Do you ever wake up in the morning with a song playing in your mind? I did this morning. The old hymn, “Trust and Obey”. Are you familiar with it? “Trust and obey for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus than to trust and obey.” I believe the Lord is teaching me how to trust and obey.
I remember years ago, I was sitting in a church service and I got this unsettling in my spirit. I was prompted to go to someone at the end of worship and offer them a word of encouragement. She had been struggling with some family issues and we as a congregation had been praying for her and her family for months. God spoke to my heart specifically for her, “God has heard your prayer and everything is going to be okay.” When God speaks to me, I hear a message inside what I call my soul. The words are not audible, just a faint prompting to do something. You would think that this would not be a hard task to complete. I was nervous nonetheless. My uneasiness has kept me from being obedient in the past and I am learning to push through that discomfort. The rewards are far greater. I often get hung up on what the person might think of me or how the message might come across. But it isn’t about me. It is so much more. And with God it is always so much more; more than I can see or even imagine. We are not asked to understand. We are asked to trust God and obey what God is speaking to our hearts. I’m telling you, if you receive a prompting, a push, a nudge to do something, send a card, call a friend, lift up someone in prayer, you have the opportunity to respond in that moment. Respond quickly because if you tarry, the thought will vanish. But, if you do respond, God will use you for God’s glory over and over again. We have to step out of our comfort zones. We have to be courageous and do the things that God asks us to do. We then get to participate in the work of the Father and there’s no greater task.
So, I pushed through my discomfort and passed along the word of encouragement. She shared with me, we cried together and then prayed. Soon after I heard that her situation had improved. Was it the word that I shared? Was it the prayer? Was it God at work? Well of course it was God. And it is not for me to know. My only task is to trust God and obey what God asks of me. It’s a learning process. But in all of it, rest assured, it is ultimately for God’s glory. God is always working. In this situation, I got to participate. How awesome is that!
When was the last time you felt a nudge to reach out to someone or do something? Did you do it? Pay attention to those Holy Spirit promptings and be brave enough to step out and do what God is asking you to do. I promise you, the blessings are far greater than any uneasiness you might feel in that moment.
Dear Lord, thank you for never giving up on us. Teach us how to trust you and then teach us how to obey. Thank you that if we are willing, you will use us for your glory. Equip us to be courageous enough to obey whatever it is that you ask of us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
2 thoughts on “Trust and Obey; how obedience is key to building trust in God”
Thank you, Melissa, for such an inspiring and challenging post. It is so easy to be lazy and then the moment is lost. Even when we ask an unbeliever if we can pray for them, they will usually say, “well, it can’t hurt,” or, a simple thank you. How much more will our brothers and sisters in Christ need encouragement and support? Thank you for the discipline and conviction to reach out to us with God’s will and direction.
Thanks Shan. I value your encouraging words. I appreciate you reading. Hugs! -M