Tag Archives: Peace in the Storm

That little four-letter word…

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Romans 2:13 says: For it is not those who hear the Word of God who are in right standing with God, but it is those who obey the Word who will be declared righteous.

It’s such a little word, obey, and to many it’s just another ‘four-letter word’ to be avoided at all cost. However, obedience is the key to so much that we desire from God: peace of mind, to live victoriously, to hear the Holy Spirit, to witness effectively, to name just a few.

In John 14:15-31, Jesus is talking to the disciples about the Holy Spirit and says point blank “If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever–the Spirit of truth.” And then a few verses later, we read this: “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.”

Remember the hymn, ‘Trust and Obey’? It’s true! Google it and see how true it is. And if you want to know how important it is, think about this. Jesus’ last words to the disciples (Matthew 28:16-20), which is referred to as The Great Commission, says that we are to teach others to OBEY everything He has commanded. It’s not enough to know what He said, we must do what He said to be saved.

If you want your testimony to be effective, OBEY Him.
If you want your life to be pleasing to God, OBEY Him.
If you want to hear from God, OBEY Him.
If you want to be happy, if you want to be fulfilled, if you want to show God how much you love Him, OBEY Him.

If I were talking to you face to face, I would say this very quietly–it’s just that important: It’s not enough to hear the Word, you must obey the Word for God to live in you. My prayer is that you will trust and obey.

Waiting for the Storm

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The wind is calm, permitting the softly falling snow
to reach the bosom of mother earth,
thickly veiled in purest white.
Every twig, every shriveled leaf, every pine needle
becomes a perch for snowflakes,
fashioned by the very Breath of God
to fall with sweet abandon just beyond this warm room
where Peka and Boo sleep in the near silence,
broken only by ticking clock and the heater’s gentle whir.
I rejoice in the peace–and breathe a heartfelt thank you
for days that begin and end with You.
The snowplow rumbles by, indication of the coming storm
that has been in the forecast for days.
I am reminded that few of the storms of this life
come with a forecast but almost always
descend upon us with fury’s speed; and
with an unexpected blast that chills our very soul
and leaves us exposed, we are left
fighting for our very lives with no thought of anything
save survival.
I breathe in the relief that it was He who fashioned me
in the womb of a mother I have never known
only to place me in the arms of another,
who led me to the One who loves me like no other.
Because I have found my real home in Him,
there is no consternation when the blizzards of this life
threaten–or descend.
I am, instead, secure in the warmth of His love,
listening for the still, small Voice within to say,
“This is the way, walk ye in it.”