Fanatical Obedience

Isaiah 65:16 - So (it shall be) that he who invokes a blessing on himself in the land shall do so by saying, May the God of truth & fidelity (the Amen) bless me. 

Matthew 5:8 - Blessed (happy, enviably fortunate, and spiritually prosperous—possessing the happiness produced by the experience of God’s favor and especially conditioned by the revelation of His grace, regardless of their outward conditions) are the pure in heart, for they shall see God!

We all want to live our dream life, right? We all have our own vision of what "living in the blessing" is. We all (hopefully) even are still clinging to dreams, dreams of what we want to do, where we want to go & how we want to spend the rest of our days before meeting Jesus face to face.

Where are you today? Where were you 5 years ago? What will change 5 years from now if you do not change anything? Are you making progress towards the life you want to be living? Five years from now, how old will your kids be? Will you still be in the same rut, the rat in this rat race of life, running from here to there ready to pull out your hair if you don't get a break? What will you have to show for your life 5 years from now?

Your answers to the above questions could be answers that ARE indeed taking you to your dream life and dream destination, you could be well on your way, and if so, I commend you! If you calculated out how old you would be in 5 years, how old your kids would be in 5 years, and looked to see where you would be at in life in 5 years and you are not happy about it, i'm going to propose something to you. Are you ready? Here goes….

Fanatical obedience.

Yes, that's it. Fanatical obedience. The non-negociable sort of obedience.

The above verse, Isaiah 65:16, used the word fidelity in describing God. I wanted to look it up to see what it was really talking about. Here's what I found:

Fidelity

• strict observance of promises, duties
• loyalty
• accuracy, exactness
• devotion to duties, obligations
• loyalty or devotion as to a person or cause 

In the verse above, it is describing God as the "God of truth & fidelity". Ie: God is going to observe the definition of fidelity, it is who HE is. 

I'm going to propose that you and I adopt those characteristics in our relationship & obedience with God. That we apply devotion to duties & obligations. That we apply strict observance to the duties that God has asked us to do. Fidelity also was described as faithfulness to one's spouse. How about faithfulness to one's God?

I'm going to propose that we take an inventory… What is God asking us to do? What is He leading us to do? Once we know that answer, let's FOLLOW IT OUT TO A T! Let's get fanatical about the obedience of what HE is asking us to do! Let's get fanatical, if it means purging out some responsibilities that WE took on without consulting Him first, activities that maybe are taking us AWAY from obeying what we know we should be doing, PURGE them! If it's a TV show that has sucked you in… if it's that afternoon nap… if it's Pinterest, Facebook, twitter, or even just a simple one sleep! Whatever it is for you… let's take an inventory. What do we need to do to be obedient to what and where the Holy Spirit is leading us? 

Let's be FANATICAL in our OBEDIENCE!! 

I believe as we do this, the picture we see of where we "could be" in 5 years, will become a REALITY! Position yourself today to be LIVING in your wealthy place. I say "wealthy place" not only meaning financially. But, positioning yourself in your "wealthy place" with stress levels, with happiness levels, with your physical fitness, with your relationships, with you marriage, with your children, and yes, with your finances. Let's position ourselves so that WHAT WE DO TODAY, will put us in our wealthy place and in 5 years from now our lives will be the epitome of being blessed as it says in Matthew 5:8. Happy, enviably fortunate, and spiritually prosperous—possessing the happiness produced by the experience of God’s favor and especially conditioned by the revelation of His grace!

Together, let's do it! Let's be FANATICAL IN OUR OBEDIENCE! Ask the Holy Spirit NOW… what does that mean for you? Go ahead, ask Him!

TO REGULAR READERS: QUICK FAVOR...

HEY ALL!
I wanted to ask a quick question.... I will be going to a writers conference later in the year with lots of publishers and fun stuff like that. Could you do me a favor?? 

Answer me this question:

What are some of your favorite "devotions" that you've read on this blog? Could you give me either your favorite or Top 3-5 favorites? 

It would be SUPER helpful! I have to bring a few to the writers conference so I would love your feedback & help!

THANKS!



Make sure to read today's devotion:

GIVE YOUR BATTLE A VOICE!

#97 - Intelligent Discernment & Devotional Preface

So... good morning! God is good, all the time & all the time, God is good. 

