Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand. -Psalm 37:24
Have you ever made a mistake? I’ve made plenty of them. But nothing bothers me more than when I make a mistake with God. When I’m pretty sure I’m hearing what He is telling me to do, but I do the opposite instead. I basically flat out disobey Him.
When we obey God, it is freeing Him to be able to continue working on our behalf. He is able to cultivate our life in a way so that the circumstances will be just perfect for bringing our promise to fulfillment. We will be in His perfect will and able to receive the FULL blessing.
When we disobey God, we hinder Him in being able to work in our lives the way He intended to. It’s like a child who asks for a glass of milk. You might say yes, but please wait a moment. Instead, the child decides he wants the milk right NOW, takes matters into his own hands, and ends up spilling the milk. Now the child has to wait longer for his glass of milk because there is a big mess to clean up.
And so it is with God. When we want something, we usually don’t like to wait for it. We want it NOW. God says to trust Him and wait for His perfect timing. But if we think it’s taking too long, we take matters into our own hands and usually end up making a big mess of things. Then God has to clean up our mess before He can get back to what He was doing. And we have to wait longer for our promise.
So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. -Romans 8:1
Don’t think that God is mad at you for disobeying. You made a mistake and He might be sad that you have to wait longer, but He still loves you. He still wants to give you the desires of your heart. And He will. Just trust that He will guide you back to the path that He originally intended for you.
…forget the past and look forward to what lies ahead. -Philippians 3:13
Don’t dwell on your mistake. Don’t keep thinking about what could have been if you just would have obeyed God. Instead, focus on what you can do now to get back on the path. Focus on obeying God from here on out.
How do I get back on the path?
Now maybe you’re asking, ‘How do I do that? I’m not even sure I’m hearing God.’ Here is a 10-day devotional by Rick Warren. In this series, Pastor Rick helps you understand the barriers that keep you from hearing from God and the changes you need to make in your life so that you can know and do his will.
And here is a reading plan on obedience.
Was there a time when you knew you disobeyed God? How did you find your way back on the path?