Saturday, June 22, 2019

After yes, it's all easy from there

I'm spending time reading Kevin Zadai's book, The Agenda of Angels, which is eye-opening and well worth my time, and he was speaking to me about being yielded to the Lord. Have you noticed that God softly asks us to do something just outside our comfort zone, keeping it easy for quite a while, but asking us to do something for Him, that we probably wouldn't do on our own?

How do you respond? Do you say, "Ask someone else, Lord." Or, "What if they think I'm weird?" Let me assure you, you're weird, I'm weird, we are all weird.

Yet, those of us who initially say "No, Lord, no way," are often the same people begging God for an encounter with Him, or His angels, or a near-death experience, or a waking vision, etc. We want God to move big for us, but we can't even tell a stranger (who we will never see again and does not know one of our friends or family members)  that God knows their problem and He loves them.

The great thing about God, is that He makes it so easy for us. He really does all the heavy lifting. The most difficult part for us, is saying, "Yes."

Sometimes, I say yes right away (when I am being in my smart mode.) The cool thing is that I get that sense that God is happy, and proud of me right away and the weird looks of not understanding why I am giving a stranger money or going back to give the over payment back to the store clerk or telling a stranger God loves them just don't matter because my Heavenly Father is proud of me!

However it's not always the simple thing because we all need to grow a little more today than we did yesterday

When God has asked me to give something up that we both know is not good for me or my life, the biggest struggle for me is that I don't want to suffer. So, instead I dangle and twist, making myself miserable with anxiety about taking that step for weeks or months at times. I begin to pray for God to help me to obey Him, to help me want what He wants for my life, and then suddenly, I wake up one morning and I just know, that I know, that I know that I can do this.

And I say yes. And suddenly it's all easy, it feels so right and natural to be doing just what I am doing. I wonder why I resisted for so long. Of course God is right! Duh.

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jer. 29:11

In fact, He makes it easy...our part is simply to say "Yes." 

"Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:29-30