Moments of Obedience vs. Walking in Obedience

Me & the fam are spending a few days camping at our deer lease, mainly enjoying wide open spaces & each other’s company & I find myself pondering something I read in Isaiah yesterday.

“If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land; but if you resist & rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” For the mouth of The Lord has spoken. Isaiah 1:19-20

The lessons I took away from this are:

1) If you resist, you are rebelling at the same time.

2) Doing something begrudgingly is NOT obedience.

3) Resisting and obedience are opposite of each other. They cannot simultaneously exist in you.

Learning to walk in obedience is much different than moments of obedience. The moments get us there. They strengthen our faith, as we learn to walk in obedience, but they are moments.

I do believe God rewards moments of obedience. He is helping us to understand the kind of blessings that can come, when we confirm our willingness to being obedient to His work and His plan.

Also, another thought I’ve had on the matter is: maybe what I consider blessings, are actually us living in union with God, how He has always intended. Then, when we revert back to our old ways, access to His peace leaves us and we are resting on what we know, and not God.

These thoughts have also had me pondering several people from testimonies in The Bible.

Paul walked in obedience after meeting Jesus on the road to Damascus.

Peter had moments of obedience when he was one of Jesus’s disciples, but his denial of Jesus shows, he was not walking in complete obedience to Jesus. Once Jesus was raised from the dead and visited His disciples is, likely, when Peter began walking in obedience for The Lord.

Elijah walked in obedience, sacrificing his own well-being for God and His plan.

Esther was called to more and reached a place where she made the choice, to walk in obedience with God.

Judas Iscariot may have had moments of obedience, but, surely, did not walk in obedience with God.

John the Baptist understood his assignment and walked in complete obedience to God’s plan.

Noah walked in obedience.

I am certain my experiences, thus far, are the results of moments of obedience. In many cases some major event occurred to encourage these individuals to walk in obedience with Jesus, and transition past moments of obedience.

Buck Up Baby & Ride With Jesus! Ponder with Him & talk it out. He wants us too!

Unsettle

This past Saturday I had the honor of SUPPORTing one of my friends as she stepped WAY out of her comfort zone and held her first women's conference, held in a little fire hall, where a whole lot of things get started for us.

Not only did it allow me to show my support for her and encourage her, but it allowed me to ENCOURAGE others....some I've known & just LOVE them & their character. Some of them were complete strangers that really just live a few miles from me.

One thing that every woman that came to the conference got was a little doodle sheet, with a motivational message on it. As the speakers were speaking we were all supposed to write down scripture we wanted to go back and read or just jot down notes.

She had asked me if I would help emcee the event & of course I agreed. She had handed these little sheets out to everyone and I just went and grabbed the top one off the stack, because I hadn't gotten one yet & the music was about to start.

This is what my motivational sheet said:

It really did MINISTER to me, which was what she really wanted them to do. This little message has been the STORY OF MY LIFE. Here's been my thought process over the last few years:

 I'm good at what I'm doing....I just don't like the people I'm working with anymore. We don't have the same overall goal. Okay....now I'm tired of being restricted to make THEIR dream happen and not my own....What? Auctioneer? oh my husband is gonna divorce me, if I tell him this hair-brained idea.... I'm gonna go where & do what? I don't even have a chant! I'll do it while I'm providing money for my family...... Is the money really worth putting up with these people that have more experience than me, but still aren't REALLY doing something to help these people that REALLY need it....more than they need their paycheck???? You want me to quit when my job is the majority of our income? Okay he hasn't threatened to divorce me yet, but this MIGHT be pushing it..... He said YES! Go do it, just know life is gonna change. Crap! Now it's ALL on me. God is waiting on ME to say YES..... OKAY!!! I'll do what you tell me already!....as I proceed to try and MAKE things happen vs. letting Him make them happen. Then....I start working on peeling the layers back. Then....I know BIG growth is fixing to happen....I just don't know what it looks like. Then....I go to a conference like this were a GROUP of WOMEN are lifting you up in PRAYER & I'm UNSETTLED all over again...

But this time....in a MIGHTY way that is in the AUTHORITY of Christ Jesus.

All I can say is....if you think you are going to "settle down" and answer God's calling, you MIGHT want to pray about it.

