Instant Obedience
About 25 years ago an evangelist came to preach a revival while I was pastor at Smith Bend Baptist Church. He was an older friend of mine named Vance Zinn. I will never forget that revival, because the church actually had a revival and not just a series of meetings, and there was one message that stuck with me as very significant. Vance preached on being "instantly obedient" to the Lord. God affirmed that message in my heart then, and He has been driving it home ever since. "Delayed" obedience or "partial" obedience is disobedience, and God doesn't bless it. I know that, but I still fail on many occasions to be instantly obedient.
I have tried to detect why I fail in this area. I think I am too analytical, so that I think I must figure things out and understand everything before I take action. With God that is a negative. If He tells me or prompts me to act, I do not need to analyze or understand, I need to obey. Also, I think I am too task oriented, so when God speaks to me, I tend to put it on my list of tasks, and sometimes it gets delayed by other tasks. When God speaks, I must put it at the top of the list. Then, when I obey instantly, I am taking advantage of His preparations and provisions. Do you see what I mean? I am generally obedient to the Lord, and I am not overtly disobedient. However, when I fail to obey instantly, I really miss the mark.
In setting goals for 2008 I am putting "instant obedience" at the top of the list, and I am asking God to forgive me for the times I have failed Him in this way. What about you? Should this be one of your goals, too? I pray that we all will take this very seriously.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Genesis 25-26 and Matthew 8:1-17.
I have tried to detect why I fail in this area. I think I am too analytical, so that I think I must figure things out and understand everything before I take action. With God that is a negative. If He tells me or prompts me to act, I do not need to analyze or understand, I need to obey. Also, I think I am too task oriented, so when God speaks to me, I tend to put it on my list of tasks, and sometimes it gets delayed by other tasks. When God speaks, I must put it at the top of the list. Then, when I obey instantly, I am taking advantage of His preparations and provisions. Do you see what I mean? I am generally obedient to the Lord, and I am not overtly disobedient. However, when I fail to obey instantly, I really miss the mark.
In setting goals for 2008 I am putting "instant obedience" at the top of the list, and I am asking God to forgive me for the times I have failed Him in this way. What about you? Should this be one of your goals, too? I pray that we all will take this very seriously.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Genesis 25-26 and Matthew 8:1-17.