Just Say Yes to God

Right now, as I sit in the faithfulness of the Lord, I am reminded of just how difficult this journey really is. When people say things like, “You just gotta believe,” or “ Just have faith in God,”... it sounds so easy…it sounds so simple. But in reality…it’s not. 

It’s hard to believe in the impossible. It’s hard to have faith for something that is the opposite of reality…something that seems so out of reach. Just the thought of walking by faith is quite overwhelming. But, the good news is that we don’t have to have it all figured out. We don’t have to know how God will fulfill his promise. We don’t have to know when God will fulfill His promise. All we have to do is say yes. 

Just say yes to God. 

We get overwhelmed because we think our job is bigger than it really is. We aren’t responsible for the details. We aren’t responsible for bringing the promises of God to pass. We are only responsible for our obedience. 

So, when God speaks…we say yes. And when He gives us an instruction…we obey…we say yes. 

When we obey God….when we say yes, He does the rest. 

I can’t stress enough how important obedience is when it comes to experiencing the promises of God. When we obey God, we are showing that we have faith in Him. 

What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? ‭‭ (James‬ ‭2:14‬ ‭NLT‬‬)

Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete. (‭‭James‬ ‭2:21‭-‬22‬ ‭NLT‬‬)

If we read Abraham and Isaac’s story in Genesis, it’s evident that once Abraham obeyed, God did the rest. 

When they arrived at the place where God had told him to go, Abraham built an altar and arranged the wood on it. Then he tied his son, Isaac, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood. And Abraham picked up the knife to kill his son as a sacrifice. At that moment the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Yes,” Abraham replied. “Here I am!”  “Don’t lay a hand on the boy!” the angel said. “Do not hurt him in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from me even your son, your only son.” Then Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in a thicket. So he took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering in place of his son. Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which means “the Lord will provide”). To this day, people still use that name as a proverb: “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.” (‭‭Genesis‬ ‭22:9‭-‬14‬ ‭NLT‬)

The passage says that an angel of the Lord showed up “at the moment” of Abraham’s obedience…not before. And this is important for us to understand. Sometimes we fear obeying God because we don’t know how everything will work out, but when we face our fears and obey God anyway…our faith is made complete. This is when God shows up in our lives. This is when we get the chance to experience how great He really is. 

When I think of how terrifying it is to step out in faith, Moses’ story comes to mind. In Exodus chapters 3 & 4 God calls Moses to rescue His people in Egypt, and Moses is terrified. He goes back and forth with God because he believes he’s the wrong man for the job. But what Moses didn’t understand is that he only needed to say yes…he only needed to obey,  because God would do the rest. 

Then the Lord asked Moses, “Who makes a person’s mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say.” (‭‭Exodus‬ ‭4:11‭-‬12‬ ‭NLT)‬‬

The story of how God used Moses to rescue the Hebrews is one of the most well-known stories in the bible. It’s truly astounding because it shows us how God can do the extraordinary through an ordinary person. 

God wants to do extraordinary things through you. 

He wants to change lives through you. He wants to heal people through you. He wants to bless people through you. I know it’s hard to believe. I know it’s difficult to understand. But if you will just say yes to God..He will do the rest. 

We can say yes to God because He is faithful. 

“The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it. (‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭55:10‭-‬11‬ ‭NLT) ‬‬

God’s word always produces fruit. So, if He calls you, He will enable you. You don’t have to plan. You don’t have to figure out how to bring the vision of God to pass. All you have to do is listen. All you have to do is follow. All you have to do is say yes. 

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank you for saving me and thank you for giving me purpose. Today, I have been reminded that I don’t have to walk in my own strength, because you are with me. I believe that you will give me the ability to walk in purpose. I believe that you will provide. I believe that you will protect. And I believe that you will enable me to do everything that you have called me to do. So today, I am making the decision to let go of the fear. I am making the decision to say yes to the plan that you have for my life. Thank you in advance for the amazing things that you are about to do in my life. I love you, Father. In Jesus name, amen.