Also...for the record....I don't think my husband will EVER divorce me, but I KNEW I was stretching him outside of his comfort zone....probably even more-so than myself & that if I said YES & was allowing God to stretch me....EVERYONE around me would be stretched. I (with the help of Jesus) had to OWN that...and any resentment from any of them about the decisions I was making.

As the music is playing and the speakers are speaking...I'm just jottin' away on my doodle sheet. Here are some of the things I wrote:

• Suddenlink
• Sava
• Buck Up
• KSBJ
• Rejoice
• African Man - "Make Disciples of All Nations" - Why not?
• "God has to be our passion." -Aaron Mullins
• Promise in the mystery - urge people to go read about Elizabeth & Zecharius and the birth of John the Baptist
• Philippians: Paul passionately upset
• Colossians
• Peace=something wrong? once you figure out it is God, you'll praise and rejoice in the peace
• Boldly?

All these false conditions we place on ourselves: I need a degree. I need this class. I'm a woman & people won't accept me because of it. I need to master this. I need to have X amount of money in the bank. 

The TRUTH is: You are whole, full, blessed, and ready RIGHT NOW!!

I was pretty exhausted the next couple of days.... Honestly because I was OVERWHELMED with God's goodness and it can be really hard to process sometimes. You start thinking why do I DESERVE to walk in this authority, which I am called to? The fact of the matter is this.... each and every one of us are called to walk in the authority of Christ Jesus & we CONSTANTLY have to pull back the layers & die to ourselves over & OVER again....(each time we peel a layer back) to understand that it is not about what WE deserve, but about what God wants us to experience....how He NEEDS us to CHOOSE to follow Him.... How he doesn't want us thinking SO hard about other people or how to make ourselves better. He wants us to live our lives in a way that shines BRIGHTLY to others.

I was thinking about things today & came to the conclusion that one of the things that is really important to me is that..... when people look at me, look at my Facebook/Instagram/Twitter/Blog profile that they KNOW I am a believer in Christ Jesus and that I am THANKFUL & HUMBLED for the stripes he bore to SAVE ME. I want them to look at my husband and my children that way also! I want people to feel the JOY in what I have & go get their own!!!

One bullet point that isn't quite self explanatory is "African Man - Make Disciples of All Nations" - Why not?" Here is why the story struck me so.... I was helping my Uncle Melvin call an auction for the Independent Cattleman's Association 2 weeks ago & I was takin' bids and rolling right along with my chant & didn't really realize how often I was saying "Why not?" when trying to entice people to bid more. I was selling an item & the crowd (in unison) said with me.... "Why not?" I had to giggle a little bit. Really though....Why not? Why can't we GIVE more than we think we can? Why can't we do what we feel called to do? Why do people doubt when the goal seems SO big? I mean... Jesus calmed the waters of a stormy sea. Jesus healed the blind, the sick, & the cripple. Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead....after being in a tomb for 4 days!! Jesus died to free ALL of us from the grips of sin & He himself raised from the dead! Why don't ya'll just come on with me & the African Man & Buck Up Baby & Ride With Jesus?!

I can do ALL things through Christ who gives me strength." - Philippians 4:13

REJOICE!!

Good Morning!!! I really feel like SHARING some thoughts today. REJOICE is my focus word for the year. I came across it while reading scripture in the New Testament. I started Paul's Letter to the Philippians & the word REJOICE was EVERYWHERE!! So then I decided to read the entire letter, which is quite ENCOURAGING. It ALWAYS amazes me at how EXTREMELY relevant scripture is ALL THE TIME.

One of the things I've been praying specifically for, for the last year or so, is JOY. When I look back at my life, I feel like there were so many moments in my youth where I exuded JOY. I mean...I refer to myself often as bright-eyed, optimistic, & TRUSTING. Over the years I've felt elements of that JOY slowly seeping out of me. Not because I don't want to be JOYful, but because of some of the experiences I've had. TRUSTING...just to be let down. Optimistic for ChanGe....just to become aware that the unanswered optimism slowly sucked the zeal and motivation I once had from me. Anger & Frustration because I felt trapped & LIMITED by my PERCEIVED options and opportunities....

There's always been something about me though.... I mean I used to sit up & plague myself with wOrRy & get all worked-UP & in a FreNZy about so many things that didn't matter....but I'd always get to this MOMENT where I realized it didn't HAVE to be the way it was. I would then USUALLY get myself all TISSIED-Up again trying to FIGURE OUT what "that" was.

