Day 142

Obey God Immediately

“Obey Me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in all the ways I command you, that it may go well with you” Jeremiah 7:23.

As I got to meet and talk to a young lady yesterday she said God had called her to a ministry to help the homeless but she was scared, she kept doubting. She didn't know where the supplies would come from to give out, nor how she would obtain the gas to go. She kept expressing her fear to take the next step in obedience. I reminded her that fear does not come from the Lord; she said, “I know”. We often know but our response does not show we believe. I remember reading somewhere that when God calls you it will probably be something only He could do, not something that you can accomplish on your own.

As we shared I told her if she truly believed that God was calling the only thing to do was to obey immediately. Sometimes we have to step our foot into the water in order to see it part right? The call requires action. We either act by obeying or we say no as we keep seeking or praying over something we know He has already told us to do.

I have seen people say that God has called them to a ministry but end up having more excuses why they can't obey. Could this be a form of rebellion? It is certainly disobedience. How long will God continue to call if we continue to say, “Not yet Lord, let me go tend to my sick one's, or bury the dead or raise my family, or maybe when I retire”. Isn't that often what happens? We want to live our life our way, on our time table, and when we do that we are in direct disobedience to Him.

We need to take His call seriously. He doesn't contend with us forever. If we don't obey there may be a time He stops calling. I for one do not want that to be my plight. I want to always be obedient immediately when He calls me to a task. How about you, will that be your choice the next time He calls you? Make the decision right now to say yes immediately.

I remember the chorous to a hymn entitled, Trust and Obey: “Trust and Obey, for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey”. Obedience brings with it joy and pleasure. Obedience also may mean laying aside your agenda, your leisure, maybe even family time in order to fulfill His purposes. As you are obedient in little He will trust you with more and more. There is nothing like living in His perfect will for your life. Nothing!