Obedience or Wandering, You Choose

I am reading through the Old Testament and today I began Deuteronomy. In the first chapter, Moses is reminding the Israelites that their initial journey from Horeb to Kadesh Barnea should have only taken 11 days. However, their refusal to believe the good report of Joshua and Caleb transformed an 11 day journey into a 40 year wandering.

Anyone who knows about Moses, probably knows this part of the story. But, for some reason when I read this today, it really spoke to me. I just sat back and thought, "Wow!". How many times have I received a Word from the Lord and didn't respond with quick obedience? I wonder how my life would be different right now if I had listened to the Lord several years ago, but I didn't because I was too afraid, or I doubted that it was really God's voice I was hearing, or because I got distracted. So many times we make excuses for not following through with what God puts on our hearts to do. When we do this, we are no different than the Israelites, so our delay to obedience could be costing us extra years before we reach our full blessing that the Lord has for us. I know one thing, I sure don't want to miss out on it altogether. I believe that since Jesus came and died for us, we have an opportunity that the Israelites didn't have. We have the chance to repent for our disobedience and then the slate will be wiped clean. You can start fresh, right now!

Is there something you are putting off, that you just know God has been calling you to do? For me, one of the biggest things is writing a book. I've started several times, but never got into a good routine, therefore I've gotten distracted (there's that word again) by other things that this world has to offer, and I haven't finished the first book that the Lord has put on my heart to write.

What is it for you? Maybe you need to step out on faith and quit your job, go back to school, or maybe you were called to write books too. Do you have an ache in your heart to go on a mission trip? Maybe you need to walk away from a bad relationship, or forgive someone who has hurt you. It doesn't have to be big things like this. God wants our obedience in ALL things. It all counts! If He tells you to go check on your child. You better get up and run to your child because He is telling you this for a reason. If He tells you to read His Word everyday, then you need to do it. The more you read His Word, the more you'll hear Him speaking to you too, so if you don't know what it is He's calling you to do, start with reading the Bible more and I'm sure He'll help you figure it out.

Lets end our wandering and enter into the full blessings of the Lord!

 Be blessed my friends!