Tag Archives: obedience

Submission vs. Rebellion

23 Thursday May 2013

Posted by in Obedience, Rebellion, Submission

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Submission understands and values the sovereignty of God.

Rebellion says, “My way is better.”

Submission bows the knee because the cross of Christ is its focal point(If any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me)

Rebellion says that the sacrifice of God’s only begotten Son was not enough (The cross is foolishness to the world)

Submission leads to fullness of joy, even in hardship – especially in it. Because in God’s presence, we find true happiness and fulfillment. This is granted to the humble who are submitted to the Lord: draw near to God (who resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble) and He will draw near to you. Rebellion causes physical and emotional stress because God cannot cause His unmerited favor to fall abundantly on the man who is right in His own eyes.

A lesson for this week is found in unguarded obedience. Submission to God often comes when a man overlooks the anxieties of not understanding God’s grand “why” and instead simply obeys because his spirit (which is one with the Holy Spirit) confirms truth to be so in His heart. In humble surrender, we find life. We find it abundantly.

~Hannah S.

To Challenge YOU!

31 Tuesday Jul 2012

Posted by in Ambassador, Example, Generations, Intercession, Legacy

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The month of July is coming to a close today. This month we’ve been able to hear from so many different perspectives and glean so much important information and teaching on the infinite topic of leaving a godly legacy. Now I want to challenge you to take what you’ve read and heard, and live it out for Christ!

At the very core foundation of a godly legacy lies the heart of a man or a woman that is knit to the heart of God, inseparably.

The relationship is the key. Before the service, before the example-setting, before the giving…it all starts in the prayer closet with the word “relationship.” Where is your relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ? Is He real in your life…is He real in your living?

Man makes “impressions” by looking at his peers and trying to measure up. God’s way is for man to look at HIM and to change his peers by being conformed to Christ-likeness. This is the essential ingredient in the leaving of a godly legacy.

Believer, what do you believe? Do you live as a man with a mark upon him – the mark of God? Does your face shine as the face of Moses when he came down from communing with God? Only within the relationship can the legacy be built. Apart from it, the legacy is not lasting – a mere shadow that fades into nothingness when man dies, taking the memory of a meaningless life with him.

The many people you have heard from during the existence of this blog have all been young people who have committed themselves to seeking the Lord. Our mistakes are many, as we are not perfect, nor the “example” by any means, for the world to follow. Yet, it is the heart that defines the man or the woman of God. It is our desire, as our team moves on to other things that God has brought across our paths, that our readers implement the following disciplines of seeking the Lord in their life, and in doing so, lay a foundation that will change the world and the impact of the Gospel upon the lives of the great host of onlookers we are surrounded by each day.

  • Commit to spend time each morning in the Word of God and especially in prayer!
  • Ask the Lord “What do you require of me?” and be willing to obey, no matter how difficult the answers may seem. Obedience is better than sacrifice.
  • Know what you believe. Do not compromise or back down on any point. He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.
  • Ask God to show you the needs of those around you: your immediate family, your friends, people in your grocery store, co-workers, and even the world.
  • Respond to the needs you meet, prayerfully and in humility. Look to the Lord Jesus Christ, the wonderful Counselor, to give you the words when opportunities come to share His truth.
  • Share the gospel – however impossible or difficult that may seem in your mind – with a lost and dying world.
  • Pass on the truths of the Christian life to those under you, and inspire godly living in all you come in contact with.

This blogging ministry has been a gift from God – an opportunity for those of us who have written for the blog, to lay a godly foundation, to be counter-cultural, to speak the truth boldly and be committed, to stretch our faith and listen for the voice of the Holy Spirit as we’ve prayed about what to write, when, how…the list goes on. This ministry is not over. It is only just beginning: in the lives of each of you, our readers.

It is our prayer that we have been able to encourage you, but not only this, you have so encouraged us as we have received emails and comments and even just read the stats – realizing that people all over the world are reading and gleaning God’s truth. It is nothing of our own, but HIS to give. Wherever you are today, wherever God may place you tomorrow, GO. Give of yourself, lay down your life for the lives of those to come after you. Make a statement – not a statement that belongs to the world, but a statement that marks you as God’s man, God’s woman. Be strong and of good courage, and may our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen you with might in your inner being, a lighted city set on a hill that cannot be hidden.

