he speaks to be obeyed

I just love God's Word! I love how God uses His Word to grow us and to encourage us and to make us more like Him. I love the study of His Word and I certainly love when He gives us life lessons in the midst of our studies.

I am currently teaching a class on hearing and discerning the Voice of God. We are looking at how God does speak to us if we are His children. We sometimes don't hear. We sometimes hear and ignore and then sometimes He doesn't speak because we haven't been obedient to Him when He has spoken.

God never speaks just to be heard. He speaks to be obeyed. That truth will pierce us deep if we stop and meditate on it. When we are craving a word from the Lord, the first thing we need to do is determine in our hearts that we will obey. No matter what. 

I have been doing some sewing lately and trying to perhaps start a little business while doing what I enjoy. I made a few baby quilts and spend a lot of time on them and put a lot of money into the materials it took to make them. I sold one of them and then I fell in love with the other one and decided if no one purchased it then it would certainly be used by my newest little grandson that will be here in 7 short weeks!

As I was in the middle of studying last night and doing my homework, I had just come across a paragraph about responding to God's voice and about immediate obedience to it. The study is by Priscilla Shirer and she was asking us if we would commit to obeying God's voice by praying about it and then writing it out in the margin of our book and signing it and dating it. Of course, I want to obey my Lord and so I did just that.

God gave me an opportunity to obey Him almost before this ink could even dry on the page. Don't you just love the way God works. He was giving me a chance to put action to my thoughts. He was giving me a teachable moment right there in my quiet time with Him. He is so good!

As I sat in my study, a friend of mine in Mississippi was posting a plea on her FB page about needing baby blankets for the pregnancy crisis center where she volunteers. You see, when a young women receives a positive pregnancy test at the center, they give her a handmade blanket that has been prayed over. She was posting this at the very moment I was writing "Whatever God says, I will do it" in my book. As I read her post I was thinking that I could make a simple blanket the next day and get it mailed to her that afternoon. Just a simple little blanket.... And at that very moment, God's voice said, "Beth, you will send her that quilt you made that you love...."

Um, excuse me Lord? You mean the one that I have spent about $20 making? The one that I spent 4 hours making? The one that I can sell? The one that will be my grandsons if I don't sell it?

"Oh, yes, Beth, that precious quilt."

I dashed off a note to Marilyn telling her that I would make one and send it to her. But when I wrote those words, I knew that I wouldn't be making one. I would be sending the blanket that I had already made.  I am not going to sit here and tell you that I didn't almost get into an argument with God. Because I did. Almost. But then His sweet voice whispered to me that obedience is about sacrifice. And wasn't that precious unwed mother who will receive that blanket worth what I had invested into it? Wasn't it all about Him anyway? You see, I was losing focus on what God has gifted me with. He has given me a gift to sew and if I don't use it for His glory, then what use is it?

As I folded that sweet quilt today and prayed over it and wept over it, I felt the holy nod of God saying, "Well done my servant". 

You see, I want to be obedient. I want to hear His voice speak to me. A lot! I desire to be a woman who seeks after His heart and I want to be a woman that He will speak to because He knows that I will do what He says! 

God will put you to the test. He will give you opportunity to put action to your words immediately! I love that about Him. He is so sweet and He is so good.

Do you want to hear His voice? Purpose in your heart that you will obey Him when He speaks, and my precious friends, HE WILL SPEAK TO YOU!

Thank you, Lord for your Word. Your Word is TRUTH and I desire to know it and live it and obey it! You are the greatest joy of my life and I am so thankful for your sweet mercy and grace in my life. Be glorified in all that I say or do.