Daily Devotional

Recently, I was playing in a team scavenger hunt game with my wife Alexis. In each round, the host would call for an object that every team was required to produce. The team that was able to present the object the fastest earned a point for that round. There were all kinds of things that the host asked for. One round, it was a picture of the White House. In another round, he asked for a $100 bill. One round he even asked for a wig and sure enough, one team earned a point.

Then one round, he asked for a sock with a hole in it. Just picture, all the teams frantically taking off their shoes and inspecting each other’s socks to see if any of them had holes in them. Desperate for victory, one brave individual yanks his sock off and rips a hole in it, and then runs it up to the host for validation. The host appoints the brave soul's team a point then quietly says, "I only asked for one hole, but you gave me two!" The audience pauses in confusion. The host continues saying, "Yeah your sock already has a hole in it. How else would you put it on?" Many of us understand the importance of hearing the word of God but are we putting an emphasis on actively listening, engaging with, and obeying the word of God?

There are promises from God that require not simply our hearing of His word but our keeping it in our hearts, and obeying what we're called to do. However, we can get caught hearing what we want to hear or not being diligent in our examination of Scripture. As we take time to truly listen to God, we position ourselves to truly hear from Him. When we position ourselves to hear from Him, that is when we can take the appropriate steps of obedience. But sometimes we find ourselves ripping holes in socks because we didn't take the time to truly heed the instruction.

This morning I challenge us to ask ourselves, "What is the next thing that God is calling me to do?" "And how can I begin to take steps of obedience toward that calling?" I believe that God is regularly speaking to us if we intentionally make the time to listen. And in the times that He does nudge us in one direction or the other, it is up to us to respond in obedience. May we be found faithful today over the next step that the Lord is encouraging us to take.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.