Stay in God’s Grip!

~Hannah, for the team.

There will be one final post at the end of the first week of August some time. Again, thank you, thank you, thank you for your encouragement and support in this blogging ministry!

 

Finish Well!

30 Monday Jul 2012

Posted by in choices, Finish, Testimonies

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As I watched the opening ceremonies to the Olympics the other day, I was once again reminded of the deep commitment of each participant. Their performances are beyond what most of us could even imagine possible. The continual repetition of the coaches’ detailed instructions are repeatedly running through their heads as they step up to the starting line. The reason for all this vigorous preparation, and continual perseverance? To finish well, to win the prize!

Paul said something along these lines in Philippians 3:14. He said, “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” If we go through life with the awareness that we are in something of a contest, that demands continual preparation and perseverance with concentration on our Father as we set our life goals. If our aim is to finish well, we must dig into the depths of our hearts and hand everything within us over to Him. And with a constant determination look to Him and follow through with each and every battle; come through even the roughest storms!

We’re all running our own race. But what goals are we running for? What are our purposes and motivations? Of course we want to win. Are we going to God, our Coach, on a continual basis, asking for His guidance on how to run this race? Are we as persistent in our challenges as and Olympian?

Isaiah 40:31; a verse we all know very well, but never gets old, “they that wait upon the Lord…shall renew their strength,…they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary… they shall walk and not faint.

There’s a time for waiting, a time for renewal, a time for walking, running, and flying!

I’m in the last few days of my time here in Siberia; God’s done some amazing things this last summer, it’s been a time of running more than anything. It’s been so awesome to see Him work miracle after miracle in the lives of those around me. But my time here has come to an end, and it’s been so rewarding to see God work this summer. Finishing well has been on my mind this whole last month; thinking of how He wants me finishing this finite race before me, and it continually comes back to simply giving every breath back to Him and following where He leads in each and every situation. Putting ourselves and our desire aside and running the race before us for Him and His glory!

Finish well? Of course, every one of us can, but will we? Not for a Gold medal, but for the glory of our Lord.

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
-2 Timothy 4:7. Will we be able to say that at deaths door? At Heavens gates? May our Lord continue to strengthen us and prepare, motivate, and renew us for each race we face; both on a daily basis and over each of our lives!

~Adam

The “Where” of the Foundation Pt. 1

10 Tuesday Jul 2012

Posted by in Example, Obedience, Patience, Readiness, Waiting

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It was a quiet weekday afternoon and I must have been about seven years old. If you had been a fly on my wall, you would have observed me holding a cookbook in one hand and giving orders while pointing with the other hand. My younger sister, Sarah (who faithfully followed me everywhere) was laying out the ingredients for our special treat. I was going to make granola bars.

You have to understand that Sarah was the predicable “good” child. She rarely got in trouble because almost everything she did wrong was my fault. What I mean is, I convinced her to do what was “in question” and reaped the appropriate consequences. This afternoon was no exception. I knew I was not supposed to be baking alone. Furthermore, I had waited until our babysitter had gone to take a nap to carry out my plan.

What could possibly go wrong?

I hastily mixed up my ingredients, substituting here and there where we were missing an ingredient. I quickly spooned the lumpy batter into the muffin tins, stuck them in the oven for the required amount of time, and waited. Sarah was a little anxious. She had already advised me to wait and now she was practically biting her five-year old nails off in worry. I just know she was waiting for me to blow something up (and just for the record, it’s a miracle that she and I are both still alive!).

The minutes passed like hours and I worried that the babysitter would wake up! My plan was to make the bars, turn them out on the counter to cool, clean up my mess, and disappear. When the babysitter woke up, she would be pleasantly surprised and too pleased with my seven-year old abilities to get mad. But…that’s not exactly what happened.

