Monday, January 14, 2013

And I will answer .... Yes, Lord, Yes ...

My Utmost For His Highest

He [God] did not force His will on Isaiah. Isaiah was in the presence of God, and he overheard the call. His response, performed in complete freedom, could only be to say, “Here am I! Send me.” Remove the thought from your mind of expecting God to come to force you or to plead with you. When our Lord called His disciples, He did it without irresistible pressure from the outside. The quiet, yet passionate, insistence of His “Follow Me” was spoken to men whose every sense was receptive (Matthew 4:19). If we will allow the Holy Spirit to bring us face to face with God, we too will hear what Isaiah heard-”the voice of the Lord.” In perfect freedom we too will say, “Here am I! Send me.”

Martie and I spoke at a church last night, sharing about the work in Jacmel.  Near the end of our presentation, I felt a stirring within me to challenge the people to say ‘yes’ to God.  Several people talked to us afterward.  One person, in particular, was visibly moved to the point of tears.  Have you heard God’s call and felt the tug at your heart?  Did you respond with ‘yes Lord’ or with ‘that is something I will have to pray about’.
 
God calls us to do things that don’t fit in our plans.  When Jesus told the disciples to follow Him, they quit what they were doing and obeyed.  Jesus didn’t tell everyone He met to lay down their nets … you may not be asked to quit your job … but you will be asked to set your love for the world and the things of this world aside … it’s not the point of giving everything away, but the point is that you no longer love those things more than God and depend upon them … for your peace and confidence.
 
In Matthew 13:14-16 Jesus said “In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: “‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’ But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.’
 
Listen for the voice of God and when you hear it .. say ‘Yes!’
 
Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

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