Topic: Obedience Will Open Doors You Never Thought Possible – Daily Devotional by Proverbs 31 Ministries 7 July 2021

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Obedience Will Open Doors You Never Thought Possible

“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” James 1:22 (ESV)

“I feel like God is telling me to take a huge leap of faith, and although it seems really uncertain right now … I think we should do it.”

These words were scary coming from my mouth as I sat in our living room with my husband. I was 35 weeks pregnant with our firstborn, talking about leaving my well-paying job to jump into the dream of building a business with the mission to create more conversations about Jesus.

My husband was on a teaching salary, which didn’t quite cover all of our expenses each month. But he grabbed my hand, smiled at me and said, “Let’s do it.” As we prayed together, the Holy Spirit made it so clear that this was the path that He had for us. How would we make it financially? We weren’t sure. The only things we were certain about were that God was leading us and that we would listen.

God calls each of us to do big and sometimes scary things. Taking that first step of obedience might look like:

• Moving to a new place God is calling you to.
• Speaking up in a situation the Holy Spirit placed on your heart.
• Starting your own small group to lead others to Jesus.

Our key verse, James 1:22, is at the beginning of a passage about being people of action and not just listeners:

“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing” (James 1:22-25, ESV).

The Greek translation of “do” in this passage is “poieo,” which means to “do well.” So don’t just sit idly by and listen to His Word — do what it says and do it well. Don’t just listen to the sermon, walk out the door and forget. Be encouraged — go out into the world and do the hard things!

Hold close your relationship with Jesus and walk with Him through your day. The more you do this, the easier it will be to hear what He wants you to go out and do. We are each given a job while we are here on this earth, and if we don’t listen closely to what God is speaking to us, we just might miss it.

Most of the time, it’s going to be outside of your comfort zone. I remember being so scared the first time I felt the nudge to go pray over a stranger. Who? Me? I’m not good with words and have never felt “qualified” for things like that, but I had been in a habit of saying “yes” and couldn’t stop now. The result? The Holy Spirit took over and I have a memory I will never forget.

The journey of obedience hasn’t been easy, and I am far from perfect, but I wouldn’t trade any of it for the world. Each nudge has made me bolder. Each “yes” has changed lives. Following Jesus doesn’t result in life being easy and prosperous; Jesus tells us this in John 16:33. But I can tell you that, with each step of obedience you take, doors will open, and amazing things will happen.

So what does it look like for me now after doing the scary thing?

I’ve been stepping out in faith and listening so closely for His whispers, and amazing things have happened. Through the business my husband and I launched, we are creating conversations about Jesus all over the world — across the United States and 25 other countries. And it’s no longer just me; five incredible women have joined us in keeping our mission moving. I still have to surrender financial worries daily, but there is so much freedom in surrendering everything to Him. He has always taken care of us as we have followed His lead.

God is always nudging us to do uncomfortable things. Always whispering plans in our ears. And we listen because we know He has a reason behind every little thing even if we can’t see it yet.

When you feel that nudge on your heart to do something uncomfortable, or maybe even a little crazy, will you act on it? Will you let down your guard, step out and do the scary thing? I can tell you right now, there isn’t anything too big or too scary for our God. He’s writing your story … just let Him take the lead.Heavenly Father, thank You for the opportunity to hear from You and for encouraging me toward the beautiful life You have for me. Please give me boldness to pursue the things You’ve placed on my heart, and comfort me when they feel like too much for me. I know that, with You, anything is possible. Help me be a doer of Your Word and not just a hearer. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

FOR DEEPER STUDY

John 16:33, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (ESV)

What’s one thing that God has been pushing you to do that seems too big or uncomfortable for you? What steps are you planning on taking to begin the habit of saying “yes” in obedience?