Willing To Do What It Takes

Some times there are situations or circumstances in our life that are not the will of God. Even as we walk in the Light, we are still learning. For the scriptures say, "we only know in part." Some times we are faced with some hard decisions in our life that we put off facing for fear that we may make the wrong decision. Perhaps we just don't want to give up certain things. Being led by the Spirit is not something that you perfect over night, or even over a lifetime. But as I have mentioned in an earlier blog, the more you do something the better you become at what ever it is that you are doing. So there are going to be times where you are believing that you are being led by Him, but as it turns out you missed it. I believe the biggest fear of someone who is trying to walk with Christ, is fear of making a mistake. You have to remember that stepping out on faith is a growth process. No one arrives there overnight. There are going to be times that you are going to step out and miss what you thought the Lord was telling you. But wouldn't you rather step out on faith and fall on your face for the Lord, rather then draw back in fear and never risk anything for Him?
Thinking back in the Bible in Genesis, Abraham was faced with some hard decisions in life. Probably some of the hardest decisions anyone has ever had to face. And yes he missed it a few times. In chapter 12:7 The Lord appeared to Abraham and told him He would give to his descendants this land. As time went on Abraham and Sara grew old and had no children, so they decided themselves that the only way they were going to have children was with Sara's Egyptian maidservant Hagar. This act right here was not an act of faith. You see God knew when the time was right for Sara to bare a child, however they grew impatient with God. Now due to this decision based on what they thought was the right thing to do, there are conflicting faiths at war today. But God gives more grace than you can mess up. Hagar bore them a child Ishmael, but later God spoke to Abraham and told him that His covenant would be made with the son Sara would bare, Isaac. Later after Isaac was born, the decision that Abraham and Sara made to have Hagar bare them a son was getting in the way of God's plan for them. God dealt with Abraham to send Ishmael and Hagar away. Abraham being faithful to God and trusting His word, he did so. I'm sure it wasn't easy for Abraham to send them off, just like it's not easy for us to get rid of some things that we love. But when things get in the way of God's best for us, we need to send it away. Sometimes we are not willing to give things up for God, but then turn around and want God to make things happen for us.
The Bible tells us in 3 John 2, that it is His will that we prosper in all things and be in health, just as our soul prospers. This is the truth, for the Bible tells us this. However, we become prosperous in all things by doing that which He has called us to do. And if that means He asks us for our Isaac, we need to be willing to give it up for Him and not draw back. If we are not willing to give something up for God then we are saying I am not willing to do whatever it takes. And if we are giving things up grudgingly we're still are not willing to do whatever it takes. We need to be willing to obey the Lord. This is one way we show God that we love Him. And saints when we arrive at the point where we are willing to do what ever it takes for God, He will bless us way more than we can imagine. That is how we show Him we can be trusted with more. We serve a God of increase, and it is His will for us to prosper. It's up to us to let Him increase us!
I hope this makes sense. This is very important to our quality of life. God doesn't want us to struggle in life. However He isn't just going to hand over the keys if we can't be trusted. You look at all the men and women God used in the Bible and you'll see that their faith in God had all been tested. We are not any different. We say we are willing, but are we really willing to do whatever God calls us to do? It is so true that many are willing to die for God, but how many are willing to live for Him? Saints these are hard times, and many are being tested. Isn't it about time we hand the reins over to God, fully submit every part of our lives to Him? God is so faithful to His word, now it's our turn to be faithful to ours. Don't pick and choose parts of the Bible to believe. If you are going to believe in the Bible, believe it all. Else wise you will not be full of faith. Without faith it is impossible to please God.

In Christ,

Eric R. Cox

Scriptures to meditate on: NLT Deuteronomy 28:1-14

“If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully keep all his commands that I am giving you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the world. 2 You will experience all these blessings if you obey the Lord your God:
3 Your towns and your fields
will be blessed.
4 Your children and your crops
will be blessed.
The offspring of your herds and flocks
will be blessed.
5 Your fruit baskets and breadboards
will be blessed.
6 Wherever you go and whatever you do,
you will be blessed.
7 “The Lord will conquer your enemies when they attack you. They will attack you from one direction, but they will scatter from you in seven!
8 “The Lord will guarantee a blessing on everything you do and will fill your storehouses with grain. The Lord your God will bless you in the land he is giving you.
9 “If you obey the commands of the Lord your God and walk in his ways, the Lord will establish you as his holy people as he swore he would do. 10 Then all the nations of the world will see that you are a people claimed by the Lord, and they will stand in awe of you.
11 “The Lord will give you prosperity in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you, blessing you with many children, numerous livestock, and abundant crops. 12 The Lord will send rain at the proper time from his rich treasury in the heavens and will bless all the work you do. You will lend to many nations, but you will never need to borrow from them. 13 If you listen to these commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today, and if you carefully obey them, the Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you will always be on top and never at the bottom. 14 You must not turn away from any of the commands I am giving you today, nor follow after other gods and worship them.