Daily Huddle - Thurs Jan 21, 2021 The Thing You Didn't Do

Love you all, praying for you,
 
When was the last time you thanked God for that thing you didn’t do?  Do you have any recent examples?  The Holy Spirit will always prompt you.  God promised He would send the Holy Spirit to lead you in all truth, and to tell you things to come.  It’s the Holy Spirit that leads you in the way God has chosen for you.  That includes things to do and things not to do, or not to do yet…  One of the first ways He does that is that still small voice that prevents you from saying that thing that you were about to say.  You thought it and you want to, so you say it.  But as you grow in the Spirit – you are getting better at hearing what the Holy Spirit is saying to you right now, in this moment, and doing it or not doing it depending on what He says.  Have you thanked him recently for that thing you didn’t do?  Because He said, “Wait, it’s not time for that yet?”  Maybe in a conversation with someone, it’s just time to listen, not time to share that thing they’re missing that’s so obvious, but it’s not time yet, because they are not ready yet.  God will tell you – by the Holy Spirit.  Some people don’t heed, they keep going.  And without obeying that still small voice of the Holy Spirit – you walk into something He was trying to give you a heads up on, or you miss out on something that’s a timely word or act that will bring blessing, impact, like that timely word, like apples of gold in settings of silver.  Whatever you feed grows – flesh or spirit.  So every time you obey that prompting of the Holy Spirit – the louder that still small voice becomes.  Sometimes it’s a door that He’s trying to close for you.  Stop!  Don’t even continue that thought, don’t go down that thought path, or have that ‘internal conversation with yourself’ – it’s not faith, it’s doubt.  And without faith it’s impossible to please Him.  Even that small thing – that you didn’t do,  that’s worth thanking God for!  It’s how He is growing you, and maturing you.  He’s teaching you to heed, so you can be directed by Him – into the good that He has for you.  Sometimes it’s a bigger decision.  Maybe even something that God has for you – but the time is not yet.   Acts 16:6 – Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the Word in the province of Asia.”  This is something God said, “Don’t do,” and they didn’t.  How did they know?  Was it like Balaam – whose donkey crushed his foot against a wall because an angel with a drawn sword was standing in the path to destroy him, and he just couldn’t see it because he was so operating in his fleshly desires and wants, that he missed what was happening in the spiritual world around Him?  No, the Bible doesn’t say that… Paul knew just like you and me know… The Holy Spirit prevented him.  He spoke in Paul’s spirit – and it came across his mind.  And Paul had a choice to obey or press forward anyway…  But Paul was an apostle, he was doing what he was called to do – his life’s purpose – go to new areas to preach the good news of Jesus, and plant churches that would reach the entire region with the hope of eternal life…  True, but that’s not what God wanted him to do right now – it wasn’t time yet, God’s fullness of time.  Rather than keep going, He obeyed that prompting of the Holy Spirit in the moment, and changed course immediately.  It became the thing that He didn’t do.  One of the most important skills to develop in the Kingdom of God – quick obedience.  Your effectiveness depends on it.  It comes down to faith – without which, it’s not possible to please God.  Faith that the still small voice is really God, and that this command to go, or stay, or say or refrain – is really what He said…  Faith always grows by action – doing immediately what He prompted you, or immediately not doing… because He told you not to, and choosing to do what He told you - instead.  Whether thinking, speaking, praising, going, staying – The Holy Spirit will direct you and guide you – if you listen and respond in faith.  It’s that instant in obedience that confirms His voice.  My wife shared something with me a few days ago. The number seventeen, and it’s meaning and significance in the spirit… Because the date was the seventeenth and God prompted her to look it up.  But in that moment the Holy Spirit also prompted her – ‘don’t look ahead at the number 18.’  So she didn’t – she told me what He said, and I said, “You better not.”  That’s the instant – that moment of truth - where you decide to obey – or not.  Did God really say that? Was that really Him, or not?  Was it Him speaking or just my imagination – (let me look up and see what 18 says – to see if that was really Him – I’m just curious…) Be careful…  Do you see how easy it is to doubt and do what God says – “It’s not time for yet?” and end up doing it anyway.  Is it really that important?  Absolutely.  How can you go where God leads, if you don’t stay when God says stay?  And how will you ever do the big things, if you don’t first prove faithful in the little?  Those who don’t understand the things of the Spirit of God, who haven’t been filled with the Holy Spirit – would think that is silly or crazy.  But when you have walked with Him, and learned to hear His voice – you just know it’s Him, you get better with practice.  Don’t do it – if He said wait.  Trust Him.  But what if that wasn’t really Him?  That’s not your business.  Anything thing He tells you will take faith… Just do what He said, that’s the faith that pleases Him.  He will reveal the why… soon enough.  Just do what He leads in this moment, and you will grow in your ability to hear Him again.  You will get the blessing of obeying - whether a blessing added, or the blessing of a pitfall avoided.  That’s His business – your business is to just obey what you hear, and trust what He says.  Can you remember when you were completely unaware of these things?  What a landlocked, gravity-bound life that was!  How boring.  Praise God He leads you even in the little things!  Those are what prepares you for the big things.  Praying that you will get really good at quick obedience, instant in obedience in what God tells you by His Holy Spirit leading you.  That you would remember even those little things you didn’t do…and thank God for them.  You don’t need to understand them all, but obedience will always grow you – and it will always start with the little, and prepare you for the big.  How do you get better at this?  PiVAT before dinner is the best place to start -  Get God’s plan for you for tomorrow – you really need it anyway!  Know the times He has assigned, just do it, on time, don’t miss – it’s Holy Spirit listening and obeying practice.  It means the difference between the miracles of God, or the plans you can come up with – not even close!  PRISM – your time in His Word – those five things you can do – will only reinforce your ability to hear with the ears of your spirit, and see with your spiritual eyes – not your natural ones which can’t see the real, only what appears real.  Praying that you will be instant in obedience today, that you will remember to thank and praise Him for the things you didn’t do – because He said, “Not time for this right now,” and the things you did because He said, “Now’s the time!” Because you are getting better at doing today – what He said at this time, in this hour, with joy and faith and the praise that draws Him.  Praying that your day would be a supernatural day, because you are walking in the Spirit, not your understanding.  It removes the limits, raises the ceiling, and opens the door to the impossible things – that He wants to do in you!  Praying that you have that kind of day today, so you can live that kind of life.  His life in you!  It’s so much better!
 
Love you all,
dad