Obedience is better than sacrifice

It all happened in Mary Helen. It was the most important lesson of my spiritual life, and it’s now my New Year’s gift to you. Mary Helen is a coal camp in Eastern Kentucky. I got myself invited to speak at the little mountain church house for Sunday morning services. I had recently had a major spiritual change in my life and I was overwhelmed with love for my Saviour. “I” decided to go out and do something great for God. I knew God could use my help and I figure I was just the man to help Him. What I was doing was trying to offer God a sacrifice to please Him, problem was, he hadn’t asked for it! You can guess the rest, though I’m usually a very capable speaker, this morning God slapped me on the back and said, “go get em’ tiger….” and them left me alone in the building. With nothing but my own wits it was a miserable failure. Those poor people probably wondered what the babbling fool was trying to say.

After it was “mercifully” over I went to my car and wept. I wanted so badly to give something of value to God, and I had failed. In that soft, still voice I have now come to know as him whispering in my spirit He said, “ I love you son, but the way this works, the only way it will work, is I ask, and you obey, you don’t have to kick doors down for me, I will open them, but wait for me.”

God doesn’t need us to guess about what needs to be done, He already knows. When He says it’s time to move, you can be assured it will work, not because of you, but because of Him.

My dear friend and brother, Scott Kelby has just written a new book, his first foray into expressing
things about his faith, “It’s a Jesus Thing: the book for “Wanna Be-lievers” . It will touch many lives because Scott waited until God said, “It’s time.”

It’s normal to want to do something for the heavenly Father that has given you everything, it’s just critical to wait until He asks, then He will supply everything you need for it to be effective for Him.

Waiting is not waisted time, not when your waiting on God. Sometimes has us wait because the time is not right, sometimes because we are not ready. What’s important is that He knows when the timing is perfect and we’re ready.

Be still and wait for God in 2011, He has a plan, and in His time, He will reveal it to you……………… As you wait, you will be prepared.

the pilgrim

*Photo Note: Dr. Charles Stanley at North Window and Turret Arch in Arches National Park.
Nikon F100, 20-35 lens, Velvia film.