After what seemed like eternity, the timer went off and I proudly pulled my prized treat out of the oven. However, when I went to turn them onto the counter, I discovered that I had forgotten a most vital ingredient (especially for sticky, dried fruit bars). Cooking spray. They were stuck fast, and they would not come out of the pan, no matter what! I tried sticking my fingers down the side…and yanked them out just as quickly as they’d gone in. It was hot! 400 degrees hot! Next, I tried a butter knife, but to no avail. It was getting late and the stubborn things wouldn’t budge. The tops tasted just fine, but I finally gave up. It was no use. The babysitter was going to find out. I heard the door at the end of the hall open. I grabbed Sarah’s hand and headed for the backdoor. The screen door slammed behind me and we dashed down our deck steps and crouched underneath…waiting.

The granola bars were not the problem. The timing was.

Sometimes the Christian life is like this. Had I waited until I had the proper permission and supervision, my project would have turned out better! Even if I hadn’t been given permission, the time for me to bake on my own would have come! I cook more meals now than I ever thought I’d cook – more than I’d like to!

We hear God’s call on our lives: missions, charity work, counseling, marriage, starting a Bible study…the list could go on. They’re wonderful things. We get excited about the opportunities before us and we launch out into the deep. We view these opportunities as the foundation we’re building, when in reality, they’re simply tools we can utilize in God’s timing. Then there is that quiet voice that halts our steps – even if just for a moment:

“My child, wait.”

“Wait.” How I’ve hated that word so many times in my life…but it’s a word God uses to test. I’ve stopped at times, and heard this: “You’re not ready yet. I want to give it to you, but you’re not ready yet.” Oh…but the process of getting ready is NOT fun! – I want to yell it out. “Look Lord – the thing you’ve called me to is so much greater! So much more could be accomplished!” And God says, “Wait.”

It’s easy to believe we’re “not doing anything worthwhile” if we’re not involved in the work we want. The true test lies in if you can lay a godly foundation – set a godly example – when things aren’t going exactly as you want them to!

I baked my granola bars. They were still granola bars, but they weren’t as good as they could have been. If God calls me to the mission field and I go right now when I hear Him say “Wait!” I’ll still be a missionary! I might even have the privilege of winning souls to the Lord, or making a difference in lives…but oh, how much better if I had waited? How much stronger a foundation might I have laid? I may never know.

“Wait” does not mean “No”. God will never withhold from us a desire He’s given when it is the right time.

God gives us desires: HIS desires. A passion to do His work, His way…and we miss the last part: His time. His work and His way are so glorious, but sometimes His time, to our fleshly hearts and mortal minds, is not. How I am learning the truth of Jim Elliot’s words, “Wherever you are, be all there.” Dear believer, if you cannot serve God on the mission field of waiting – if you cannot lay a foundation where it’s difficult – you will never serve Him on the mission field of running. Waiting seems so very hard to the heart and soul, but running requires an endurance that is built by waiting – waiting on the Lord.

They that wait upon the Lord…shall run and not grow weary.

As I crouched under that deck, I felt the misery of not waiting. I heard my name being called and I crept out, guilty face, hands thrust deep in the pockets of my blue jeans, my sneakers scuffing the ground as I walked up the stairs again. Sarah tagged along behind me, half-hiding. My parents were out of town. They’d be gone for a week. I met the disapproving eyes that seemed to bore holes in me. “Why didn’t you wait?” She asked me.

For the next five days, I scrubbed the bottom of that muffin tin. Not only had I failed to grease the pan, but I had baked the small bars for the longest allotted time instead of the shortest. I hadn’t filled the cups all the way, and the bottoms were black and charred – stuck for life, it seemed, on that pan! I still have the recipe and the muffin tin and whenever I open our family’s cook-book cabinet, my eye falls on the spine of that dreadful cookie-book, and I remember, “Wait.”

Be anxious for nothing, dear believer. When God gives you His desires, His plans to be carried out, yield them right back to Him. He can care for them better than you, for they are, after all, HIS plans. Will the generation that follows you see the burnt, stuck-on remains of impatience and regret – a foundation you built where you wanted to build it…running ahead? Or will they reap the beautiful rewards of one who waited for God’s best and began to build where it was hard – in the waiting – in His designated plan?

