"It's All About Yes"

"Let their eyes be darkened, that they see not; and make their loins continually to shake." (Psalms 69:23) So, you might have wondered, as did I, why God led me to that closing Scripture? It was a pretty restless night last night; between some pretty strange dreams and the song stuck in my head, my sleep was very much interrupted. Our lives are packed full of choices, and if we are living a life that is filled with the Spirit, then the answer to every choice that might be in front of us, is "Yes!" "Yes Lord, I will obey!" I heard something the other day that I had not ever heard before, which was about Paul's first public miracle; it was recorded in Acts 13:9-11, as Paul told Elymas the sorcerer that he would be blind for a season, and it immediately happened that he became blind, and he had go about seeking someone to lead him by the hand. It might not seem as though that was such a big deal, if it was not for the fact that Paul himself had to be blinded also; for three days he was blinded after meeting Jesus on the road to Damascus; and he too had to be led off by the hands of others. I hate to admit this, but I seldom have a day that is fully dependent upon the Holy Spirit to lead me in whatever and wherever I go; my days are pretty much planned out way in advance, and any free time that I get, well let's just say, I don't often say, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" I realized that last night in my turning, as every dream that I had was filled with people questioning my every move. Why did you do that? Where are you going? Where have you been? If we are living by being led by the Spirit, then those questions do not really matter, not even if they are questions within our own minds. We never really know everything that God is doing through us or around us; nor do we really know what is ahead or what is behind. It is very much like being blind and having someone to lead you by hand: when they say turn or stop, you never say "no," not if you actually trust the person that is guiding you. This side of Heaven is all about choices; but once we get there, it's all about praising God! Several times over this last week I have heard the same thing being said by several different people, "Find God's will, not His will for my life." It is really not about me, it's all about pleasing Him and finding His will, even if it involves giving up my life...
"Then, calling the crowd to join His disciples, He said, "If any of you wants to be My follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow Me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for My sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? If anyone is ashamed of Me and My message in these adulterous and sinful days, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when He returns in the glory of His Father with the holy angels." (Mark 8:34-38)