Fully Committed

With the start of a new year and everyone or almost everyone doing it, it almost feels out of place if in real world you don't make a new resolution or in blog world you don't have a theme or verse for your blog. However, even as I felt the leading of the Holy Spirit to have some verses for a theme this year, I am also being compelled to really look at what I have chosen.

The verses that I used in my previous post have been beckoning me ever since I read and posted them. I have been reading them over and over and over again and I found out why. God is calling me to carefully observe His decrees and laws with all my heart and with all my soul.

As I meditate on these verses I see that it will not be enough to just have these nice sounding verses on my blog nor will it be enough to memorize them. In order for God to set me in praise, fame and honor, I have to fully commit to keeping His laws.

I have had awesome times in the last year reading, studying and meditating on the word. I have had days on end when I would wake up very early to have time with the Lord and didn't even want to stop to get ready for work. All day long I would be swamped with the word, either reading or listening to it.
I just couldn't get enough. All my conversations would be about what I felt the Lord was saying as I read, listened or meditated on the word. I bought so many journals and couldn't stop writing all that was bubbling up in my spirit.

But......I have also had many times when I would wake up with just enough time to get ready and off to work. No time for devotions. Too busy sometimes to get in any praise during the day and sometimes, many times, just didn't feel like it. Then there came those many nights when I just felt like watching television even though I knew He was there waiting for some quiet time with me.

I was not fully committed. I wasn't carefully observing His laws and decrees with all my heart and all my soul. Some of my heart was in it sometimes and some of my soul was in it sometimes. I didn't put aside my feelings.

Often I ignored the cry of my heart.

Over and over again His word calls for us to be fully committed and to carefully obey His laws.

1 Kings 8:61 "And may your hearts be fully committed to the Lord our God, to live by His decrees and obey His commands, as at this time."

2 Chron. 16:9 "For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him."

Psalm 119:4 "You have laid down precepts that are to to be fully obeyed."

1 Cor. 15:58 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain."

Exodus 23:13 "Be careful to do everything I have said to you."

Deut 6:3 "Hear Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you."

Joshua 23:6 "Be very strong; be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, without turning aside to the right or to the left."

Joshua 23:11 "So be very careful to love the Lord your God."

The good success that I want will elude me if I don't fully commit to the Lord. The peace that I so crave will slip away if I am not careful to do everything He commands me to.

God seeks my whole committed heart not my sometimes on fire heart.
He patiently waits for me to come into His presence and stay there for a while, not rush in and out with five minutes of hot praise.
He so longs for me to seek His face and not His hand.

To carefully follow and love the Lord, I have learned that I must be deliberate and intentional. My feelings must take a back seat to His commands. My plans must be set aside for His purposes.

 I desire to commit more to writing what I know He has called me to write, and I desire to minister to young women in the way He impressed on my heart. I absolutely know He has called me to teach His word and that's why I am in bible school right now. I desire to build this ministry "Seek First Kingdom  Ministry" that He birthed in my heart when I wasn't even thinking about it. I desire to do great things for God, but I am putting all that aside first and foremost to desire what He most desires and that's for me to love Him with all my heart, with all my soul and with all my mind.

Everything else will follow.

This is a new year friend, what is it that you desire?

Lord, you see my heart. You've searched me and you know me. Help me to follow through on my commitment to you. Thank you for your unconditional love and Your ever present help. I need you Lord. I need You to help me need You even more. Help me to translate my love for you into obedience no matter what I face. Thank you Holy Spirit for stirring my heart and for not giving up on me even though my heart has looked away from you many times. Thank You Jesus, thank You Jesus, thank You Jesus.

I love you Lord
Vickie


P.S Just wanted to add a praise note to say God provided a new computer over the weekend. I can't thank Him enough for His faithfulness and for all that I have learnt over the last 10 months as I waited on Him.