What does the curve of your obedience look like? How quickly do you listen and OBEY God?
Here's how fast Abraham obeyed God.
One day God told him to take his beloved son, Isaac, and travel to a place he commanded. The instruction was to place Isaac on the altar, and offer him as a sacrifice.
THE NEXT MORNING...
Abraham headed out with Isaac. Not only was it an impossible request for a father, but his obedience was immediate.
No wonder God loved Abraham.
Do you drag your feet when God has asked you to do something that is costly, something we know He wants us to do? It's easy to postpone or even ignore that still small voice sometimes.
Abraham did not drag his feet.
I have always been a little in awe of Abraham. Was he a perfect man? No... his life had been riddled with sin, just like ours.
Why Abraham??
Because... Abraham TRUSTED GOD.
When God put him to the ultimate test, Abraham didn't hesitate. His faith in God prompted him to obey, immediately.
Does the lesson in this speak to you? It does to me.
The choice to obey God is ours.
And what's more... God desires the same obedience from us as he did from Abraham.
This Genesis passage is a big one, and as I read it today, the message is clear. I don't want to miss anything God has for me because I am slow to obey. I'm 'upping' the curve of my obedience.
I'm just asking...
Have you ever seen anything cuter than these 2 little ladies sharing a cup of tea?
Molly, their mom and our daughter in law is the original 'tea party girl'. She gives tea parties for the church ladies, friends, students (she is a school teacher), and anyone else who happens to need a good old tea party! She's even working on the idea of a tea party business for young moms who are too busy, and want to hire a birthday party for their girls. I love the idea, and I know she can do it!
She snapped this picture of Gracie and Faithie, still in their Sunday School clothes after church. I love that she uses her 'real teacups', the china ones.
These 2 little sisters who are our precious grandaughters, are growing up like many of yours, learning to share with each other, even with something as simple as a good cup of tea!
Many years ago, in Pasadena, the city where I lived, everyone seemed to be singing this song. As kids, we all thought it was so funny.
Who was that 'little old lady from Pasadena'?? In our minds, she was a feeble little old white haired lady who could barely get around, she must have been at least 50!
Life has such a funny way of bringing things back to us...
Even though I live in Texas now, I am far more than old enough to qualify and I do have the credentials.
Having lived in Pasadena all through my growing up years, life has come full circle. Now, when that song comes to mind, I still think of that little old lady, and before I wonder who she can be, it hits me that I am she!
I wonder if whoever that lady was when the song began, thought the whole idea was funny... and didn't feel old at all.
I hope so, 'cuz it's for sure that I don't feel old or particularly little, either one, and although I am now a Texan, I will always be from Pasadena.
So when you hear the expression "Little old lady from Pasadena"... remember there really IS one, and she is still laughing and definitely still in denial.
So many of you have posted your new words, or colors for 2014. I didn't have either a word or a color.
It started my brain rolling...
So, here it is, my word-color for 2014:
plaid...
Plaid tends to sound like a big mix of any old colors or words. It even sounds like someone indecisive or going with whatever the day seems to bring.
However...
I'm thinking a little off the chart with this word... Not indecisive or without a plan. Instead, I want to incorporate ALL of the words and ALL of the colors I have chosen or thought of in past years.
I think I've had lots of words and colors in my life, some of them God given, some of them probably Sonja created.
I used a verse from The Message awhile back in a blog. It fits today perfectly.
"My counsel for you is simple and straightforward: Just go ahead with what you've been given. You received Christ Jesus, the Master; now live him. You're deeply rooted in him. You're well constructed upon him. You know your way around the faith. Now do what you've been taught. School's out; quit studying the subject and start living it! And let your living spill over into thanksgiving."
(Col.2:6,7 MSG)
It reminds me of a speech I gave one year in high school. Every student in our school was required to give a 'declamation'. The title of mine was "Unpack your suitcase and live".
There are lots of colors and words in my suitcase, many of them learned through real trials and hard things, others have come more easily and are also easier to live out. But there's a whole passel of them, and altogether they look a lot like...
plaid...
I'm ready to empty that suitcase, and let the plaid flow wherever God leads.
One of my dad's favorite preaching topics was...
"Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?"...
At the beginning of this new year, it's on my mind and heart, for my life. I have an increasing desire to know what HE wants for me, in ways I haven't yet discovered, ways that will fulfill me as HIS person, not my own.
I don't want to be:
...too content with less to really dig deeper for more
...too self consumed to listen for His voice in the noise of my life
...too busy, doing and being and running... to miss the excellence of His best
I know He has more for me.
I don't want to run around in my own self made circles trying to figure out what that is...
Charles Stanley said this morning... "While we wait, we are not doing NOTHING... we keep taking one step at a time doing what we already know, AS we wait for God's answer..."
So my prayer for this year is...
"Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do."
The first day of 2014, and off we go!
You already know that my copper coal scuttle on the island holds something different depending on the season or my mood...
These green balls are fresh and new, just like this year ahead. What will these days hold?
I am so optimistic and sensing both new adventures and no doubt new challenges. Is that what you are feeling?
The one certainty, as always... "Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday (2013) today, (January 1, 2014) and forever."
Whatever this year holds, He is enough, for all of it.
So here we go... welcome 2014!
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