I've PRAYED the majority of my life & as I look back...I think of how my PRAYERS have evolved...how my relationship with The Holy Trinity has deepened....how I think about so many things now, with SO MUCH MORE PURPOSE than what I used to think about... How my PRIORITIES have TOTALLY swapped around.... and how I still become cOnfUsed, but at least now I'm confused about things that ACTUALLY matter & am able to REST from the worry because I know that I'm accepted just the way I am & that confusion isn't from God. It may not make other PEOPLE happy, but I'm gonna be okay & The Good Lord is still gonna take me where he wants to, as long as I continue to submit to that.

Over the last couple days I sat & talked in some mighty deep discussions about politics, the troubles of our youth, homosexuality, the medical industry & insurance & pharmaceutical companies, The Bible, ISIS, evil, war, our military men & women, the end times....
The truth is....being in kind of an open forum with more than 5 people in each setting....left me exhausted mentally...because the troubles can seem overwhelming...

Through ENCOURAGEMENT I'm trying to be more FOCUSED as I read in The Bible & as I read...I'm focusing on my FOCUS word this year, which is REJOICE.

What I find interesting is Paul was a prisoner when he wrote the Letter to the Philippians, yet REJOICE is what he continued to say, because he was REJOICING in the PROGRESS God was making...Paul accepted the MISSION of bringing more people to BELIEVE in CHRIST, so his JOY came from the forward motion of that mission...whether it be witnessing a group of people making progress because of The Spirit inside them or because his inprisionment was ENCOURAGING others to speak more boldly about Christ. As I reflect on it....it makes me think about all of our Christian brothers and sisters being killed because of their love of Christ. I remember looking at the face of one of the men to be executed on television & his expression had such RESOLVE... It struck me because it was a FIERCE look...not a look of weakness or fear...even though his time was drawing near & would not be able to PHYSICALLY carry anything out on this earth....but READY for whatever God had planned for him next....

A couple days ago...I read in Luke 8:26-39 about the man possessed by demons (many, which called themselves Legion). I've read this passage several times, but there are several things I took away from it this time. One thought I thought is....why did all these demons CHOOSE this man? Let me be clear that we all have demons we wrestle with...alcoholism, pride, depression......and there are SO many others....

Another thing I took away was the MERCY Jesus showed....EVEN TO THE DEMONS, that BEGGED him to "not cast them into the bottomless pit, but into the herd of pigs." The pigs later, burst out of the pen & all drowned....I'm sure there is LOTS of symbolism there & LOTS of things I'm not able to wrap my head around yet, BUT Jesus showed the demons mercy...

There's a lot of things in this world that REPULSE us as individuals. I do not understand WHY some people have the demons that they have. I'm so thankful that I don't have them, but we MUST be mindful & show MERCY...just like Jesus. We are carrying our crosses on this earthly walk and all of ours is UNIQUE. We aren't called to understand each other. We are called to LOVE each other.

When I reflected on the word REJOICE in this passage...I thought of the man that had just been FREED of the demons...how he sat at Jesus's feet & listened & loved Him. I thought of how BADLY he must have wanted to GO WITH JESUS.... I could almost feel the longing for him. Then I thought of how he must have felt when Jesus told him that he must stay and share with his family all that God had done for him. He just went & did it....REJOICING!! I learned in that moment....that even though we don't necessarily get to do what WE want, what God CALLS us to do will be much more rewarding.

When you know a little more about the entirety of the situations of some of these people in The Bible...you gain a better appreciation for the importance of what they do. This story took place in a land that worshiped other gods...the likelihood that those pigs were to be used as a sacrifice for other gods was HIGHLY likely. It's not so hard to then understand why the people that witnessed this asked Jesus to leave. They were SO confused & baffled & afraid & mixed up to SEE the power of the hand of God & to then try and wrap their heads around the way they had been worshiping. Thus...the importance of that, once, demon-filled man to STAY there & SHARE his salvation was of the UTMOST importance. It takes a little ember to catch fire and make a flame.

