I don't usually do back-to-back coffee drinks from the same vendor, but this week, I'll make an exception. Today, I'm drinking a Starbucks Doubleshot® Energy Mocha Drink. A sweet blend of espresso, mocha syrup, B vitamins, guarana, ginseng and natural milk proteins, staying energized and alert never tasted so good! Enjoy!
Last week we talked about a prayer that stopped the sun and how God still desires to make the sun stand still over the life of every believer. We also talked about having shameless audacity and praying bold prayers. It was pretty extraordinary!
But, when you strip the biblical miracles of their spectacular special effects, a key point emerges: Extraordinary moves of God begin with ordinary acts of obedience.
Think about it, when Jesus turned water into wine in John 2, He did so by instructing the men to fill the jars with water, dip some out and take it to the master of ceremonies - an ordinary act of obedience. With the miraculous catch of fish in Luke 5, Jesus instructed the fishermen to go out where it's deeper and let down their nets - an ordinary act of obedience. With the healing of Naaman in 2 Kings 5, Naaman was instructed to go wash himself seven times in the Jordan River - an ordinary act of obedience.
What if any of these people had refused the simple act of obedience?
Consider Moses' encounter with God, through the burning bush in Exodus 3. Moses was tending his father-in-law's sheep out in the countryside - an ordinary act of obedience. He happens to notice a bush on fire and goes over to take a look. Up to this point, this is not exactly a riveting scene, is it?
What we call a miracle is really just the right combination of your ordinary ingredients and God's extraordinary expertise. When God's super collides with your natural, sparks will fly.
Almost all encounters with God begin that way. You may be living under the illusion that when God ignites great things in your life, He'll announce it with a big bang. He might. It's more likely that He won't. So stop waiting around for the big bang. Pay attention to the subtle clues and the still, small voice. Maybe you'll even hear it today!
Parent-Teen Connect
Take turns answering and discussing the following questions with your teens this week. Create meaningful conversation. Adjust questions as needed. Use one or two of these to begin a conversation. Look for teachable moment - at home, in the car, wherever. Pray and ask God to provide you opportunities to have spiritual conversations with your teens.
- What does the word obedience mean to you? Is it just following a command or request, or is there a timeline attached?
- Tell about a time when you chose not to obey. How did you rationalize your disobedience? What were the consequences?
- Tell about a time when you chose an ordinary act of obedience that produced extraordinary results.
- In what areas of your life do you have the most difficulty obeying God?
- What must you give up in order to be obedient to God in all things?
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