Start building NOW, in the waiting.

~Hannah

Build the foundation: how?

09 Monday Jul 2012

Posted by in choices, Foundation, Frienships

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Picture a man who is building his first house.  He walks into the empty lot and gazes around with great joy.  He is so excited, he can’t wait to begin.  He begins running around the lot picking out stones, bricks, brightly colored bits of glass, marbles, whatever meets his eye.  He carries them each to the center of the lot and tosses them down, until after a couple of hours, he has laid out an area the size of his future house.  He then steps back and admires his work… his first step is done!  His foundation is laid!!

Now consider the dedicated carpenter, building a house for his wife and family, a house which they plan to pass on to their children, and their children’s children.  He chooses huge stones that will last hundreds of years.  Those he respects most are enlisted to help him lay each stone with great precision.  After many days of hard, back-breaking labor this man, too, steps back to critically view his work.  His foundation lies before him, smooth and flat, exactly the shape of the house that will soon be built above it.  Satisfied, he begins the long process of building a house that will last many lifetimes.

Let’s consider a boy named Jim.  Jim’s life, too, was built on a foundation.  His parents began by using their foundation, laid by Jim’s grandparents.  From the time Jim was an infant they worked to add to the foundation with their love, their discipline, and their determination to raise a son who would love God above all else.  They worked hard to create a foundation that would last for many generations to come.

As Jim grew, he begin building on this foundation with his parents.  He enjoyed picking out the stones with his dad, and listened closely as his mom explained why this specific stone was chosen.  He helped his parents move the stones into position and watched closely as they chiseled away the parts they didn’t want.  The chiseling was always his least favorite part, it was uncomfortable.  He hated the noise and the dust was choking, but he stayed close, because his favorite part followed.  Once the chiseling was finished the rock would drop straight into the hole, a perfect fit.  It always looked so good to little Jimmy.

As Jim grew older he began to notice that his friend’s foundations always looked a little different than his.  Several of them had shiny new rocks, never used before, and some even said chiseling down for a perfect fit wasn’t all that important!  At first he didn’t listen. He knew his parents were right, but over time his beliefs wore down and he began to look with longing at the rocks his friends chose.  Soon he began asking his parents to choose new rocks, not to use the old rocks that his grandparents had chosen.  They gently explained the safety in using rocks that were tried and tested, but he felt like he was being cheated.

After several years Jim moved out of his parents’ house and decided to change his foundation slightly to incorporate the newer rocks his friends has always boasted of using.  His parents tried to discourage him from removing the big strong rocks, saying they were important for a strong foundation, but Jim thought they were outdated and could be improved.  He wanted the freedom to try out new things, to remove anything constricting.  So with much straining, sweating, and pain, he pulled out a chunk of big grey rock, creating enough space to slide in his new flashy one.  He stepped back to admire his work.  The new stone didn’t fit snugly, but, not to worry, Jim enjoyed the novelty and feeling of freedom the new stone provided.

Soon Jim had replaced many of the old rocks with new smaller, brighter ones.  Over time his parents pleas had become muffled by the voices of his friends echoing the sentiments of his new-found freedoms. and he ignored his parents’ counsel more and more.  He enjoyed traveling to see other foundations and would often bring home matching stones from friends’ foundations near and far.

At the end of his life Jim looked over his foundation, a striking mix of colors, some old, mostly new, thrown together.  There were weeds growing up between the cracks, which Jim felt added diversity and character, but others just saw a crumbling, unkempt foundation, supporting a shaky dilapidated house.  When Jim’s children began building their own homes, they had to sift through the rubble to find anything of value, and they didn’t find much worth using again.

Throughout our lives we have the opportunity to build on a sure, strong foundation, tested over many generations, or to substitute flash and glitter for strength and substance.  We have the choice to argue with our parents, or to follow their advice and counsel and build on the strong foundation already started for us.  We can slowly remove their old-fashioned stones and replace them with stones that don’t match, but instead leave room for change and accomodate new ways, new standards, or no standard at all.  Or we can embrace family standards until such time as God shows us from His word that they are wrong.

