Page 22 - RiseUpWarrior

21 Chapter 9 choose to give up something for God, you are going to shouldn’t also sacrifce from time to time. When you have pain as you go without it. That is what sacrifce is! are frst obeying God, you then have the freedom to sac- Going without something for someone else! rifce above and beyond the normal for Him when the opportunity arises. Later in life I gave up sugar for a while and of course that hurt, and then my whopper sacrifce; caffeine. Now What can you expect when you choose to sacrifce that one hurts worse! There is no miracle pill for a caf- something for God? Pain. All year long it hurt to earn feine headache. money and send it all to Christ for the Nations. But in exchange for that pain, I put a roof on a church in India. “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacri- fces In the end, I think it was a good lesson. I learned that it as much as in obeying the LORD? is good to sacrifce, but that God is not a vending ma- To obey is better than sacrifce, chine. You might want to count the cost of the sacrifce and to heed is better than the fat of rams.” before you make it. 1 Samuel 15:22 God does like obedience frst over sacrifce, and this verse makes that clear. But, that doesn’t mean that we 9 Recognizing God’s voice It is very important that we learn to recognize the voice When I was a senior in high school, I decided to offer of God speaking directly to us personally. This is a very to God as a sacrifce, all the dances for the year, and not important step in everyone’s faith journey, and without attend any of the social activities. What no one knew it, you cannot climb the ladder to a higher rank. is that in my heart, I thought it would cost me nothing because I had not been invited to any of the social ac- “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me” tivities the year before. John 10:14 But of course, God was working on my training, so this year would be different. I ended up being the president God will constantly be talking to us, and we must learn to separate the difference between HIS voice, our own of the drama club that year, and we were in charge of selfsh desires, and the voice of the enemy. the frst dance. I was responsible for it. Then a friend invited me, just for fun. There I was facing real tempta- And verse 27 says, tion to not honor what I had promised to God. I thought “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they of a million ways to cheat. Maybe just go to make sure follow me.” the decorations are secure, after all, it was my responsi- bility. I asked my parents, and they reminded me of my I remember one of the earliest times I heard God’s voice. commitment to God and the fact that I had made Him a It wasn’t audible, it was in my heart, but it was so loud promise. Basically, if I had said nothing at all, I would and clear, I knew it was Him. have been able to go. But my big mouth made a promise to God, and I was stuck. I managed to not go, but barely