So often in life, the Lord gives us a message, a thing to do, a word to say, a place to go, yet we don’t do it.  Why don’t we listen to what the Lord says to us?  So many times we have heard people say that He will send us off somewhere we don’t want to be, or do something we don’t want to do.  Ask yourself, “Has the Lord every deceived me?”  If you can answer yes to that question, are you sure it was the Lord? 

So again I ask, “Why don’t you heed the callings of the Lord?”  In Exodus 1:7 it says “And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied and waxed exceedingly mighty and the land was filled with them.” (KJV)  Yet they were slaves. 

Some of you are running from your past trying to make a new start.  Oh you know what I mean, past failures, past relationships, past hurts, past due bills, don’t act like you don’t know.  You know who I am talking to, stop looking around. 

Some of you have been running since you realized the difference between right and wrong.  He wants you to stop doing what you are doing.  He wants you to truly give your life over to Him.  He wants to bless you so that your life will tell the tale of how good God is and can be. Yet you have on your New Balance 823’s, your sport socks, and your best church outfit with hat to match and you are running.  Why?

When God gives you a thing, it is for your good.  He wants you to live a blessed life, not one that will make you have hardships and pain.  That doesn’t make sense.  Why would God have you suffer needlessly?  Even when he is taking you to new heights and it gets a little hot, He is right there waiting on you to call on Him.

So what happens when God trips you?  Oh let me tell you it is not pretty.  First that thing you wouldn’t give up for God will be taken away.  That man, woman, child, car, house, bank account, clothes, job, whatever it is you were putting ahead of God is outta here.  Oh now you calling on Him right?  You called and left a message like, “Hello God, hi, just checking in to see how things are going, when you get this message, give me a call. Nothing serious.  Just calling to check in.”  Wait it’s not over yet.  You know all those people that you would go to for help when you should have called on God in the first place, gone.  Those wells have dried up.  Oh now you knocking a little harder, calling God and leaving messages like, “Hey God, it’s me, um when you get this message can you call me back I really need to talk to you about something.”

Now that perfect health you had, you starting to feel a little funny and the doctors can’t tell you what it is because they don’t know.  You are taking test after test and yet, you can’t get an answer about why you feel the way you do.  Oh now your call to God has some urgency to it, some desperation in your voice.  “God, this is your meek and humble servant, calling on your name, the name above any name has power.  Lord I am sorry for doubting your word, for believing that I had any hand in where my life was going.  Lord if you never bless me again, what you have done for me has been enough and I can’t thank you enough.  Lord you know my situation…..” beep. Now you are out of time, you hang up and call right back.  You have called on the Lord so much your friends’ see you and go in the opposite direction.

Now let’s look back.  How did this happen?  How did you become so desperate for the Lord?  How did you wind up in the place you said you couldn’t, wouldn’t go? 

When God calls, don’t run, be still and listen to what He wants to do with you, to you and for you.  If you run, believe me, He will get your attention and you don’t want that.

Carla Daniels is a certified NCTI Real Colors facilitator and a Gallup StrengthsQuest Educatior.  Contact her at Carla@hmgconsultants or on the web at www.hmgconsultants.com; on facebook at www.facebook/CarlaRDaniels or on twitter @MsRayn.