Adjustments prepare me for obedience.
p.159
Share to the group a statement or scripture that resonates with you from today’s reading and a responding prayer…
Adjustments Are Necessary
Adjustments prepare me for obedience.
p.159
Share to the group a statement or scripture that resonates with you from today’s reading and a responding prayer…
Looking at the reading today the theme seemed to be adjustment. Adjustment whether that being a new job, new semester, or even new church to me can be quite difficult at first but once I get comfortable it feels like home. I usually am overwhelmed with the week had ahead for me and it causes distress and anxiety but praying on that and asking god for clarity gives me a peace of mind. Waking up and asking god not for worldly things the flesh desires that will benefit me and shifting my focus on praying on how the lord can use me to contribute to his kingdom like in Luke 16. Lord, I pray that I will have the strength to go through my week and not fall into sin and temptation, I pray for those who are struggling mentally or those in the dark trying to find the light but only you know their heart.
“You cannot continue life as usual or stay where you are and go with God at the same time.” The thought of making adjustments when I am thrown into the unknown sounds scary, but Jesus is far more worth it. I see freedom in letting go and seeing God transform me. I look at the worldly things in my life and I’ve grown tired of the same routine. God I pray that I adjust my life to have you at the center. There are so many things I need to surrender up to you Lord and I am fully committed to you. God, use my life as what you have already planned for me.
Today’s reading about making necessary adjustments reminds me of picking up the cross to follow Jesus. I pray we can respond like Elisha did when God called him. May we be willing to leave and give up and make adjustments truly to follow Jesus. It seems like a scary thing but may God’s unfailing love transform us and give us the strength to do so.
From Charlie
The message today is a continuation of the idea that when God calls, it will require major sacrifices to adjust our lives to be able to do what He asks of us. The examples given in the chapter are events from the Bible representing major biblical events throughout history. I think that if God calls and ask us to do great things it might indeed require major adjustments. Certainly the examples that Henry Blackaby recited are all such deeds.
But I wonder though if of the billions of souls who had lived in history, it seems but a handful have done these great deeds. I don’t necessarily think Blackaby meant that all God’s works must be like these monumental works since he does mention many other acts of sacrifice that are more earthly (e.g. a couple who must commute 80 miles a day to serve at a new church – indeed a sacrifice but not at the level of Moses or Noah).
As we’ve discussed last week, I believe that God asks each of us most of all to have faith, seek Him and be obedient most of all and in the seeking grow closer in our relationship to Him. He works through us as a way to help us grow closer to Him. It is our growth that He desires (as we discussed before) not what we do. If someone makes a grand gesture but for the wrong reason and He doesn’t grow any closer to God then he hasn’t pleased God – “…For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7).
Having said that Jesus warned us that following God comes at great costs – Luke 14:25-33. I think we must be prepared to commit ourselves to follow through with the work we committed to so as not to be “mock” half way through because we ‘began to build and was not able to finish.’ (Luke 14:30). I believe though that God is loving and though He tests us will always provide as long as we have faith in Him so the sacrifice would only “seems” momentous at first but will turn out not to be so burdensome because we know that He will answer – “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.” (1 John 5:14″)
Father, the stronger our faith in You become the more we can be sure in our hearts that You will answer our prayers. You are faithful and loving and You will not allow us who seek You to fail. You have gone to great length to bring us back to You and You would never let us fail You. The stronger our faith the better we can serve You.
The line that stood out to me in today’s devotion was, “you cannot continue life as usual or stay where you are and go with God at the same time.” I like this line because a lot of the time with God, I can have the mentality of wanting to have my will and God’s Will both accomplished at the same time. But I know that this is impossible since we can’t accomplish both wills. We must choose one or the other. I pray that God would help me to make the adjustments to my life so that I can obey and choose God’s Will over my own. For I know that God’s ways are much higher than my own so why would I want to choose otherwise.
The sacrifice of adjusting your life to God is definitely worth it. We often go to great lengths to achieve wealth and success, yet we are unwilling to leave all behind in order to follow God and participate in His purpose. In the end, no amount of wealth or accomplishments can compare to the fruit that comes from adjusting and obeying God in trust. Only by submitting, adjusting, and obeying God can one receive eternal life, the most important treasure.