Then today I read about the birth of John the Baptist in Luke 1:57-80. I REFLECTED again on the word REJOICE & spent a little time thinking about Elizabeth & Zechariah. Both of them were older & without children, yet VERY MUCH loved God. Zechariah was a priest & both were descendants of David. When the Angel of the Lord told Zechariah that he they would have a child, to call him John, & that he would pave the way for Jesus, the Son of God...Zechariah DOUBTED & because of his doubt, became a MUTE. When Elizabeth had the baby many close friends and family came over to bless his circumcision & REJOICE with them for the BLESSINGS God had given them. When they asked what his name should be Elizabeth told them John....which surprised ALL of them. I can just imagine the chatter in that room. It was custom for the child to take on a name of the father or...at least a family member, but there was no one in their family named John. Then they turned to Zechariah, who asked for a tablet because he could not speak yet. He wrote the name John & his mouth was opened & his first words were REJOICING PRAISE TO GOD.

So let's think about this.... (PARENT'S: Think about this from as many perspectives as you can)... If I put myself in their shoes....I would first be astonished & in disbelief that I would become pregnant when we had been trying for years....then humbled when my husband spoke out of turn & was muted.... I think we'd definitely be paying attention. I would feel this overwhelming obligation & IMMENSE amount of importance in MY life & the life of my unborn child. I would be ENCOURAGED everyday by the promise that the life inside me holds. Once I would gave given birth...I would be in this OVERWHELMING AWE of the UN-explainable BLESSING...this UN-Explainable FAVOR...this UN-explainable IMPORTANCE that just happened.... ALL OF IT!: This beautiful MIRACLE of life, the KNOWING of how important his life will be BECAUSE of the promises already fulfilled to them, the MYSTERY between all of the things that led up to what they just WITNESSED...mind, body, soul, & spirit, this OVERWHELMING feeling that we explain as LOVE....because ALL of what is being felt is GOOD. I mean.....it's highly likely that we would be conFusEd as heck, BUT we would be REJOICING!!!! We couldn't make a choice not to....even if we tried....it would be AUTOMATIC....just like Elizabeth & Zechariah's response to the name of their child. I also just want to make note of how they BOTH agreed with each other on the name. The union of marriage is another MYSTERY, but a STRONG one when decisions are made and action is carried out by 2 & not just 1.

What I also took from this reading today is somehow humbling & empowering all at the same time. John was sent BEFORE Jesus to pave the way, to ready the minds, to condition the hearts of God's people. Jesus IS coming again my friends & he WANTS as many people to KNOW him....by THEIR choice...as possible. Just like John the Baptist....WE ARE CALLED TO LEAD PEOPLE TO JESUS! Not only are we called, but our children are called. After having the two discussions I've had this weekend I can say with conviction that MORE PEOPLE NEED TO BE GIVEN THE CHANCE TO GET TO KNOW JESUS! We live in a world where young people want something to hold on to...to give some sort of glimpse of meaning to all that they don't understand, yet they grow up in households where their parents don't know Jesus & they find evil make-believe characters that open a doorway to hate versus love. There is no set of criteria that makes you "worthy" to share the love of Christ. You are FULL, COMPLETE, & CAPABLE right now...if you believe that Jesus suffered & died for you, because HE LOVES YOU, UNDERSTANDS YOU, AND WANTS YOU in His Father's kingdom with Him. We don't have to know or understand WHY. It is part of that glorious, merciful MYSTERY that was GIVEN to us.

No matter how deep this may seem...there is a battle of good & evil going on right now that we are fighting in. Which side do you think you are on? We have to examine how we treat people....all people....the one's we agree with & the one's that we don't. The FOCUS has to start on you as an individual & your family. Our FOCUS can not be about how we can CHANGE or CONDEMN the things we don't like about other people. The FOCUS has to be on creATING an environment where those people can CHOOSE to change themselves. If everyone FOCUSED on FULFILLING their MINISTRY & MISSION that God has blessed each and every life with, versus FOCUSING on how other's need to change.....I think REAL progress would happen.

When Jesus called Matthew to follow him He was criticized because Matthew was a tax-collector. At that time tax collectors were frowned upon as the lowest of people & worst of most all the sinners. The Pharisees saw him eating at Matthew's house, with all the tax collectors & other "sinners" & it got them all in a tissy, When Jesus heard how the Pharisees questioned Him, here is what He had to say: "Healthy people do not need a doctor, but sick people do. Go and find out what this means: What I want is mercy, not sacrifice. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners." (Matthew 9:12-13)

I'm just sayin'.....some of those people that some of us tend to condemn & shun & turn our nose up at...are the very people that Jesus probably would have wanted to have lunch with.