Our parents continue to encourage us to choose the strong and steady, but the longer we choose the lighter and more attractive, the quieter their voices become.  Then one day we suddenly awaken to find their voice completely removed.  We should feel happy in this, right?  It’s what we said we always wanted, yet we are too busy trying to find our own balance as our foundation is filled with so many different sized stones of so many different colors, that our lives slip and slide from one thing to the next.  We find that anything strong and eternal is unattractive, while the flashy neon rocks of the world draw us with greater appeal – for a time…  Then, when trials and storms come, the house collapses and we are left with a pile of mismatched glittery rubble, unfit for anything but the trash heap and of no use to the next generation.

The choice is yours. Glitter or substance. Choose wisely.

~Bethany W.

“Go”: He’s talking to YOU too!

28 Thursday Jun 2012

Posted by in Ambassador, Gospel, Missionaries, Missions

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“Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mark. 16:15)

Over the past month, we’ve posted a lot about missions – everything from the reasons behind missionary work, to practical tips for evangelizing. Today, I want to remind you of one of the most important (and often overlooked) facts about the Christian life – we are all called to be missionaries in one way or another. Look at Christ’s command: He didn’t say, “Some of you need to go out and preach the gospel.” He said, “Go ye. All of you. The world will know you are my disciples if you love one another – and what better way to show love than to preach the gospel to your fellow men?”

None of us would argue that the command to “love your neighbor as yourself” was given only to certain specific people – yet many of us seem to have some idea that only the few, ultra-spiritual elite are called to missionary work. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Having said that, I don’t want you to get the idea that you need to move to Africa next week! There’s plenty of work to be done right where you are. Look around you, at your neighbors. The people in your town. Maybe that girl who works at McDonald’s, or the guy who delivers your newspaper. How many of them have you witnessed to lately? Do you even know if any of them are Christians? More importantly, do they know that you are a Christian? I can think of many people in my tiny hometown of Worland, Wyoming, who have no idea that I am a Christian. Why? Because I haven’t been fulfilling Christ’s command to “Go into all the world.”

“All the world” starts in our backyard, folks.

So before you start equating “missionary work” with the people who move to China or Russia or Libya… think about your part in the great missionary calling here and now.

~Christen

Who was this Woman?

21 Thursday Jun 2012

Posted by in discipleship, Marriage, Proverbs 31, pure, Singleness

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Who was this woman I saw? Raised from birth by a Mother who taught her to exist with real, certain attributes of character: she is moderate and well-balanced in her thinking and has accepted what was taught to her. Careful in attitude, modest in living and pure from carnality, she carefully guards those around her from wrong influence and destruction, helping to instruct, nourish, and mold the younger generation in her life. She lives with the idea that marriage is sacred and given by God: and because of this, she is distinguished from other young woman in the world –maintaining respect for authority and not provoking attention from any man until God ordains it. This woman is prepared to pass on a legacy of faith to either her own family or any individual that God may place in her life. She has placed His name above her own, so that she does not bring reproach to His promises or His name. Who is she?

This woman is found in Titus 2:4-5. This small book is full of awesome insights and weighty instructions for the whole body of Christ: older men and women, young men and women alike. Proverbs 31:10-11 says: “Who can find a virtuous woman? For her worth is far above rubies. The heart of her husband safely trusts her; so he will have no lack of gain.”

~Tiffany Martens

Enslaved by Emotions

20 Wednesday Jun 2012

Posted by in Obedience, Submission, Surrender, Wednesday Quote

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“Emotions must become subservient to the Spirit of God – to His will, His purpose, His agenda, and His direction. The vast majority of us have become enslaved to our own feelings rather than bond servants of Jesus Christ. We should never make decisions based upon what we feel like doing, but on what our Lord is asking of us.”

