Next Week, God

I told God “Next week”.

Did you ever tell God “Wait”, “not now”, “maybe later”, or just a big fat “I don’t think so”?

I just told God, in church, “next week”.  Yes, that is correct.  In church.

Let me back up and explain so you can really see why I am confessing to you right now.

I was talking to God recently in the last several months and asking him to speak to me.  I wanted Him to lay on my heart of what He wants out of me; my next steps and how to serve Him.  I had nothing particular in my mind of what to do or even my own ideas.  I was opened to what He wants.  Or was I?

I asked Him to let me know what he wants, what He desires, AND I asked him to give me the ears to hear as well. The ears to hear is very important the heart to understand is very important.  I prayed for both things since I didn’t want to miss it.

Also, my prayers for these things have been a bit ongoing over the last couple of months.  I don’t know if I wasn’t quite settling down enough, quieting myself enough, or could it possibly be that I just didn’t like what I heard him and laid on my heart?

So, here it comes.

One day in church recently I was sitting quietly, and I was having my butterfly thoughts fly in, AKA Holy Spirit whispers. My heart was prepared and softened and my ears were attentive to what He had to say.

God’s instructions came. It was a simple knowing in my heart and the request was small.

I could have rejoiced knowing I pray specifically, He speaks specifically, I receive a knowing in my heart, a request from Him, and we move on to our next step.  I could have rejoiced in that.  I should have rejoiced in that.

I don’t know what happens in our human limited brain and knowledge, and all of our feelings and stuff, but I almost immediately said “how about next week God”?

What!? What did I just do?!

 I have been asking God for months of what I need to do, what He desires my next step to be knowing that the Bible says be faithful in the small things and then greater things will come.

I know.  Some of you are thinking, “why do that?”, or some of you are thinking, “yeah, I have been there”.

I am confessing right now.  I have limited knowledge, I have limited understanding against what He knows, understands, and merely of who HE is.  I do know this and also know He is constant; He is mighty and He is all knowing.  If He takes care of the smallest of animals and provides, He will do for me and you.  He knows what is best.  For everyone.  He knows what we need beyond what we think we need.  He knows what our wants will do to us sometimes and not for us.  He is all knowing.  He is all powerful and wants a relationship with us.   And He will not steer us wrong when we listen.

Did I immediately obey after I even knew I was wrong and was convicted in my heart.  Sadly, no, however, a day or so after that, I prayed and sure enough, the topic wrapped around again and came to my heart?  Indeed, it did.  Did I obey.  Indeed, I did.

You see, God does want us to have a relationship with Him.  A real one.  A personal one.  He wants us to communicate with Him and hear Him with Holy Spirit whisperings and as He speaks through His Word.  Obeying Him and His word is a part of our personal relationship with Him and a part that sometimes might not make total sense to us, but requires steps taken in faith in Him.

Why does obedience matter?  Here are just 3 good reasons.

• God’s instructions are for our good. He wants good things for us, and He knows what is best.
• It keeps us attuned to His Spirit’s leading.
• Blessings follow obedience.  God wants to bless us, and the obedience opens the door to His blessings.  Psalms 119:32
• True transformation occurs when we act on what we have heard.  James 1:22 compares hearing God’s Word without obeying it to glancing at our reflection in a mirror and forgetting. True h