Are you listening to the instructions of God?

Nicodemus was a Pharisee, a high ranked leader who had authority among the Jewish people.  Nicodemus came to Jesus and told Jesus that he knew that Jesus was from God because no one would be able to perform the works and miracles that Jesus had performed unless they were of God.   It took Nicodemus some time before he accepted that Jesus was who he stated to be and it took Nicodemus to see the manifestation of God in Jesus to come to this change of mind. 

There is a level of Nicodemus in every new believer.  To every new believer there is given a measure of Faith ,and to grow your Faith, you have to yourself see changes in your life from God to increase your measure.

When we are given a task, whether it be as a new believer in Christ, or an experienced believer, we are all given tasks to be completed.  When God comes to you, and asks you to do something, he is asking you to do it for him and through him.   He is giving you this opportunity to grow your Faith in him.

God is all knowing, and more than capable of completing the task he gives you, but he uses us his Faithful people, to work through so our Faith and Trust in him grows.  When we look at the task at hand we can very easily become overwhelmed at what we are being asked to do.

You might be asked to start tithing into the kingdom of God, and for you that might be a very big task, and might bring fear and trembling, at the thought of parting with your hard earned money.  We think why does God need my money, why can’t he ask someone else to do this, how is me giving my money going to help me?  

When we give, we are not giving to get something, we are giving to be Faithful to the leading of God.  God doesn’t need your money; he needs to see if you obey him.   The Bible says that if you obey him in the lest of these he can trust you to obey him with larger things.   Meaning if God asks you to do something small and you do it he can then trust you with bigger tasks, because you have proven yourself to be Faithful to his commands. 

There are times when I will walk past a piece of trash lying on the floor, and I will get a nudge in my spirit that I need to pick up that piece of trash and throw it away.  If I walk past the trash and ignore what I was just told I am not obeying God’s commands, and that means I cannot be trusted with something bigger that God wants me to do.   Now, on the other hand, if I walk past the trash turn around and pick it up, and throw it out, as he has instructed me to do, then God will be pleased with me and know that he can now ask me to do bigger things for him, because I obeyed his commands. 

This is how it started for me, it might not be the same for you, but the idea is the same.  God will tell me to let a car pull out in front of me, even though I was in a hurry.  The more I heeded to the instructions of God the bigger my instructions will get.  

I work in marketing and there are times we will receive tickets or vouchers for amusement parks to give to our clients.  I was carrying around four tickets to Hershey park and had asked one of my clients if they wanted the tickets and they told me no.   I began to wonder what am I going to do with these tickets and one day at church I saw this family who had small children.  I was very taken with one of the younger boys, who smiled and waved at me throughout the entire church service. 

After our praise and worship was over I sat down to give my offering and in my spirit I knew I was to give this family these four tickets.  I instantly became nervous wondering how I am ever going to give these tickets to complete strangers.  How would I ever get the nerve to do such a thing?  I am not the kind of person who walks up to complete strangers and says, here I believe God has told me to give these tickets to you.   I didn’t share this information with anyone and never gave them the tickets.

When we left church I felt such a conviction in my spirit that I didn’t do what God was telling me to do, and I felt this way for many days.   I felt bad because I didn’t fulfill what God was asking me to do.   I prayed for many days for God to give me the courage to give these tickets to the family.

For the next couple weeks at church I would look for the family and never see them, and I started to think I missed my chance to bless a family with these tickets.  Still keeping this to myself I continued to pray for God to give me courage. 

After a couple weeks had gone by, I finally saw the family in Church and they were sitting right behind me with the same sweet little boy.  I prayed and asked God to give me the courage and words to give these tickets to them.  Finally right before we were to stand for praise and worship I pulled the tickets out of my bag, turned around to the family and said, hi, I believe that God has told me to give you these tickets for Hershey Park for your family.

I had a million butterflies in my stomach and was shaking because I was so nervous to be stepping out like this.  They looked at me and graciously received the tickets and thanked me for them and I turned around so relieved, that I had finally completed the task that God had called me to do. 

 A couple weeks later, I saw the family again and they handed me a bag and said we went to Hershey Park, and we had a wonderful time, and we wanted to give you something to thank you.  Inside was a giant Hershey’s Kiss and a thank you card with all their signatures on it.  I still get tears in my eyes when I think about that moment.  

What I didn’t know is that this family has many adopted children, and I am sure buying tickets for a family so large would be a great expense.  It filled my heart to know that God knew who I should give this gift too, and that because he gave me the ability and courage to step out in Faith through him, I was able to bless a family. 

Now, I don’t say this to get any praise, as a matter fact there are only two people who know this story at all.  I am telling you this to show you that when God asks you to do something he will give you the ability to complete the task he has asked you to do.

What I did was I looked at my own flesh.  I looked at myself and was consumed with fear and lack of courage, but when I went to God and prayed and asked him to strengthen me, he was able to work through me to bless someone else. 

This all started with me tithing, and when I stepped out in Faith, and gave my tithes to the places I was being taught my Faith and Trust in God grew. 

When I picked up the random pieces of trash I would be instructed to pick up, let the car pull out in front of me, or hold the door open for the person behind me, I was actually serving God and increasing my Faith at the same time. 

As I started to become Faithful in the little things God has increased me and has started asking me to do bigger things for the kingdom of God.  I still have to pray for courage and for God’s strength to complete the tasks I’ve been given, but because I have a foundation of the little tasks I know I can complete the bigger ones he is now asking me to do. 

So just like Nicodemus saw Jesus perform signs and miracles to prove that he was in fact the Son of God, I too can show that I am a child of God’s through the acts I have been asked to complete. 

We never know when someone needs the prayer we have been asked to pray for them, or the smile we share with the person who’s heart has just been broken, we never know how that will impact their day or their walk with God. 

Next time God tells you to put the item back on the shelf where it belongs, instead of the aisle you are standing in, or he instructs you to do something kind for a complete stranger, know that all of these things are for your benefit.  All of these things happen so you can learn to have Faith in God and his ability to work in and through your life.  

Be like Nicodemus and recognize the signs and miracles that are happening around you and know that they are coming to you from God, to enrich your life and bring you closer in your Faith and Trust in him.