Don't Delay To Obey - Tuesday Praise & Pray (for others) December 15, 2020

Recently, a movie got me thinking about delay and how it impacts our lives. Many are familiar with the saying "delay does not mean denial" and we share that word to encourage a person waiting on God for something.

However, have we ever considered what our practice of delay costs us? Consider the following:

There's been a burden in your heart to share a testimony. Months go by. You keep it to yourself.

How about you see the same homeless vet standing/sitting near your office everyday. Something tugs at your heart to give him a dollar or buy him a coffee and a donut. Weeks go by and you forget. Then, one day he's no longer there to offer help.

Failing to listen to that Voice that speaks grieves the Holy Spirit. Something we are warned not to do (Ephesians 4:30). Remember, when Jesus died and rose again, He deposited the Holy Spirit in us so we had constant access to God and His Son. As such, we are repeatedly told in the Bible that we have the Spirit of God and we are warned that our bodies are a temple (1 Corinthians 6:19).

The Holy Spirit speaks to everyone differently but I continue to learn that it convicts us. It puts a nagging burden to do something. Oftentimes, that 'something' is unfamiliar and uncomfortable.

Psalm 119:60 tells us - I will hasten and not delay to obey Your commands. So, when we delay to listen to that 'Voice' we disobey God. This is foolhardy and will leave us among the wicked who do not reap the rewards of the righteous. Furthermore, by repeatedly delaying to listen and obey, we step off the path God placed us on. A path that would have led us to blessings and goodies.

After all, we're constantly seeking the face on one matter or the other and imploring Him to not delay (Psalm 70:5). If we expect Him to rush to our aide, shouldn't we emulate Him and be the type of people who hustle to do what He's told us to do?

Let us use Philip, the New Testament disciple, as an example (Acts 8:26-40). He was instructed by an angel to take a journey, then he was told to stay close to a chariot. Turned out, that chariot carried an emissary from the Queen of Ethiopia. That man met Phillip, was baptized in the name of Jesus and his eyes were opened to the true meaning of the scriptures as they'd come to life through Jesus. And as for Philip? The Holy Spirit miraculously transported him elsewhere. At the very least, the spiritual transportation saved him hours (maybe even days) of trekking to his next destination, praise the Lord.

Please join us today in Praise & Pray (for others) as we honor the Lord's instructions to glorify Him and supplicate on behalf of others. It will give us an opportunity to get closer to Him and become more familiar with His Voice and whatever instructions He has for us. That way, we can hear and obey so as to stay on the path of righteousness and receive the spiritual and physical gifts we seek from our Lord.

See you at Noon EST!