obey

There’s No Other Way!

/ Mark Brady / Leave a comment

It happened before I knew it. Facing a trying time, where facts were present regardless of having an understanding as to why, was very difficult for me. When you have to do another withdraw from your savings when in your mind you keep saying, “But, God, I know for sure we heard you!” I don’t understand why this venture has cost us financially, when it should have grown our finances.

By Saturday, while sitting in front of a warm fire, I realized I had not read from my current devotional, “Jesus Calling” all week. I went to get it. Ironically? No, but smacking me in the face was the overall theme for the week was, regardless of the circumstances, keep trusting me, and obeying also.

I needed to read that message every single day of this past week, but I wasn’t. Funny how quickly we take ownership of our situations in our minds. Then what’s odd is we seem to allow those situations to take ownership of us.

There are SO many good stanzas in this old hymn. Words that need to be taken to heart, and lived by.

“Father, I repent for taking my eyes off of you this past week. Please forgive me. I know and believe, that you are sovereign and you do know what you are doing in my life. I gave it to you. Help me not to take it back again. Thank you, God. Amen.”

Copyright © 2022 Mark Brady.  All rights reserved.

Go

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This past week, William Shatner boldly went where no other 90 year old had gone before.  When asked, “What do you want to do when you get there?”  Shatner replied, “Come back down!”

It got me to thinking, Am I where God wants me to be?  Have I gone where God has asked me to boldly go?  Being obedient to God’s calling can be challenging some times.  It may also offer opportunities to be scared.  I can’t announce it yet, but He has recently asked me to go do something that in the natural doesn’t make sense.  The few close friends I have told have been greatly surprised, and are probably secretly wondering if I am qualified.

But I am going.  I have found over the years that when I am obedient in an area I do not feel naturally comfortable that it is in those times I rely on God all the more.  I lean not to my own understanding.  As a result, I am happy that I obeyed.  I generally realize the task was easier than it first seemed in my mind.  And when made known to me, I am excited with the results of what God did through me.

God is speaking to some of you right now.  Reading this post has brought to your mind something God’s Spirit has whispered to your heart to go do.  It may not be to go to the mission field, but possibly go across the aisle in your office, or across the street.  Go.  Go boldly.  You don’t always get to know the results of your obedience this side of heaven, but you should go anyway.  Don’t judge the results by what your eyes see, or don’t see.  You are not responsible for the results.  You’re simply asked to be obedient.

You are to follow only God, your God, hold him in deep reverence, keep his commandments, listen obediently to what he says, serve him—hold on to him for dear life! Deu. 13:4 (MSG)

Copyright © 2021 Mark Brady.  All rights reserved.

It’s All About Obedience

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simple truthI have been reading from the Bible book of Exodus.  Today, I read a portion of chapter 12.  The true story of Pharaoh and the children of Israel has always intrigued me.  In meditating, upon this portion of God’s word, I realized one thing, being with God, being in his presence, is all about obedience.

You see, it was disobedience, by Adam and Eve that caused mankind to be separated from God in the first place, when they ate fruit from the tree, God told them not to.  Then, God gave us his son, Jesus, and it takes obedience of accepting him to be back in God’s presence.

Growing up in an Assembly of God church, we sang the song, Trust and Obey.  Some words in that song say, “there’s no other way.”  Simple truth, but truth none-the-less that will save your soul from eternal damnation.  God knows that when you obey him, and come into his presence, you enter into the greatest love story ever written.  It’s an amazing feeling to wake up loved, to lay down at night and close your eyes wrapped up in love, and living in between with God’s love abounding in your life.  God welcomes you, invites you, to partake of his love.  All you have to do is obey him, and stop eating the fruit the devil keeps putting in front of you.  A simple verse, but a true, loving verse none-the-less:

For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.  (Joh 3:16 AMP)

Copyright © 2018 Mark Brady, All rights reserved

“In God We Trust”

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US coinOur founding fathers didn’t declare this, but congress did in 1956.  They could have declared a lot of things when they were deciding what to inscribe on our currency.  Something that would be used around the world.  I’m sure after a lot of thought, it became obvious, the only thing to say was who they trusted in.  Those men knew God and His word.  After all, men came to this land for the “pursuit of religious freedom.”  It just makes cents!

2Sa 22:31   As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is tried. He is a Shield to all those who trust and take refuge in Him.  (AMP)

There is an old hymn my church sang when I was young, that had the following line; “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way.”  I know, it’s hard to do.  You can’t see God, but if you trust Him, you might just see His hand move about your life.  You might hear His voice calm you in the midst of life’s storms.  By the way, you can’t see the wind either, but what fool would dare deny its existence?

Whats inscribed upon your heart?  What do you declare to the world to trust or believe in?

Copyright © 2017 Mark Brady, All rights reserved