Friday, April 18, 2008

Risky Obedience and Readiness

Last night, God cleared our calendar so we could go to P and L’s “Prayer Room”—and wow, am I glad He did!

It was very cool—not just because of the prayers, but because of the divine flow of the whole evening.

We prayed over two women, then over P and L, and then throughout the night, between conversations, we kept circling back to prayer. It was like breathing—natural, unforced, but completely necessary.

At one point, P felt God had a word for us:

“God’s strength is made perfect in our weakness.”

I laughed.

“That’s good because we are pretty damn weak!” 😆

We didn’t leave until midnight—again! But it felt like one of those holy moments where time didn’t matter because God was orchestrating something bigger.

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A Risky Obedience

This morning, CB sent out a devotional by Jon Walker, and it could not have been more appropriate.

"Risk your life and get more than you ever dreamed of..."
(Luke 19:26, MSG)

I read that and immediately thought, That’s exactly what we’re doing!

Faith is risky.

It requires stepping out on the water before you see how it’s possible to walk on it. It requires moving forward before you see the provision. It requires obedience before the confirmation comes.

The irony? The greatest risk isn’t stepping out in faith—it’s staying in the boat!

I loved the image Jon Walker described:

• A storm.

• Jesus walking on the water.

• The disciples cowering in the boat.

And the question:

Where is the safest place to be?

The obvious answer seems to be the boat—but the truth?

The safest place is always standing next to Jesus.

Wow. That hit deep.

It’s easy to believe the illusion that security is found in something familiar—money, plans, control—but the truth is, security is only found in Jesus.

So today, I’m reminding myself:

• If God is calling me out of the boat, the safest step is the one that requires faith.

• If I say I trust Him, then my actions need to reflect that trust.

• If my life doesn’t require faith, then I’m not actually living by faith.

Lord, help me step into risky obedience, knowing that You are my safety!

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Today's devotional in My Utmost for His Highest was on readiness.

“When the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, ‘Here am I.’”
(Exodus 3:4)

When Moses turned toward the burning bush, he was ready.

How many times does God speak, but we’re too distracted to hear Him? Too busy telling Him our plans instead of being ready for His?

Oswald Chambers put it perfectly:

“Be ready for the sudden surprise visits of God. A ready person never needs to get ready—he is ready.”

Lord, let that be me.

Let me be ready when You call.
Let me be willing even when it’s inconvenient.
Let me be listening when You whisper.

Because Your plan is better than mine.

Even when it feels risky.

Even when it looks impossible.

Even when I’d rather stay in the boat.

I want to walk on the water.