Blessed Obedience

When the Lord tells you to do something, you have a choice to make: A)Do it right away; or B) Don't. We know for a fact that disobedience leads to a curse (ref. Duet. 11:27-28), so naturally, we'd want to obey everything the Lord tells us, because the opposite of that curse is being blessed...who doesn't want to be blessed. Therefore, if you do what He asks you to do, you walk in obedience, and the blessings/rewards are countless, right? That's what we'd rightly conclude.

But what does that actually mean? "Blessed":the Amplified version of the Bible describes "Blessed" as "Happy, fortunate, and to be envied." Who doesn't want THAT?! Who doesn't want others to envy what we have, because our lives are so happy and fortunate, right? But I think, at least, I've noticed in my life and my own personal tendencies, we take this to an extreme...we make assumptions on what we think "blessed" is supposed to look like in our lives. For example, God tells you to do something, and you know that there's reward in obedience, so you do it...do you expect a certain outcome? Do you expect that, say, if you pray for your co-workers or peers that are awful to you, that you will receive something from God in return? I'm not saying you won't receive something from God...but what I'm asking is: are you expecting to receive something specific? Such as,"Ok - I'll pray for this person, and the Lord will give me that promotion I've been asking Him for."

Let me take this a step further: say you've been pleading with God for something for a loooonnnggg time: you need a financial breakthrough. One day in your prayer time, you sense the Lord calling you to a fast. So: you fast...is it not natural that you'd expect God to give you that financial breakthrough? Sometimes He will, but if you walk with the Lord long enough, you discover that sometimes...He doesn't come through in answer to your obedience like you thought He would have, or "should" have, for that matter.

Several years ago, I was believing God for a miracle, a miraculous healing for my body. One night, after tears and deep weeping, I felt the Lord call me to do something that was almost impossible for me to do physically: travel to another state and attend a ministerial conference. The plans were made, the reservations set, and by the grace of God, my family and I made it to this conference. I attended every session, just "knowing" I was going to be healed. There were even special times of prayer when the main speaker prayed for healing for those who were ill that were present, and OH! Was I the MOST recipient of the faith being released during those prayers! After all, that's why I was there! God told me to go to the conference during my petition for the miracle, so naturally, I assumed that meant He was going to heal me there. The conference ended, we packed our things, flew home, with me still in pain, still in a wheelchair...and still as weak and ill as ever. In fact, I had to spend a couple of weeks afterwards just recovering from going to this event...did God not fulfill His promise? Did God not "bless" me for my obedience?

Like me, I'm sure you've hit these crises of belief: you come to a crossroads in your faith where you've done everything God told you to do, and yet it seems He either ignores you or abjectly refuses to answer/fulfill His promise of blessing you for your obedience. What gives? Why don't our situations turn out the way we thought they should?

What the Lord is showing me is: it's a matter of interpretation. "'For My thoughts are not your thoughts. Neither are your ways My ways,' declares the Lord. 'For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.'" (Isa. 55:8-9)

Our idea of what "blessed" means is, more often than not, COMPLETELY different from God's interpretation of the term. We think that we are blessed if God answers our "obedience" that way we think He should: like me receiving a miraculous healing at that conference, or you receiving a promotion at work for being kind to the nastiness that sits in the cubicle across from you, or that financial miracle for fasting, as God had directed. But being "blessed" is infinitely more glorious than just receiving the answers to our initial prayers. It goes so much deeper, it's richer, fuller, more than an answer to our current situation.

God doesn't look at you and your situation now. He looks at you now, and next week, and next year, decade...as well as the lives of ALL the people, with whom you will come in contact, in the years to come. He takes it ALL into perspective, measures it, weighs it, and decides how best to "bless" you and those around you for your obedience.

Did you know, had I received that miracle when I wanted it, this blog would NEVER have come into existence? I would not have considered writing a book (see previous blogs for explanation), would never have walked into the open doors that are beginning to open up now, would never have met the people I have met over the course of this illness, the contacts, the life experiences, all of it would have been thwarted: the things in my life that have DEEPLY blessed me over the last few years since that time would never have occurred. And that's just scratching the surface! I can't tell you how humbling it is to know how many people have been blessed by the articles I have written on this site; it boggles my mind to hear the stories of people, who are drawn into the presence of God in prayer because they feel a burden to pray for me. The countless believers and nonbelievers who have been inspired and encouraged by the battle I wage with this ailment.

God has blessed me for my obedience to Him in ways I couldn't have possibly imagined during those cool autumn days at that conference...what about you? How has God blessed you for NOT answering your obedience the way you thought He would? How has your relationship with Him deepened? What new friendships have developed? What lives have been touched? What future opportunities are in store because you DO obey your Father in Heaven?

