Uncomfortable Obedience

The truth of the matter is that obedience a lot of times will cost you something. And very often it costs you comfort. If obedience was always comfortable would we ever get off of our Spiritual couches? Probably not!!

We are all about comfort in the instant society that we live in. One of my favorite places to visit is the library. I love going there and being amongst all of those books. But it takes a little savvy to be able to navigate the library. Now granted not as much as it used to, because now we do have the computerized Dewey Decimal system, but I remember when I was in college when it was time to go the library and research a paper, I'd have to go to a card file and look up the name of the book and write down the card # and go find the book on the shelf according to that file.

Now a days, in such an instant society, I go to the computer, plug in what I'm searching for and a whole list of possibilities come into view. A trip to the library in my college days literally was hours, and most of that time was spent trying to find all the books I needed on a particular subject to do my report. Now if I've spent hours at the library (which I do :), most of my time has been spent in the really cool cafe drinking a lovely glass of ice tea and looking at the books that took me all of 5 minutes to find (if no browsing was involved). Very little effort or discomfort is involved! But back in the college days a trip to the library involved hours of research, lots of time trying to figure out which book would be best for my particular subject and then when I found it I'd have to read a little bit of it to see if it would work. There were no reviews written on the side of my DD card.

Was it more difficult back then to find what I needed? Yes. Was it time wasted? No way. I learned discipline and patience from my time spent studying and researching in the college library. Was it comfortable? Not always ~~ trust me there was no ice tea at the library in those days, and you really had to be quiet!! :) So why do I tell you this story? Because as we open the Word today to search for truth we need to leave the instant gratification society at the door and delve into God's Word with no time limit. Let's not limit our self to a few moments with God today just to be able to say we had our devotions. No let's really dig in and spend time getting to know this God who loves us so much. Let's see through Elijah's eyes the way that God provides for His own and let's take the time to love Him for it.

So let's open the Word . . .

In I Kings 17:6 Elijah has found himself in an uncomfortable position, and why? Because he followed God. Listen sometimes we will follow God just like He's told us to and do everything right and end up in the ravine. Elijah didn't end up here out of disobedience, but rather out of obedience.

Let's look at it: Vs 5-6 "So he did what the LORD had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine east of the Jordan, and stayed there. 6 The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook."

Elijah was asked to do a difficult thing. Go to the King (the wicked King; the one that has the power to kill you on the spot), and tell him that the water spout of heaven is being turned off - for years!! Talk about uncomfortable. But Elijah went; he did what God asked of him, and then what? Did he get to sleep in the palace that night and eat from the king's table, I mean after all he did what God, the Maker of the Universe, asked him to do? Nope instead he had to go hide.

What? Hide are you kidding? He was obedient; he did exactly what God told him to do! What in the world is going on? Listen it is true that obedience comes with a cost, but it also comes with GREAT blessing. It is true that Elijah had to hide, and it is also true that he didn't get to pick out what was for supper, but God took care of Elijah personally. He made sure that the birds brought him bread and meat in the morning and evening and he made sure that Elijah parked himself next to the brook in this ravine, and God made sure that the brook had water. God had everything under control.

There have been times in my life that I have been uncomfortable because of obedience. I am in a particular season of obedience and uncomfortableness even as I write this. God has asked me to do something way out on the limb of my comfortable tree. And I said yes. So here I am out on a limb, hoping it doesn't break, knowing that God is in control and even if it does break He will catch me. Does it make for some uncomfortable moments?. . . absolutely. Am I scared? . . . At times, but God is in control. He is feeding me while I'm in this ravine of His leading. He's lead me to the brook to drink of the living water that is always supplied. I know that He is in control even as I've stepped out of the comfortable confines of my sturdy tree and have started climbing out onto the ever tenuous branches, but He's asked and I've complied, and now ? I'm climbing to the top where I know the view will be beautiful!!

Have a GREAT Monday,

In Christ Alone,

Dawn