Walk in obedience to all that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess.
- Deuteronomy 5:33
For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.
- Deuteronomy 30:16
He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”
- Luke 11:28
“Obedience is easy when you know you are being guided by a God who never makes mistakes.
“Conny and I were in Africa and one day during my Quiet Time I began to feel that God was telling me it was time to leave Africa.
“ ‘Lord, where do You want us to go?’ I asked.
“ ‘Argentina,’ came the answer deep in my heart.
“Argentina? I had never been to Argentina. I could not speak a word of Spanish. In those days air travel was sometimes poor in Africa and to fly across the Atlantic Ocean to Buenos Aires would be a trying ordeal. Yet as I sat before the Lord the word Argentina became even stronger.
“ ‘Yes, but … ,’ I started to answer Him. Then I remembered that obedience never says, ‘Yes, but … Rather it always says, ‘Yes, Lord!’ Some months before a missionary by the name of Breson had written me, asking if I would be willing to speak in his church if I ever came to Argentina. I did not know Breson very well, so I had not thought much about the invitation. Now, however, with God speaking to me so strongly, I sat down and wrote Mr. Breson a letter, asking if he could meet us in Buenos Aires and arrange some meetings for me to speak.
“We waited almost a month, but there was no answer. …”
- Corrie ten Boom, Tramp for the Lord
The promises in Deuteronomy did not apply to Corrie ten Boom. She went from one place to the next. Jesus talked about never having a place to rest His head, and I will get to a chapter where Corrie ten Boom talks about constantly having a new bed, if blessed enough to get a bed.
In this story, she charges ahead, without a response from the missionary, going to Argentina. Breson’s assistant wonders why she showed up because Breson had responded with “Do not come now.” Breson was in the jungle on a mission trip for two months.
Then there was no YMCA hotel where she could have an affordable room.
Finally, she was invited to a hospital to talk to patients one on one. Her reply was that all she wanted to do was to go to a room and cry. She prayed and God revealed that she needed to take a back seat. She was doing things on her strength. She would quit crying and trying, and let God keep going within her. The doctor had a number of polio patients, many in iron lungs. Her message was that God breathes into us the breath of life. Many accepted the Word, but Tante Corrie was dissatisfied.
Then, she saw a man in a rocking bed. The polio had affected him differently. He was a Jew. Tante Corrie was delighted, but he was not. They started the conversation in a rocky manner. But then she noticed his bed linens were embroidered. She showed him the back side, and how all the odd strings went every which way. She showed how the knots were a big mess. There was nothing beautiful about it. Then she turned the embroidery over and told him that he needed to turn his life over and see the beautiful side, but then, he rocked his bed so that he could get closer. He took a pen and paper and scribbled a note, although it was hard to read, and he endured pain in the process. The note read “Thanks God I am already seeing the beautiful side.”
Sometimes, we feel God calling us. Others and even us, ourselves, might second guess. But when it really is God calling, the wonders do not happen until our “Yes, but” becomes “Yes, Lord.” Even then, it must be God in the driver’s seat. We can only see how impossible the situation is. But with God all things are possible.
Lord, strengthen me. Be patient with our occasional “Yes, but.” Sometimes we need an extra dose of the faith that got us to this point. And sometimes that extra dose is required because we have been working under our strength rather than Yours. In Your name I pray. Amen.
Soli Deo Gloria. Only to God be the Glory.
Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley 
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