Even if what God is directing us to do is unfamiliar or makes little sense from our perspective, He still requires obedience. God is good and faithful so we can trust that whatever He leads us to do has great purpose and will work together for our good in the end. In Genesis 6, God instructed Noah to build an ark because He was going to destroy the earth because of the ongoing wickedness. Noah was unfamiliar with what an ark looked like, and he had never experienced what God was about to do. He had no previous frame of reference. God gave Noah unfamiliar instructions, but I love Noah’s response. Genesis 6:22 tells us, “Noah did everything just as God commanded him.” Wow! Even in what was unfamiliar, Noah fully obeyed God. Noah may not have understood all the instructions, but he knew God, and that was enough for Noah to move in obedience.

I think as humans we sometimes give ourselves too much credit and think we are smarter than we really are. God gives us instructions and we want to explain to Him why what He is telling us to do makes little sense, or we just respond to the parts that make sense to us and disregard the others. God is calling His children to obey Him fully, even in what we may not understand. There really is no such thing as partial obedience. What is God calling you to do? Have you fully obeyed or are you questioning God? Consider that Noah’s act of immediate and complete obedience to God’s instructions provided safety when the flood came.

Be Blessed

Anika

Will Your Desire Separate You From God?

 

Will the thing you desire bring distance between you and God? If so, it is not worth it? Adam and Eve were in perfect fellowship with God. They were content and at peace. But once the devil entered the picture, he planted seeds of doubt in Eve. He caused her to question God’s motives. The devil made her think God’s restrictions concerning the tree of knowledge of good and evil were not for their protection. He made her think God was holding out on them. Eve took the bait, and she and her husband ate from the tree. Once they ate the desirable fruit, they realized their nakedness, and they hid from God. The thing they desired created a distance between them and God. This is a story for the ages and one not worth repeating. However, we continue to repeat this destructive narrative. God puts restrictions in place, we listen to the lies of the enemy, and our disobedience creates distance between us and God. Sometimes we complicate very simple matters and we struggle to come to the right conclusions with the decisions before us. Should I pursue this relationship? Ask yourself, are there warning signs letting you know that this individual, while he may say the right thing, his actions reveal his true heart. Is there a job that seems perfect on the surface but you know that the time commitment will take you away from communing with God or the integrity of the company is questionable? Is there a popular movie that is out, but you know fully that the plot is displeasing to God and watching it will only feed your flesh? Does God put restrictions in place for His children? Absolutely! But we understand these restrictions are not to harm us, but they are there to protect us. Are you struggling with desiring the very thing God said was off limits? You must ask yourself, is indulging in this desired thing worth the distance it will create between me and God? The devil specializes in making the wrong things look right! If we hang out long enough with him, we will desire the forbidden fruit. Forbidden fruit, no matter how sweet it may be, leaves a bitter aftertaste, a separation between us and God, and it is simply not worth it!

 Will your desire separate you from God? Genesis 3 – YouTube

Living In Truth

For a long time, I knew that sugar was not good for my body. I spent a lot of time researching and studying these truths. I could rehearse different facts about the adverse effects of sugar and even shared it with others. However, I was still eating it. I knew the truth, but I wasn’t living it out. Knowing truth and living in truth are not the same thing.

Don’t be impressed with how much bible people know, rather be impressed with how much bible they are living out. It is so easy to be swept away by those who skillfully share the word of God while ignoring the rotten fruit that comes from their lives. Jesus is more concerned about how we allow the content we have learned to shape our character and impact our actions. It’s not just about learning the content, we are called to live it! 1 John 2:3-6 says “We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands.  Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person.  But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.” Again, the emphasis is on DOING not just KNOWING!

When I began to eliminate sugar from my diet and apply the knowledge I learned, I started to experience many positive changes. The same is true for us and our relationship with Christ. Focus on learning His word AND obeying it. As we obey, we then become more like Christ.  Let your actions reflect that you are living in truth, and this is how we know we truly belong to God.

Be Blessed

Anika

Ever After

I cannot deny the struggle that exists between yielding to what looks and feels good instead of submitting to the God who is good! This is a daily struggle that can only be conquered through a daily pursuit of God. Yes, I live in this world, but I don’t have to allow this world to live in me. I don’t have to become a slave to something that will perish. Oh, but what hope awaits those who choose God.

As I continue to meditate on 1 John 2:15-17, I ask myself what is my end goal? The words in vs. 17 arrest me, “The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.” How many times do we loose sight that there is more to come?  There is an ever after and our choices now will determine how that statement ends. Will it be happily ever after or tormented ever after?  

Our choice to love the world and what it offers OR our decision to love God and pursue His will determines what our end will be. Choose wisely.

Be Blessed

Anika

Deuteronomy 30:19 New Living Translation (NLT) “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!

 

What you need to do Vs. What you want to do

Yesterday, I took my super tired 4-year-old to bed for a much-needed nap. As we headed up the stairs to her bedroom, she started crying real tears. She protested repeatedly, “I don’t want to go to bed!” I kissed her on the cheek before putting her in the bed and told her, “I know you don’t WANT TO but you NEED a Nap.”

Then I had another one of those moments when God shows me myself through my children. I have had many “I don’t want to” moments with God after He tells me what I NEED to do for my own good. He doesn’t force me to do it, the choice is always mine. However, I continue to learn that God is a lot smarter than me so it is ALWAYS in my best interest to submit to Him. My current NEED TO list from God includes; a drastic reduction of my sugar intake, forgiving others and not replaying the offense, and being confident in who I am in Him and not obsess about what others think of me. By the grace of God, I have made huge strides in these areas. However, there are days when what I need to do gets hard, REAL HARD and I just want to cry and scream, “I DON’T WANT TO GOD!”

There is a similar tension in 2 Kings 5. In this story, we have Naaman the leper who was given a message from Elisha the prophet to go and dip seven times in the Jordan River in order to be healed of his leprosy. Naaman, a respected leader was appalled that Elisha didn’t even come out to greet him. He had different expectations on how his healing would take place. However, after some wise counsel from his servants, Naaman went and dipped 7 times in the Jordan as instructed and was instantly healed of his leprosy. The very thing he did not want to do was the thing that he needed to do to receive healing.

How about you? What is God saying you need to do? Have you been doing it or have you been disobedient because it is not what you want to do? I want to encourage you to respond in obedience because God ALWAYS KNOWS what is best!
Be Blessed
Anika