The Lord delights when we tell Him that we love him, but Jesus made it clear that if our words of love are authentic, we will live out that love by obeying His commands. The word obey in Greek is Hupakoe (Hoop -ak-oh-ay) Hupo means under. Akouo means to hear. So if I want to show love to Jesus by obeying Him, I need to "hear under". This helps me understand how to live out my life of obedience.

God covers me - God calls down to me from the covering - He bends and whispers words of affirmation, direction and instruction. I "hear under" His love, His protection and His authority. I may live and move freely under His covering, but I may choose to step away from the covering into the darkness...there I am no longer "under" God. There is NO gray area - I am either in the light, "hearing under"obeying God - or in the darkness of  disobedience. In a state of submission I listen for what God is asking of me. I say yes. I obey.

You can choose to "hear under" His mighty presence - if there is a place where you need to step back under His covering, do it now! Let Him cover you.

"He who has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me; and he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him, and reveal myself to him." - John 14:21

True worship leads to obedience. I bow my life in worship. As I walk in worship, every word I speak is an act of worship, every task I perform is an act of worship, each time I bow to God's timeline I worship Him. Each time I worship in pain I honor my father. As I do these things, I begin to look at my life differently. My life takes on a higher purpose because I see each action as an opportunity to bring glory to God. My life becomes a beautiful thing because my every action is an act of worship.

Isaiah 51:16 says: "For I have put my words in your mouth and covered you with the shadow of my hand."

God gives us everything that we need to serve him. He gives us words of truth to speak and protects us with the mighty shadow of his very own hand. As I prepare to go for Him to Malawi I am comforted by these things. I am inspired to make every part of my life a living sacrifice of worship to my King. Jesus bought me at a price, and now it is my honor to have Him spend my life any way that He sees fit. My job is to bow my life to Him in love and obedience...to glorify his name...to worship Him in everything that comes my way. My job is to show my love through the way that I live my life, free of any entitlement, for I am His bond slave for eternity, and I have chosen to stay with Him always.

At our mission meeting on Sunday our team leader Ryan asked us to "consider our sense of entitlement"...to "ask God to strip us of every entitlement we thought that we had". He had to say this, because the typical American cannot help but feel entitled...we live in a culture steeped with luxury and narcissism. Even disciplined Christians have to battle the fallenness of their flesh and appreciate the fact that EVERYTHING we have is GIVEN to us by God's hand. We get what He in His wisdom decides to give us. We are owed nothing. We deserve nothing. Every day we need to start with an attitude of praise and thanksgiving and in obedience worship the Lord.

As I prepare to travel to a third world country where the culture will be so different and poverty will be the norm I am comforted that what I have to share with them, the truth of Jesus Christ, is the most valuable treasure that I could ever give them. My treasure is in heaven. My life belongs to Jesus...that is all that I need to take with me anywhere that I go. Whether I am at the food store or on Africa, I have a priceless treasure to share. And I share it wherever I go.