Digging Deeper: Confident Obedience
READY:
I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.
Genesis 22:17-17 (ESV)
CONFIDENT OBEDIENCE
SET:
I am 110% NOT an athlete. So, eight years ago, when I felt the Lord calling me into full-time ministry as a missionary to coaches and athletes, I was very confused. What in the world did I have to offer this community of people I had no common thread with? It took about three months in fervent prayer for me to fully grasp what the Lord was asking me to do, and even then I was very fuzzy on what answering this call to ministry would look like. The one thing, really the only thing, that was crystal clear was that He had given me a clear path to step my foot on. I had no idea what the next step would look like after I took that first one, but I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt I had to take that first step.
In today’s passage I believe Abraham can relate to that feeling of answering a clear call without fully understanding what comes next. God is clear that he will bless Abraham and even lists out what those blessing will look like, as a direct result of Abraham’s obedience. It would be easy to get lost in the weeds here and think that Abraham’s actions led to a blessing. We know that’s not true because scripture tells us that we cannot earn God’s blessings; they are given to us as gifts, just as parents give gifts to their children. What God is telling Abraham is that these blessings are what he can expect as he steps out into the great unknown of walking where God calls Him. God promised to be with him as he went deep into uncharted waters.
And He does the same for us! When I answered God’s call in 2015 I had no audible assurance from God of the blessings that were waiting for me, but there have been so many over the last eight years that I cannot even begin to count them all! I can honestly say that I have walked my calling as a missionary out in totally blind faith, trusting Jesus for everything I need and the directions on how to get there.
No matter where or what Jesus is calling you to, you can take that first fuzzy step in complete confidence that His blessings will follow as you continue on the path that was planned for you before you drew your first breath!
GO:
- What is God calling you to do that feels unclear or out of your comfort zone?
- How can you take steps in obedience to that calling?
WORKOUT:
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- Joshua 1:7-8
- Psalm 1:1–2
- Matthew 7:11
- John 15:10–14
OVERTIME:
Jesus, thank you for the callings you place on our lives. Thank you for the opportunity to see your loving provision as we respond in obedience to your direction. Sometimes you ask us to do hard and scary things, but we know those are the times we will grow even closer to you as we learn moment by moment to be completely and totally reliant on you for everything. We ask that you would give us confidence and clarity as we answer your call on our lives. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Minda Seagraves has been married to her best friend, Russell, for 17 years and is mom to Carson and Maddie. She is also a full-time missionary with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, serving as a chaplain to local female high school teams and supports 380 staff across four states in the U.S. and 20 countries in East Africa as the Regional Director of Talent Advancement with FCA. Minda and her family live in Acworth and have been attending NorthStar Church since 2020.