Steps towards obedience

Obedience is hard.  I wish it were easier and then I would do it all the time!  But, it isn’t and I am struck by how many steps I must take to get there.  I am tired just thinking about it and the possible miss-steps along the way are also daunting.  In fact, failure is also scary.   At the very earliest point in 2018, I felt the gentle prodding of the Spirit to read the Bible in one year.   The problem?  I have felt the prodding before at the beginning of the last few years…..and what have I done?  Ignored it one year, started and quit early on (three weeks) and finally quit after a couple of months (even after buying and using a very snazzy highlighter…where is that thing?).  Ah, obedience…..it is hard.

I have done this disciplined reading before in my walk with God and have done it to the end…..but this time I was going to restart my many year attempt of NOT doing it successfully.   It was a bit different though on that early morning.   I turned to my husband and said….I am going to read the Bible this year from cover to cover.  I feel like I have to….(and the Spirit said…..”YAY!”).   He said….GREAT, I will join you…..He is always so supportive!

Step 1….The stirring of the Spirit

Step 2…Accountability

The adventure has only been going on from January and part of February so far but I feel it…I feel the difference…..It is called a desire to be obedient….a topic for another day.

God always likes to reinforce things with those of us who are a little more stubborn than the “regular” brothers and sisters in Christ.  I was hit in the head with Scripture on one of these days of reading and I cannot get the phrase out of my head.  My reading for February 14th was a section of Exodus.  Exodus 39:1  through 40:38 to be exact.  It was repeated 17 times and I highlighted them all in red.

“As the LORD commanded…”

The picture of my Daily Reading is above and if you flip the page, you will see 3 more highlights.  The passage is all about the Clothes for the Priests and Setting up the Holy Tent.  This may not seem as gripping or moving as other parts of Scripture but God sure did use it for me.  The Israelites, Moses, etc….did As the LORD commanded.  

Immediately, I thought of all the things that the LORD had commanded me to do and that I had not done or only done half-heartedly (which is really the same as not doing it at all!).  Conviction was heavy….but thank God for His Grace!  Some of the things He has called me to do….well, the time has passed…..and these opportunities may come back around differently or not at all.

But as usual, He does not give up on me and there is still time to take action on a few outstanding obedience items.    Then more will come…..and more…..and more…..

So, I embark today on my second outstanding item….albeit also delayed and several years in the making…..my electronic journal/blog.  Journaling and sharing is something I have been prodded to do in the past and I have not always followed through (again, like not doing it at all!).  So, here I am doing the Not So Random Ruminations blog.  This is really another stop in my journey…and whether it is read by just me and my dear husband or by many…..I will be blessed through obedience.

Step 3…Action