Just Listen and Obey

I don’t consider myself a normal person. I don’t think or act like most normal people. That’s probably why the Lord doesn’t talk to me like a normal person. He uses all kinds of strange and funny ways to get my attention.

For example, one Sunday morning during church when I was playing the piano, I happened to notice the reflection of my hands in the black, shiny surface. I have been playing for years, but in the natural, I’m not quite sure how I do it. Once a music major told me that it seems what I hear bypasses my brain and goes straight to my fingers. It does! What I know has been taught to me by the Holy Spirit. One thing I AM sure of: I know that I can’t do it without Him.

That particular Sunday, I played something I had not played before and caught it happening in the reflection of the piano. I thought, Wow, Lord. That’s cool! I heard the Lord say, “I could do so much more if you would get out of the way.” Then (in the middle of the worship service) He proceeded to tell me He wanted me to be like the scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz. The Wizard of Oz was one of my favorite movies when I was young, and I liked the scarecrow best.

I thought, the scarecrow? He didn’t have a brain. Then the Lord explained to me that He wanted me to be so dependent on Him I couldn’t do anything on my own. He actually wanted me to listen and obey—not listen, analyze, ask my pastor for confirmation, find three prophets to confirm it or ask my friends if it was OK before acting on it. Just listen and obey.

A short time later, I began receiving jewelry and decorative items from different people with a Noah’s Ark motif. Very quickly the items turned into a collection. Knowing that the Lord wanted to teach me something, I read the story of Noah to see if I could discover what He was trying to tell me.

The one thing that stood out to me was that twice during the account, the Word says, “And Noah did ALL that God told him to do.” When told to build a boat, Noah just did it, even though there was no indication that a flood was coming. Reason would ask, “What good is a boat with no water?” Now I do some—even most—but not ALL I’m asked to do. What I realized was that if I would just obey without question I could be used by the Lord so much more than when I have to reason it out.

So many times we feel that what we are sensing is not God or that He must not know what He is talking about because He couldn’t possibly want us to do something that would take us out of our comfort zones. We continually question whether it was the Lord or just our own thoughts.

How many times have you heard something and wished you had acted on it? The Lord is gracious and merciful. He will give you more chances to obey. Why not start now? Maybe He’ll ask you to show love to someone you don’t normally give the time of day. Maybe He’ll want you to sing a particular song to someone. Or, maybe He’ll ask you to build a boat. Whatever it is, don’t question Him—just do it!