Two Choices...

When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, "Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die." Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning." The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was. Exodus 20:18~21

"You speak with us,...but let not God speak with us...."
We show how little love we have for God by preferring to listen to His servants rather than to Him. We like to listen to personal testimonies, but we don't want God Himself to speak to us. Why are we so terrified for God to speak to us? It is because we know that when God speaks we must either do what He asks or tell Him we will not obey. But if it is simply one of God's servants speaking to us, we feel obedience is optional, not imperative. We respond by saying, "Well, that's only your own idea, even though I don't deny that what you said is probably God's truth." ~Oswald Chambers

This devotion this morning pretty much hit me like a ton of bricks. Anyone who knows me at all knows that I am very much a black-and-white kind of person. I'm all-or-nothing kind of gal...there's usually no in-between...gray-areas don't exist. I think many times that is the reason I have a low tolerance with people who are "wishy-washy"... As I read these words that Oswald penned so many years ago, the Lord clearly spoke, "When I reveal something to you, you have one of two choices...You can either obey Me or ignore Me." Most normally when I sense God speaking to me, I immediately act upon it knowing that if I don't, it probably won't happen. Yet I will admit that there are times when God speaks and I'm not sure I like what He is saying, I "ponder...think...pray..." As I meditated over the truths placed before me this morning, God ever-so-gently revealed to me that when He speaks and I KNOW He is speaking and I choose to "ponder...think...pray...", I am in-as-much ignoring and disobeying His voice. Why do I need to "think over" what God has said? Why is my approval necessary? Why should it always "feel right" before I respond...act...obey...? There is no justification in "thinking"..."riding-the-fence"...residing in gray areas... It's either, "Yes Lord I am determined and surrendered to do Your will," or making the choice to deliberately ignore and disobey.

"If you love Me, you will obey what I command." John 14:15

*For me, some of those areas have been disconnecting our satellite television, deactivating my Facebook account, denying the desire to listen to secular music, simplifying areas of our home that clutter, letting go of activities that create busyness for our family, making the choice to avoid PG-13 and R rated movies, simplifying the time, thought and effort that goes into my physical appearance, releasing control, investing focused time on MaKayla & Mallary, being determined in who God has created me to be and how/where He has called me to serve,...