"...and He humbled Himself by becoming obedient.."

At the last meeting of The Guard I shared how I often feel as if I am cut off from God because I "don't do enough." Many experience this same sense of lostness as it is a common tactic of our enemy. He is the Accuser, incessitantly charging us with our failures and playing on our weak consciences that our acceptance before God is based on our performance, on our doing. I shared how as I was in this state and trying to pray that I felt the Lord impressed on me Micah 6:8, "What does the Lord require of thee O man, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God." I received grace at that point and understood the simplicity of pleasing our God. It is not our "works" that please Him but our heart that seeks Him.

As I continued to consider this passage over the next few days I began to understand more. While meditating on the passage in Micah which said we should "walk humbly" this came to me; walking humbly means walking in submission and yieldedness to our Lord. This was confirmed as I then remembered the Scripture in Phillipians 2 "Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus... ..and being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself, by becoming obedient unto death, even to death on the cross. "

This issue of obedience is critical in our walk with the Lord. It is a fundemental (foundational) prerequisite if we are to go on and fulfill our destiny; it means we must hear and obey. If we have heard and not obeyed; we must repent. We must go back to that point where we said "No" and say "Yes." If we are in submission and obedient we will eat the good fruit of the land; we will see the power of God come in our midst; we will fulfill our destinies.

Pursue obedience, desire obedience, ask for an obedient heart.

Your brother... Brian

P.S. We need to be sure that what we hear from the Lord is indeed from him and not another. Not everything we hear that we should do is from Him, even though it may sound right and good. For example, when the rich young ruler came to Jesus he was told to go and sell everything and give it to the poor; there is no record of this instruction being given to anyone else, this act was specifically for this man. Another example is at the end of John's Gospel when Peter was being told by Jesus what was expected of him . Peter asked a question wondering what fate awaited John. Jesus answered saying, "If I want him to live until I come, what is that to you? Follow me!" So again, the Lord deals with each of us with personal and specific instructions. Trust that He will lead you and speak to you, He promised that He would.