Obedience,
the Beginning of Blessing
All these blessings will come upon you
and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God.
Deuteronomy 28:2
In his position as usher, Dave greeted
people as they arrived for church each Sunday. He enjoyed being the
first person they saw at church. A dear woman named Lucile
approached. She smiled, and with tears in her eyes she pressed
something into his hand. She beamed, saying, “You bless me so much!
Your smile brightens my day!” Then she added, “I’m not sure why
God wanted me to give you this, but I knew I had to obey. Obedience
is the beginning of blessing you know!”
Dave felt a little uncomfortable taking
her gift. But, he’d learned not to rob someone of a blessing. So he
smiled and said, “Thank you, Lucile! You brighten mine as well.”
And with that she went into the sanctuary.
Following the service Dave walked into
the pastor’s office intending to say ‘no’ to the pastor’s
offer of the position as ‘Head Usher’. If he took the position he
would be responsible for overseeing some twenty ushers, setting
schedules, and securing the money that came through the church each
week. He just didn’t feel he had enough time to do the job right,
but for some inexplicable reason, when he walked into the office the
word ‘yes’ came out instead ‘no’. That’s when Lucile’s
words came back to him. Okay, Lord. If it’s obedience You want,
it’s obedience You get, he said silently.
Since that day, God has poured blessing
after blessing into and through Dave, and somehow time has never been
an issue. His obedience has led to an ongoing blessing that has never
ended.
†
In this fast-paced society, with our
lives full, and time a precious commodity, it’s difficult to say
yes when God asks for our time and skills. In our mind it would be
easier to blow Him off.
But the truth is, if it is God
who is asking, He will equip us, and provide the time
necessary to serve. He’s asking for a leap of faith. Lucile is
right. God teaches us that obedience is the beginning of
blessing.
Prayer
“When You call, Lord,
may I always say yes, knowing You will provide the time and energy
needed to serve others in Your Name, Amen.”
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