The Fine Print: Part 3- I Pledge Allegiance to the King

Sep 15
5 min read

Part Three: When Obedience Looks Like Rebellion

When Yes to God Looks Like No to Everyone Else

Welcome back! Has your viewpoint been enlightened about what it truly means to pledge your allegiance to the King? I pray you’ve experienced fresh revelation over these past lessons.

Today, we’re diving into a similar theme we’ve touched on before, but from a different angle. Remember Gideon? Hiding in the winepress, when God found him and called him a mighty warrior? Before he could lead Israel, he first had to tear down the altars of Baal at his father’s house. That’s what it looks like when obedience to God feels like rebellion to everyone else.

If you missed that lesson, no worries. Here’s the link.

But for today, we’re staying in the book of Jeremiah. And here’s what I hope you see: there’s a common thread woven through all of these stories. The character of God never changes.

Our allegiance is to the King of Kings. Period.

Obedience = Allegiance.

I don’t want to assume you know this, so I’ll say it plainly: sometimes, saying yes to God means saying no to the people around you. And that “no” doesn’t always sit well.

Being a follower of Christ doesn’t mean you’re a “Yes-Man” to everyone. “Well, Zee, how do you know it’s okay to say no?” Because the Bible says, “Let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’” (Matthew 5:37). That means your yes should be honest, your no should be clear, and both are valid options when you’re walking in integrity before God.

Now hear me—there’s a way to do this with decency and order. God is a God of order. That means if your “yes” or “no” is going to push someone further away from Christ, you may need to rethink your delivery. You’ve heard the saying, “It’s not what you say—it’s how you say it”? Exactly.

Have you ever obeyed God, and it cost you… If so, you’re not alone.

Obedience has always looked like rebellion to the world. And for the prophet Jeremiah, it didn’t just look like rebellion it cost him everything.

Obedience Will Cost You Popularity

Jeremiah 1:18–19 (CSB) "Today, I am the one who has made you a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls against the whole land against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests, and the population. They will fight against you but never prevail over you, since I am with you to rescue you."

Let’s pause here.

When God says He has made you a fortified city, He’s saying you are built to withstand the storm. The winds will come. The opposition will come. People will come at you like a powerful storm but you will have shelter in place, because He is your protection.

A fortified city is one surrounded by strong, high walls, reinforced to resist attack. Jeremiah was, for lack of a better phrase, built beyond Ford Tough.

God didn’t promise Jeremiah applause. He promised resistance.

He told him from the start: "They will fight against you."

Not just strangers

Kings.
Officials.
Priests.
Even the very people Jeremiah was sent to help.

His obedience to God didn’t make him a hero—it made him a target.

And that’s the part we don’t always talk about in church.

Obedience doesn’t always lead to open doors. Sometimes it leads to closed circles—where you’re misunderstood, misjudged, and even mistreated.

But here’s the good news: God doesn’t call you to be accepted—He calls you to be faithful.

Obedience Will Confront Systems and Sin

Jeremiah 7:2–4 (NLT) "Go to the entrance of the Lord’s Temple, and give this message to the people… ‘Don’t be fooled by those who promise you safety simply because the Lord’s Temple is here. They chant, “The Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord,” but I will be merciful only if you stop your evil thoughts and deeds.’"

Jeremiah’s assignment was bold show up at the temple gates and tell the people the truth: Your attendance isn’t the same as your obedience.

That was a dangerous message then, and it still is today. Because real obedience will eventually make you speak up when it’s easier to stay silent.

It might mean addressing gossip in a friend group when “everyone else is doing it.”
It might mean refusing to cut corners at work even when your boss says, “That’s how we’ve always done it.”
It might mean telling your family “I can’t be part of that” when they pressure you to compromise your faith.

Obedience doesn’t just confront people, it confronts patterns. And patterns don’t like to be challenged.

Jeremiah wasn’t rebelling against God’s temple. He was confronting the lie that the place could save them while their hearts stayed far from Him.

Obedience May Leave You Isolated

Jeremiah 16:2 – “You must not marry or have sons or daughters in this place.”

When I first read this, I was like, Wait… what?

Lord, didn’t You tell us to be fruitful and multiply?

Honestly, my heart felt heavy for Jeremiah. Lord, why couldn’t he have a helpmate? You said two are better than one!

But here’s what I was reminded of: God's “no” is never random. Jeremiah was a Levite, a priest from a tribe called to a higher level of consecration. And in this moment, that calling came with divine protection.

God told him not to marry because children born in that time would face famine, disease, and the sword. In other words, this wasn’t punishment — it was mercy. What others saw as lack was actually God sparing Jeremiah from grief.

And that hit me. It made me think about my own life — the seasons where I felt left out, overlooked, or “behind.” Maybe those weren’t delays at all… maybe they were protection.

Sometimes, saying yes to God will make you look strange and feel alone. But obedience isn’t about being comfortable, it’s about being consecrated.

Jeremiah’s obedience wasn’t rejection. It was refinement.

And here’s the part we can’t forget you may never know the full impact your obedience is having. Jeremiah’s message wasn’t just in what he said, but in how he lived.

Your “yes” to God is speaking in ways you can’t always measure. It’s strengthening someone who’s watching from a distance. It’s planting seeds in hearts you’ll never meet. It’s showing heaven whose side you’re on.

So even if it costs you comfort… Even if it costs you connection… Even if it costs you control…

Say yes anyway. Because your obedience is echoing louder than you think.

Prayer:

Lord, Thank You for being a loving Father. Thank You for knowing me personally. Thank You for equipping me with everything I need to fight the good fight of faith. I trust You with my yes.

Forgive me for the times I have chosen comfort over obedience, or when I’ve tried to negotiate with You. Forgive me for searching for Bible verses to support my own decisions, even when I knew I was taking them out of context.

Lord, uproot every lie I have allowed to lay dormant in my life. Clean me from the inside out. Hide Your Word in my heart so that when the time comes to give You a new yes, I will remember that a yes in Your hands is covered under Your protection.

Silence the voice of the accuser. I am Your sheep, and I know Your voice. I will follow You in all things. Thank You for the grace to give You a fresh yes. I choose You!

I pledge allegiance to Your will, Your way, and Your name.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.