Sacrifices and Obedience

Focus Scriptures: 1 Kings 17:8-16, John 14:15, Psalm 40:8

Lately the Lord has been leading my husband and I in a completely new way. He's always been the lead in our lives and we've always made the resolve to obey. However, with the new land that we have come to, metaphorically speaking, He is asking things of us that require different kinds of sacrifice and so it requires a different kind of obedience. The heeding to His voice when He speaks His will. And the giving of whatever He desires and asks of us. Even when it's hard.

 A prime example of sacrificially obeying in a hard time can be found in 1 Kings 17. Here we read of a prophet named Elijah whom the Lord sends to a place called Zarephath, don't worry I can't pronounce that either lol. There's a severe drought happening, which has a whole backstory of its own that you can read about. He tells Elijah He has commanded a widow to provide for Him there. Now what's a little puzzling about this is that this particular widow and her son are barely making it, but the Lord is planning to use her to provide for someone else. In fact she tells him when they meet that she is collecting sticks so they can make bread with their last handful of flour and last bit of oil and then die. 

This poor woman is literally preparing a last meal for her and her son and yet Elijah asks her to make him a small cake from it first. This is the sacrifice and the obedience. The doing what God asked was the obedience. The using the last of all she had to fulfill the obedience was the sacrifice. Could she have said no? Of course. God gives us free choice. Could she have argued her case and said but what about me and my son? I would say so. But she didn't. She sacrificed and obeyed. Even if it may have been hard. I know as a mama wanting to care for my son it would have been hard. But God told her to and so she did. And because she said yes in her heart right away the Lord made her a promise. One that saved their lives. Even beyond this particular instance.

Oh to be like this woman. To say yes in our heart before we even know what's on the other side of our obedience. To say have it all not knowing if we'll ever have anything at all again. Those of us women that walk with the Lord, what is He asking of you? What is the last bit He's asking you to sacrifice to be obedient? Say yes. Even when it's so hard, say yes. Because He's worth it. He's always worth it. He always makes it worth it. For those that may not yet know Christ, there is a still a call to you. An asking of giving your heart and life to Him and living in loving obedience. There is promise on the other side. And it's worth it. It's so, so worth it.

As always, 

Be Pretty, Be You

You are so incredibly loved