August 8, 2026
In the Middle of the Lake
Obedience is only difficult so long as we fight it. Once we surrender to God, obedience comes easily and we experience joy as we hone it into habit. Pain is a path to growth. In the same way awards and accolades help us develop strengths. Think about the Apostle Paul. Whether he was in pain or in health, in plenty or in want, in freedom or in jail, he was content with what he had. That is an amazing attitude and if we can achieve that level of peace we can begin to live in maturity.
We can develop a level of patience that surpasses logic. If we’ve gone to bat ten times and struck out each time, our expectations on our 11th ‘at bat’ will likely be pretty low. But God. He moves at His own pace. He operates in divine timing. He sees a broad and wide world view and He does not move until every detail is in perfect position. Thus, an outcome that might have been just okay becomes an outcome that generates books, movies and endless retelling.
The best way to develop a habit of trusting God is to look back on those times in life when we didn’t trust Him, when we struck out on our own, convinced we could make it without Him. What happened? Failure. Plans B, C, and D. Second best. Bad timing. Now, reliving those failures, we should be wholeheartedly ready to follow Jesus!
The realization we are destined to return to God and snuggle in the warmth and comfort of our forever home, makes any decision to embrace the false comforts of earth a catastrophic choice.
Choose obedience. Rebellion is easy. Until it isn’t. God leads us in the direction of success and victory. He takes us where we can touch lives and be world changers. Obey the Ten Commandments because He said we should. We sleep better. Because at the end of the day, we were as kind as we could be, we helped where we saw need, and if it was within our power we tried to make life easier for everyone we met along the way.
Lord, Thank You for direction that takes me higher in my call. I am sorry for the times I chose to do what I wanted instead of obeying Your incredible plan for my life. Sure, there are times I see injustice, times I want to say what I feel and let the world know it isn’t fooling anyone. Cruelty to others, to children and animals, destroying property and stealing, those things leave us all reeling at times. Help me, Lord, to do right in spite of all the wrongs. Your Word says we win in the end. Thank You for such grace.
Casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 2 Corinthians 10:5