is not so different. The Father commands us to live righteously, but we hesitate and sometimes continue our unrighteous behavior. Or, we read the scriptures, we hear what they say, we believe what they say, but we don't respond to them in faith.
Obedience is what God expects from His people. Not delayed obedience and certainly not simply verbal agreement without physical action. If we trust the Lord, we will do as He says. We will take Him at His word and trust Him completely, even if it's scary and even if it's inconvenient.