Act On It

He said to them in reply, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it.” Luke 8:21

It is easy to say we will read scripture and obey when times are good. How about when times are rough? Will we continue to praise the Lord and magnify His name as the Word commands in Psalm 34:2-3 and in many other verses? 

One of my favorite songs is “Blessings” written and sung by Laura Story. Here are the lyrics:

“We pray for blessings

We pray for peace

Comfort for family, protection while we sleep

We pray for healing, for prosperity

We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering

All the while, You hear each spoken need

Yet love is way too much to give us lesser things

'Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops

What if Your healing comes through tears

What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near?

What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise?

We pray for wisdom

Your voice to hear

We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near

We doubt your goodness, we doubt your love

As if every promise from Your Word is not enough

All the while, You hear each desperate plea

And long that we'd have faith to believe

When friends betray us

When darkness seems to win

We know that pain reminds this heart

That this is not our home

What if my greatest disappointments

Or the aching of this life

Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy? 

What if trials of this life

The rain, the storms, the hardest nights

Are your mercies in disguise?”

https://youtu.be/XQan9L3yXjc?si=2D1zYrn3IjVVUd1j

The words come from the deepest pains of her heart. Her husband, athlete Martin Ellington, was diagnosed with a brain tumor just two years after they got married. After his operation, the surgeon said they would just have to wait and see if he could remember her, there were no guarantees he would even be alive! When Martin woke up after the complicated procedure, and saw her, he said, “You’re Laura Story! What are you doing here?” It was good he recognized who she was and when she told him she was his wife, he had the best possible reaction. 

After several years, Martin’s disabilities did not improve, and they also had the challenge of infertility, and a son’s birth defect to deal with. Laura had to come to terms with not being in control of her life, and this realization led her to write her book, bible study and CD, “I Give Up: The Secret Joy of a Surrendered Life”. In it she shares how she found blessing in surrendering her life to God. 

Laura says, “When we surrender, we invite God into our story as our King, and we take our rightful place in His story as beloved children and heirs. That kind of surrender is the real secret to joy, joy that is never threatened by circumstances that change day to day. It leads to a life that is adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike, ‘What’s next, Papa???’ (Rom. 8:15?17 The Message).”

Father, I invite You into my life as my highest joy. You know me and my foibles better than I know myself. With expectant faith, may I hear Your Word and act on it, knowing You always have the best plan for me!