Uturn and Obedience

Hey there! Last night we had Uturn and had ten kids with us -- six girls and four boys. I was feeling really low on energy, but then when it came time for Uturn, I had all the energy in the world. We began with a video devotion. I forget the name of the video, but it was from Nooma publishers. It started by going through the door of a restaurant with really cool music and then it focused in on the speaker, who was sitting in a restaurant with all kinds of people eating around him. He then spoke a message about letting our lives be about loving Jesus and not about a bunch of rituals. It really was a great video, and the kids loved it. We had some good discussion right after the video. Then half of the group went with Terje to Harvest Cry -- youth evangelism meetings that have been going on this week in Kristiansand since Wednesday. (By the way over 100 have been saved because of these meetings! Praise God!) The other half stayed behind with David and me, and we bought some pizzas and chips and chocolate and soda. Without David or I directing any of the conversation, we suddenly found ourselves talking about the video we saw earlier or about being filled with the Holy Spirit and other things to do with God. Very cool. By the way, have I mentioned that two of our kids have been saved in the past year? Isn't that exciting?

In the midst of all of this, I am learning about obedience. I have been struggling and struggling and struggling to hear God's voice when He really is speaking loud and clear to me, I am just not obeying. I liken it to when Jacob was wrestling with God -- He wrestled and wrestled and wrestled all night until God put his hip out of place. It's like I have been wrestling with God so much wanting Him to speak to me, but all along He is speaking. I am not willing to stop and listen. So God I just need you to dislocate my hip and keep me here until I actually learn to hear and obey your voice! Hearing God's voice is two-fold- it is the listening and the obedience. If we aren't willing to obey what we've heard, then we will never hear God's voice. Often we are so distressed because we can't hear His voice. Well, then I think it is time for us to sit down and be honest with ourselves. Are we truly following what He says when He speaks?

As you go throughout your day, I encourage you to truly HEAR His voice. I am say the same to myself.