Proverbs 4:1-2 - HEAR, MY sons, the instruction of a father, and pay attention in order to gain and to know intelligent discernment, comprehension, and interpretation [of spiritual matters]. ²For I give you good doctrine [what is to be received]; do not forsake my teaching.

Proverbs 4:11 - I have taught you in the way of skillful and godly Wisdom [which is comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God]; I have led you in paths of uprightness. 

Intelligent discernment & comprehensive insight. Hopefully the follow will be a bit freeing to a lot of you. It could actually be taken as a "preface" to all the devotions that you read. 

I, like many of you, have specific things that I am passionate about or have radically changed my life for the better. When you see how something has really helped you or affected your life, you just immediately want everyone to experience that for themselves. You want them to experience the same joy or the same freedom, the same revelation. But.... let me say this: There is a GOOD chance that just because it is a "Word from the Lord" for one person, does not mean it is a "Word from the Lord" for YOU. Including, EVERY devotion most likely is NOT something you are supposed to take action on. Sure, some of them, yes, will be directly for you. You could call it a "grocery store" approach. Sometimes something may sound really good, or it may even be a devotion talking about an area that you are weak in. BUT, that doesn't necessarily mean it's something that the HOLY SPIRIT wants YOU to focus on it now. It goes back to what Proverbs 4 talks about, intelligent discernment. 


Check with the Holy Spirit. Your path and the plan for your life is different than mine, and everyone elses. The Holy Spirit will tell you SPECIFICALLY what you need to be doing to grow YOU to the next level. Like "Day of Rest's" for example. Tyler got specific direction from the Holy Spirit that he was suppose to take a DOR... when I checked with the Holy Spirit, I received a confirmation that NOW was the time for me to. Maybe for you it's a 1/2 DOR... or an HOR (hour of rest).... some time allotted that you put in your schedule to rest, rejuvenate, spend time with the Lord, or whatever. I encourage you.... check with the Holy Spirit. ASK HIM in regards to whatever the topic/devotion. The biggest thing is, I don't want YOU all going through your day feeling discouraged or defeated because you think, "Ahhh man, another thing I need to work on." God may have just ONE thing He has you working on right now, and that ONE thing is what will take you to the next level in your life. If you are trying to chase down every little thing you need to improve on, then you will most likely wind up discouraged and exhausted at the end of the day. I believe that these devotions are for someone. Who are you? I'm not sure. But, since I was led to write them, I believe that God has someone out there who is supposed to read them and that they are supposed to help. Can a "daily devotion" act as a guide in your Quiet Time? Absolutely. Can it give you a place to start? Absolutely. I heard yesterday from a man of God I respect quiet a bit, he said, "Church time is not throne time, Church time is School time." He was saying that going to church, is a time that you are taught and educated, and should not replace you getting before the Lord yourself. You talking to him. You receiving direction for YOUR LIFE. Church is like school and shouldn't replace us getting before the Lord and talking. Same with these devotions. They shouldn't be the only "Word from the Lord" you receive. He has SPECIFIC things to tell you about for your life. He wants to direct and guide you. 


My goal, for you to KNOW intelligent discernment. Discern what is for YOU. Discern the Voice of the Lord for YOU. That discernment will help walk you into your breakthrough. That discernment will take you into YOUR Promise Land. 


That my friend is the goal. To help and serve people. To help people experience victory in their lives. To help YOU win! That is my goal. 

Xoxo, 

    Amy J

#91 - Are you RISING while it's yet night?

Good morning! I pray that today finds you SUPER blessed! :) Well... I will be excited to show you pictures of the boy's play room soon. It is definitely cutie! He is BLESSED!!! Yesterday he got a BALL PIT! Yes, a ball pit! It is huge! It's super fun though! He really just got introduced to it yesterday, so today will really be the day he gets to play in it. I'm sure it will be very entertaining to watch! Blessed and HIGHLY Favored!! Praise the Lord!!! :) 

Proverbs 31:15 - She rises while it is yet night and gets [spiritual] food for her household and assigns her maids their tasks 

Psalm 56:4 - By [the help of] God I will praise His word; on God I lean, rely, and confidently put my trust; I will not fear.

Psalm 86:1a - INCLINE YOUR ear, O Lord, and answer me... 

