Obedience....

How many of you know the man? I mean really know him? Commune with Him? Let him have and lead your life? Saved by His grace and pressing toward the mark of the high calling? If you are, that's totally awesome and I am extremely PROUD of you! YAY!!! This is exactly where we should be...

But as you're being led of the Lord, are you being obedient? Not just living right, but are you sensitive and obedient to the spirit? Obedience is better than sacrifice.

1 Samuel 15:22 (NLT) But Samuel replied, "What is more pleasing to the LORD: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.

What did God call you to do? Did He tell you to start your own business and become an entrepreneur? Be your own boss? Act in a film? Go evangelize on the streets? Did he tell you to fix plates to take to the homeless? Did he tell you to put an extra $20 in the collection plate last Sunday? Did you oblige? Did you do the things He told you? Or are you at least making preparations toward doing what He told you? If not, I suggest you do so. we have to stay in God's perfect will. This is how we reap the benefits of holy and righteous living, through obedience. 

Have you ever been in a store or something and heard that still, small voice, telling you to give someone a word of encouragement? That voice that says, "tell that lady right there that I lover her.." or something similar? That's God. That is a test. It's not you. It may sound like you but think about this, would you in your right mind, while you're minding your own business tell yourself to tell a perfect random stranger that you love them? Probably not. I know I wouldn't. I don't talk to strangers. I may say hi, but that's pretty much it, so I know I wouldn't make that up.

It happens though, and we question the voice that we've heard with a quick, "Is that YOU, Lord???". When this happens, rule out your options. For instance, you know it's not you because you wouldn't come up with that because it's not something you necessarily want to do. You'll also know when it's not the devil, because he won't tell you to do something that lines up with the Word of God...you'll know that it had to be the Holy Spirit speaking to you.

The word says in 1 John 4:1 (NIV) "Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world." Use your discernment of the Holy Spirit. If it lines up with God's Word, and will build you up positively, and affect others positively, then it's God. Just be obedient.

Have faith and know that God would never instruct you to do anything that is contrary to His word, and he will also not put more on you than you can bear (1 Corinthians 10:13).  What God ordains, He will maintain, as Donald Lawrence says. His grace is sufficient. No matter how it looks, go ahead out on the water and walk, as Peter did. Don't be afraid because you've got the best possible team on your side, leading you every step of the way. I encourage you to start taking steps toward making that BIG God given dream of yours come to life. I encourage you to start basing your decision making on what the spirit says to do so that you can be blessed in your obedience to God.

With HIM you can't lose so press on! Let God write the pages to your book, and you just follow along. People may not understand, and lots of folks probably will think you lost it. Remember that carnal minds can not understand the things of God. They don't understand faith, because standing on faith makes no "earthly" sense. Remember 1 Corinthians 1:27 (NLT) :

Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful.

A lot of things God tells you probably won't make sense to you at first, but you will understand it later. I promise you that god's plan for you is FAR better than any plan we could ever think up! I would be so lost with out HIM! So I encourage you today, my friends. Whatever God charged you to do, no matter how big or how small, JUST DO IT...like Nike...haha! :~)

Meditate on this Scripture:

Deuteronomy 11:26-28 NIV

See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse—  the blessing if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today;  the curse if you disobey the commands of the Lord your God and turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods, which you have not known.

If you do not have Christ as your personal savior, follow the steps outlined in Romans 10:9 NIV:

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

I love you, but God loves you wayyyyyyy more!! 

~Ximena <3