Ludy, Leslie (© sacred singleness, 2009)

Who Controls You? – Pt. II

14 Thursday Jun 2012

Posted by in Believe, Flesh, Mind, Truth

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Last week, we talked about our sin nature – overcoming sins that our flesh is too weak to overcome! We established the following three statements in regard to what  controls us:

What you love, you will pursue.

What you desire, you will fight for.

What you think about, you will believe.

Let’s start with what you think about:

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7

“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.  For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.” Hebrews 12:1-4

Just like your heart and soul, your mind belongs to God.  It is not your own. Therefore, it must be sanctified just like your soul and body.  However, it is also effected by this sin-stained world – it is perverted.  This will take a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit.

“Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”  Philippians 2:12

Your mind will not naturally think about good things.  The same way that you work to eat the right foods for your stomach, you must also work to eat the right foods for your mind.  It is all part of your salvation, it is all part of your sanctification and it is all filled with sin.  It is your flesh – but do not despair! Remember, you have been set free from the law of sin!!

“For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.” 2 Corinthians 4:16

God will give you the grace to pursue a holy and sanctified mind! It’s all simply in the asking! Our Father delights to give what is good!

“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:” Matthew 7:7

“If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” Luke 11:13

So, we know that this is a responsibility that we should not take lightly.  Do not be comfortable with the sin in your mind.  It is not just “ok”– it is sin, and God hates it.  And furthermore, it will not assist you in doing great things for His kingdom.  So who is it benefiting?  No one! By God’s grace and out of His love for His children, He has given us some pretty straight-forward guidelines for our minds to memorize, en-graft, meditate, and think about!!

“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” Philippians 4:8

Ask God to “write this on the table of your heart” so that you can “take every thought captive, unto the obedience of Christ”!!

THIS, is being controlled by the Law of God and not your flesh.  And THIS, is having self control over your mind: keeping it under the obedience of the Spirit.

Next week, we will approach the next question: What do you desire?

Be Blessed!

~Joanna

Running from, or Abiding in?

11 Monday Jun 2012

Posted by in Abiding, Consequences, discipline, Obedience

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Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.” But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. – Jonah 1: 2-3

How many of us are guilty of this very thing? God calls, we run. I recently discovered that Tarshish was actually located in Spain, which at that time was one of the farthest known places on the earth. It’s amazing to what lengths we’ll go as believers to try and avoid God’s call for our lives. We’d rather turn away and run from the presence of God than simply obey Him, trusting that He’ll take care of our needs and silence our fears.

“But the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea. So the captain came and said to him, “What do you mean, you sleeper? Arise, call out to your god! Perhaps the god will give a thought to us that we may not perish.” – Jonah 1:4,6

God decides to make it easier for Jonah to return to Him: He puts an obstacle in between Jonah and his foolish decision to run from God’s presence, and also directs him through the ship’s captain’s council. It’s incredible how many opportunities God gives us to return to Him and turn our lives around. He’s not restricted to prayer and His Word! When He wants to get our attention, He will – and we then have to make a conscious decision to accept or decline yet another proposal.

“And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.” – Jonah 1:17

Jonah makes his decision: instead of crying out to God and coming back to his Savior, he tells them to throw him overboard because he knows he’s the cause of the problem. But God does not allow Jonah to die. He provides a “great fish” to swallow, and ultimately save him, from certain death. It’s crazy what we, as believers, will do to avoid that awkwardness that God has called us to, that task we feel ourselves unqualified for. Yet God does not give up on us! He sends a lifeboat (“great fish”) time and time again, and time and time again we refuse to humble ourselves before the Almighty, continuing to wallow in the filthiness of our sin, (or in this case, the “belly of a fish”).

Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish, saying, “I called out to the Lord, out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice.” And the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.” – Jonah 2: 1,2,10

All it took was for Jonah to humble himself, ask God’s forgiveness, and surrender to the Father – And immediately God answered! I find this to be rather easy to grasp: trust and abide in Him. But often it’s so much harder than it sounds, and we make it harder than it really is through our pride, fear and doubt.

What is God’s call for you? Are you running from Him, or abiding in Him?

-Adam

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