The Wall

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“What a dear old wall that is that runs along by the river there! I never pass it without feeling better for the sight of it. Such a mellow, bright, sweet old wall; what a charming picture it would make, with the lichen creeping here, and the moss growing there, a shy young vine peeping over the top at this spot, to see what is going on upon the busy river, and the sober old ivy clustering a little farther down! There are fifty shades and tints and hues in every ten yards of that old wall. . . . It looks so peaceful and so quiet, and it is such a dear old place to ramble round in the early morning before many people are about.” Jerome K. Jerome, “Three Men In A Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog)” Ch. 6 (1889)

Obeying God's Will

God’s will is still a hot-pursuit item; however, I think what most people really mean when they say they are looking for God’s will is they are looking for something easy to do, yet still feel like they are accomplishing something for the Lord. You know, “what can I do to feel spiritual, but not break a sweat or bring any drastic changes to my life?”

Read through the following list and see if you can name the individuals who experienced some of the hard-to-obey commands of God:

  • This man was told to name his son “John.”
  • This man was to anoint someone else as king while Saul still lived.
  • This man was told to enter a Gentile’s home and preach the gospel.
  • This man had to cross the sea . . . on foot.
  • Who was told to leave his father’s house and move to a new land?
  • And what about the guy who had to take a harlot for a wife?
  • Then there was the fellow who was told to preach to his enemy.
  • And the chap who helped a man who killed Christians?
  • What was the name of the man who built a boat on dry land?
  • Who was it that took his wife and infant son to Egypt?

How many of these failed? When we are told “to do” for the Lord, we feel like He is asking us to do the impossible. Consider what these people had to do. Reflect for a moment on how many of these people threw their full trust on God, who promised to accomplish what He has said He would do.

Here are the answers, but not in order (that would'nt be fun)—you get to find that out:

  • Abram (Abraham) in Genesis 12:1
  • Jonah, in Jonah 1:1-3
  • Hosea in Hosea 1:2
  • Moses in Exodus 14:14-16
  • Joseph, in Matthew 2:13
  • Zechariah in Luke 1:13-18
  • Ananias, in Acts 9:10-15
  • Peter, in Acts 10:19-20
  • Noah in Genesis 6:13-14
  • Samuel, in 1 Samuel 16:1-2

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