Obedience Leads to Blessing

God calls us to not just believe in our faith, but to act out our faith.  Faith without works is dead.  Recently God has been stretching my faith, and asking me and my husband to live our faith out in sacrificial ways.

My birthday was coming up and we had discussed going out to eat as a family to celebrate.  My husband was putting aside money for us to go to a nice restaurant with a live mariachi band. As the day drew near for my birthday, it also drew near to my hubby's coworker's last day of work.  My husband had felt the LORD nudging at his heart to give his co-worker a Bible before he left.  This co-worker was from India and not a follower of Jesus, but they had many wonderful conversations about Christ.  He was praying, unknown to me, about whether or not he should get this man a Bible.  I came to him as God placed it on my heart that he should give him one as a parting gift.  The only money available for the Bible was the money put aside for my birthday dinner.  I told my husband it was way more important to me to see this man have God's word, than to go out to eat. So faithfully we gave up a night out for a better cause.  After getting the Bible there was money left over and my husband thought, "I can still do something for my wife with this bit of cash."  As he was heading to work he came across a very cold, homeless man on one of the coldest days this winter.  He felt the LORD nudge at his heart again to give this man the rest of the money.  He wrestled with the idea asking, "Really God? I mean I don't know what he's going to do with the money."  He felt the LORD say to him, "Just obey me."  He proceeded to give this man the money and the man looked up at my husband and thanked him, full of gratitude and told him, "I'm going to go eat right now, really, I've been so hungry and I'm going to get some food, thank you."

It is not our job to question what God says, our job is to obey.  Sometimes it may seem crazy or it may cost you something you were looking forward to, but God's way is ALWAYS best. 

After our obedience God blessed us in many many ways.  In this week alone multiple things have happened!  I thought how nice it would be to have patio furniture and told God I knew if it was something we were to have he would provide in HIS timing.  Literally the next day I got a call that people were moving and would we like their patio furniture for FREE.  It was delivered that night. An envelope came in the mail with 50.00 cash in it, completely anonymous!  These are the types of things our AMAZING, ALL POWERFUL GOD does.  He knows our needs, he uses us to provide for others and he blesses us when we are obedient.  What a great God we serve.

May you praise him with your obedience today!

Samuel said, "Has the LORD as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams"

1 Samuel 15:22