Blessed, happy, fortunate, and to be envied are we who obey the Lord...how true this promise is.

The Big Deal

In a comment on my last post, the idea of a NY City book signing was suggested. Boy - wouldn't that be fun! In the short term, I don't see it happening, but who knows?! God can do anything...

It's funny how He has a way of surprising us with His "bigness" by completely blowing our minds and doing something so wild and so beyond comprehension, just to "show off." For me, I have no "set" expectations for this book, other than I want to give it my best effort possible, presenting a sacrifice of praise to the Lord and enjoying the process of it all...but have you noticed how, in those times and situations, when we're giving it our best, but have no "plans" on how it's going to turn out, God seems to do the unexpected?

I've observed that, when people (uh, myself included) obey God's leading and then expect a certain thing to happen as a result of their obedience, it typically doesn't turn out the way they "planned." But, on the reverse, I've also noticed (in my life especially) that, again, when people obey Him but don't really think what they did was "any big deal," and therefore, don't have these "grandiose" expectations of exactly how it's going to turn out, that's when He typically makes it a big deal.

For example: look at the boy who offered his lunch to Jesus (the five loaves and two fish). It was a big lunch for him, and it was all he had. But in the company of 5000+ people, it really wasn't very much food. However, he gave his all to Jesus, not really expecting anything per se; if anything, his expectations were in that this was the great Rabbi, Who was rumored could do anything..."so here: this is what I have - do whatever." It's not that he wasn't expecting a good result to come out of his offering, it was just he probably wasn't expecting a specific result. And then Jesus did the miraculous: He multiplied that little offering into a massive feast that fed probably around 10,000 people 'till ALL were satisfied!

With me and this book, sure, I'm hoping for the best...but my expectations are open ended. I really don't know how the Lord is going to use it, if it will go very far, if it's a learning experience, or has another means or end that will glorify Him in some different way. I just don't know. I feel like that little boy with his lunch. "It's what I have, and in the company of so many authors throughout the world, so many best-sellers, dynamic preachers and inspirational speakers, in the sea of genius chefs and highly credited nutritionists...my little book is pretty small and insignificant. Nevertheless, here it is, I know You're the Great Author and Perfecter of our faith; do whatever..."

This kind of follows the idea of my last post: "Success to What End?" We can hope for the best, expect the good and the great to come out of our obedience, but we have to be careful about "planning" on what that good and great looks like. God's idea of "great things" may not necessarily line up with what we consider as "great." And then again, what we think is a little deal - God sees it as a "big deal." He always keeps us on our toes.

Update & Success to What End?

Hello faithful readers! Well, it's been QUITE a while since you've had a new article from me. Honestly, I've written 2-3 since the last one, which I've ALMOST POSTED, but each one, though it started out fine, ended up fizzling miserably. In short, I've hit a "writer's block." But there's good reason for this frustrating state.

First, I'M GETTING BETTER! Yes! Praise God - I've started, once again, to climb out of my hole, by the grace and mercy of JESUS, and now, much of my time is being spent getting out and increasing daily activities. Thank you ALL for your wonderful prayers and support!

Second, I'm also in the process of putting together a book! Many of you have urged me to consider publication, and though the magazine route kept coming up short, another idea came last spring: the idea of BOOK publication. This book will contain articles I've written, as well as actual recipes I've created (yes, I can cook), and it will be in a daily devotional format.

So - even though this blog has been idle, my writing has not. Nevertheless,I would encourage you, if you come to this blog and are disappointed that few new articles have been posted, to go ahead and skim through previous articles I've written over the course of the last couple of years. Some of you have already and found great encouragement, and I would suggest you others do the same.

If you are interested in the process of my book, please let me know by posting a comment, and I can post updates on THAT process so you can be aware of its status. I would greatly appreciate prayer coverage over the course of its publication as well. I don't know WHAT in the world the Lord has in mind for it, but I believe He's leading me on THAT track for a reason...and boy, it'd be great if it ended up being a success...

We all would hope our paths turn out successful. But it's not about the destination, it's about the journey. Whether or not my book has great success in this life or not is not the issue - it's about being obedient to the voice of the Shepherd. If the Lord calls you to do something, do it with gladness, but don't "bank" on it having to "turn out" a certain way. Success according to man's standards is FAR different from the Kingdom's: but those who hope in HIM will NEVER be disappointed. Therefore, we hold on NOT to what is SEEN or temporary, but what is UNSEEN. For the UNSEEN is eternal, and our lives here are so short, just a wisp of dust in a spring breeze, a vapor - the ETERNAL lasts forever...which is a VERY long time. (ha ha! there's a snippet of a blog! Be blessed!)