Obedience

I have been thinking a lot about obedience these days. I think part of it is because we are overseas and our first commitment is almost "finished" and we will be returning to the states in November for six months. I often think about the future and what my family will be doing next year or in five years. We have a "plan" but honestly, sometimes I just question it. I go back and forth on whether it is my will or God's will that I am truly following. Sometimes the voice in my head is hard to discern as God's or my own. I hate that. I know most of the time when it is this way, it is because I am not spending enough time with Him to know His voice but sometimes I just don't know. Also, sometimes truth be told, I don't want to know...ever been there? I mean deep down inside, of course I want to know. I truly don't want to do ANYTHING that God doesn't want for me. His plans and purposes are best and that is the only place I want to be (Proverbs 16:9: "The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.") But sometimes, I just want my way (the way that I think is right) to be THE way. I hope I am making sense and that you can relate. On those days that I don't like my circumstances or I want to be with people I don't get to see for months (or years) at a time, or when I feel tired or sad or lonely those are the times that I often don't really try to listen for God's voice and I (unfortunately) let my feelings dictate my actions (Proverbs 14:12: "There is a way that seems right to a man but its end is the way to death."). That is NOT the way I TRULY want to live and I am SO thankful that I have a God that desires for me not to stay at that place, not to be comfortable with what I think is right for my life. I am so thankful that He forgives us for our lack of listening (and hearing) and brings us on His path again. This doesn't mean that what God desires for us to be doing with our life now will be exactly the same as what He desires us to be doing with our life in the future (although it always will have to do with bringing Him glory) but what it does mean is that for today, I want to be OBEDIENT with where He has me. Don't you? I have been reading 1 Kings these past 2 weeks. I often forget how interesting it is to read through the Old Testament books. I am truly enjoying reading 1 Kings and God is opening my eyes to amazing things through it. The main thing recently is on the topic of OBEDIENCE. Over the next post or two, I will be walking you through what I have been learning about obedience through the life of King Solomon in 1 Kings. I pray that it will impact you the way it has me. I pray that it will make you see if there are areas of your life that God has told you clearly where to go or what to do and you simply are not obeying. I pray that it will encourage you to follow God's leading in all things and to be obedient. We have a God who desires to lead us, to show us the RIGHT path. Why, why, why, do we try to do it on our own???

"Teach me your way, O Lord,
that I may walk in your truth;
unite my heart to fear your name.
I give thanks to you, O Lord my God,
with my whole heart,
and I will glorify your name forever."
Psalm 85:11-12