Psalm 116:1 - I LOVE the Lord, because He has heard [and now hears] my voice and my supplications. 

Well... today's word comes as a bit of that .... hum... what do you call it... constant reminder of what you NEED to be doing, but maybe aren't doing. Have you ever had something like that come up in your life? The word that is RINGING in your ears, that thing that you know you NEED to do but you keep avoiding it. Well, for me, that is today's devotion. We'll see if it is something that rings in your ear too... maybe like me, this will be something that you have known you need to do but until now have not commited to the action of DOING it. 

She rises while it is yet night. The Proverbs 31 woman is rising to get food for her household. She is included in her household, she is also getting food for herself. What kind of food? We can talk specifically about two kinds of food. 1) Spiritual Food, 2) Physical Food. Not only is she spiritually spending time with the Lord and getting filled up spiritually, but she is also preparing the food for her household for that day. Both are areas that I can improve on! 

Have you ever had someone in your life that was not accountable? Someone that you could not rely on? I recently was reminded of that from someone in my life. I was reminded that the person had good intentions and they were a good person, but I could not count on them to follow through with what they said that they would do. Most likely, this person is stretched too thin and overcommited. Well, to RELY on, LEAN on and CONFIDENTLY put your trust in someone, it first is going to take you KNOWING that person. Right? If you do not know then, you automatically are not going to have confidence in them. Psalm 56 talks about having CONFIDENCE and RELYING on the Lord. Like the Proverbs 31 woman, it is going to take SPENDING TIME with Him to get to know Him. Specifically, I would anticipate that the Proverbs 31 woman rose while it was still night, earlier than everyone else in her household because it was still quiet. The busyiness of the day had not begun. The hussle and bussle had not started, and she could have some quiet time, just her and the Lord to get direction for her day. 


I have been around "stay-at-home" mom's or mom's in general and everything seems to always be a world of chaos. Everything is either an emergency, chaotic, stressful. It's like you can feel it in the air, like a spirit of stress. It almost makes your heart tighten just to be in the environment. One mom, I asked her specifically how things were going with her Quiet Time and her time with the Lord. She told me the answer that I expected, she was not having a quiet time. Things had gotten so busy, that she had not been "fitting it in". And, it was evident in the constant state of stress that she appeared to be in. Lack of peace. 


To have CONFIDENCE in YOUR FATHER, for us to have confidence in OUR FATHER, we need to spend time getting to know him. Before the kids are up, before the spouse is awake, before the obligations of the day begin. The Psalmist in 116 says, I LOVE the Lord, because He has heard. Don't YOU want the Lord to HEAR YOU!? Don't you want to KNOW that you have been HEARD?! I know I do. 


The second aspect. Physical food. I have DEFINITELY not been the poster child for this one. Waking up and "fixing breakfast" for my husband? Wow! I know this is something that he would LOVE, but it is definitely something I have not done. But... why haven't I? It says it in the Bible. It says that's what the Proverbs 31 woman does, so why haven't I done it? One easy answer, sleep. I sleep in later than Tyler. Granted, I still get up at a decent time.. usually between 7:30-8:30, but he is always up before me. What a suprise it would be for him to wake up and I was up, had already spent time in the Word and had BREAKFAST for him!!! WHOA! One of my NEW goals. It allows another way for me to serve and love my husband. Not in a demeaning way, "wife being the dormat" way, but in a way that Jesus would do. Serve. What is the verse that talks about that says, the least among you are the greatest.... and it's through serving! 


One final thought... what about the maids? In Proverbs 31:15 it talks about she assigns the maids their tasks. Well.... I believe her SPENDING TIME with the Lord is a key to having maids. Sure their are wealthy, non-believers who have maids but, if you are a Christian and don't have them.... then maybe in your time with the Lord, he will reveal to you how you will have them. Imagine not ever having to do a load of laundry again, or scrub a toilet. Could you find something more fun to do with your time than that? Well.... I believe it is there for you if you want it. And... it begins with that commited time with the Lord. 


OK.... I'm going to do it. I'm going to work on getting up earlier and EVEN making breakfast for my husband. If you see me... you can check up on me... ask me how I'm doing! I can definitely use the accountability! 


XOXO. Have a blessed day!


Amy J