Topic: Practice Makes Perfect [Joyce Meyer Devotional 25 September 2020]
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…You have given me the capacity to hear and obey….— Psalm 40:6 (AMPC)
Once we begin to get closer to God and start listening to His voice more, it’s important to obey whatever we hear Him say. When He asks us to do something and we’re obedient, our faith is strengthened, and the quality and closeness of our relationship with Him grow. We might say “practice makes perfect” when it comes to hearing and obeying Him, because the more experience we gain, the more confident and consistent we become.
It takes a lot of practice to reach a place of complete submission to God’s leading. Even knowing that God’s ways are perfect and that His plans always work, we still struggle sometimes when He asks us to do something that requires personal sacrifice, or many times we might even be afraid that we’re not hearing clearly and become too cautious to take action.
I want to encourage you not to be afraid of sacrifice, or of making a mistake. There are many things in life that are worse than being wrong. I firmly believe that when we’ve done our best to hear from God, then we must “step out and find out” if we’re truly hearing His voice or not. Shrinking back in fear will never allow us to make progress or help us obey God, but boldly continuing to step out in faith puts us in a position to grow.
Jesus said, “Follow Me.” He did not say, “You take the lead, and I’ll follow you.” I have learned that we may as well do whatever God says quickly, because if we don’t, I can guarantee that we’ll be miserable until we follow His instructions.
When our kids are learning how to walk, we don’t get angry when they fall down. We realize they’re learning, and we take time to work with them. In the same way, God is extraordinarily patient with us. Even when we slip up, He’s always ready to help us get back on track, so we can just focus on pursuing Jesus and trust Him to catch us when we fall.
Prayer Starter: Father, thank You for helping me grow and get better at hearing and obeying Your voice. Please give me the grace I need to take the steps You’re leading me to take today. In Jesus’ Name, amen.