“I want God to use me.” “I want to experience a miracle.” “I want to hear God.”
The expressions of a heart desiring God are reflected by these statements. What if God is speaking and showing us who he is but we are just not responding?
Have you ever been in a restaurant and felt the need to buy someone lunch? I’m not referring to your co-workers, friend or mom. You are sitting down, and you really can’t fully explain it, but you know you must buy that stranger lunch.
The rationale behind such a decision does not make sense. You don’t know the person. You don’t know their financial status. Hey, perhaps they should be buying you lunch!
So, you get up, pay for your lunch and tell the waitress that you want to buy lunch for the lady across the diner who is sitting with her elderly mom. The mom and daughter will never know. You leave the restaurant with a joy in your heart that you can’t fully explain!
Obedience has rewards!
Liz, I’d like you to get up and go speak to the woman sitting next to you and let her know I love her. “What, God? Are you speaking with me?” So, I went trembling but delivered the message that God loved her. The woman was startled at first but then began to share her heartache with me. The heartache that God knew off.
I believe part of the reason we don’t see God move in our lives is because we are too smart for our own good!
The world teaches us to be rational, to think for ourselves. Don’t let anyone take you for a fool! That’s great and I agree. But there are moments when God is trying to use us, teach us and reach us by allowing us to exhibit obedience.
As God impresses upon us what he would like us to do, we must be careful that we don’t scrutinize his request to the point of disobedience. “Lord, are you sure you are talking to me?” Our intellect and logical reasoning could remove God right out of the equation for a blessing based on obedience.
It’s Christmas time and your budget is maxed out. God asks you to give someone $100! That clearly can’t be God, right?
“Rahab, hide the spies.” “Who said that!” Her obedience chronicles her in the lineage of God. She obeyed.
Abraham heard God, but would he follow through? Abraham built an altar and bound his son. But the angel of the Lord called out to him. “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” (Genesis 22:12)
Early morning and the sun is rising. “Friends haven’t you any fish?” (John 21:5) I wonder if the disciples thought to themselves, “no fish, just tired and hungry.” “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” (John 21:6) What, are you kidding? This body of water has no fish, trust us!
We can’t just trust our own reasoning sometimes! In their obedience the disciples caught 153 large fish. Good thing they obeyed. They didn’t even realize it was Jesus speaking to them.
Sometimes we too fail to recognize that God is speaking to us. He desires to commune with us, use us, and help us experience him.
So what ridiculous blessing is awaiting you for your act of obedience? How can you bless someone you know or the stranger you will only pass by once in your life? Perhaps $100 is just pennies for you. God clearly is speaking but will we obey? Did we send the card he told us to send? Did he say get them two tires for their car? That does not make sense, clearly that can’t be God. Get lunch, well that’s more reasonable Lord! What, for an entire month?
“We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. (Matthew 14:17) “Bring them here to me.” (v18)
“Raise your staff and stretch out your hand.” (Genesis 14:16)
“Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised” (Acts 1:4) “Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” (Acts 2:2-4)
God doesn’t always make sense. He bypasses our intellect and asks that FAITH arise. Obedience has its own reward. No one out-gives God. Obedience has rewards! Let faith arise and experience the joy of the Lord!
“I want God to use me.” “I want to experience a miracle.” “I want to hear God.”
Friend, he is waiting for your response.
Have you ever been in a restaurant and felt the need to buy someone lunch? I’m not referring to your co-workers, friend or mom. You are sitting down, and you really can’t fully explain it, but you know you must buy that stranger lunch.
The rationale behind such a decision does not make sense. You don’t know the person. You don’t know their financial status. Hey, perhaps they should be buying you lunch!
So, you get up, pay for your lunch and tell the waitress that you want to buy lunch for the lady across the diner who is sitting with her elderly mom. The mom and daughter will never know. You leave the restaurant with a joy in your heart that you can’t fully explain!
Obedience has rewards!
Liz, I’d like you to get up and go speak to the woman sitting next to you and let her know I love her. “What, God? Are you speaking with me?” So, I went trembling but delivered the message that God loved her. The woman was startled at first but then began to share her heartache with me. The heartache that God knew off.
I believe part of the reason we don’t see God move in our lives is because we are too smart for our own good!
The world teaches us to be rational, to think for ourselves. Don’t let anyone take you for a fool! That’s great and I agree. But there are moments when God is trying to use us, teach us and reach us by allowing us to exhibit obedience.
As God impresses upon us what he would like us to do, we must be careful that we don’t scrutinize his request to the point of disobedience. “Lord, are you sure you are talking to me?” Our intellect and logical reasoning could remove God right out of the equation for a blessing based on obedience.
It’s Christmas time and your budget is maxed out. God asks you to give someone $100! That clearly can’t be God, right?
“Rahab, hide the spies.” “Who said that!” Her obedience chronicles her in the lineage of God. She obeyed.
Abraham heard God, but would he follow through? Abraham built an altar and bound his son. But the angel of the Lord called out to him. “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” (Genesis 22:12)
Early morning and the sun is rising. “Friends haven’t you any fish?” (John 21:5) I wonder if the disciples thought to themselves, “no fish, just tired and hungry.” “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” (John 21:6) What, are you kidding? This body of water has no fish, trust us!
We can’t just trust our own reasoning sometimes! In their obedience the disciples caught 153 large fish. Good thing they obeyed. They didn’t even realize it was Jesus speaking to them.
Sometimes we too fail to recognize that God is speaking to us. He desires to commune with us, use us, and help us experience him.
So what ridiculous blessing is awaiting you for your act of obedience? How can you bless someone you know or the stranger you will only pass by once in your life? Perhaps $100 is just pennies for you. God clearly is speaking but will we obey? Did we send the card he told us to send? Did he say get them two tires for their car? That does not make sense, clearly that can’t be God. Get lunch, well that’s more reasonable Lord! What, for an entire month?
“We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. (Matthew 14:17) “Bring them here to me.” (v18)
“Raise your staff and stretch out your hand.” (Genesis 14:16)
“Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised” (Acts 1:4) “Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” (Acts 2:2-4)
God doesn’t always make sense. He bypasses our intellect and asks that FAITH arise. Obedience has its own reward. No one out-gives God. Obedience has rewards! Let faith arise and experience the joy of the Lord!
“I want God to use me.” “I want to experience a miracle.” “I want to hear God.”
Friend, he is waiting for your response.
God bless you!~Liz
