I'll Obey

Just got back from a fabulous weekend that if I ever find a spare minute I will take the time to update/ include pictures of the fun festivities.  Nevertheless it is back to reality with a day of clinic treatment, audiology hours, a project of transcribing the speech and language samples of a largely unintelligible one year old, realizing I have to take the time to cook because there is nothing readily available to eat in my apartment, and studying for an exam that I really should have taken more time to study for... Ah life!  And I am not complaining... in fact here I am wasting time blogging.  But I had to because while there are 30 million other things in my life that need attention and another million things in my head that would probably be more interesting to blog about, I have to say the words that I must share (today and always) are about obedience.  I took a little time to play some guitar when (I really want to talk to my friends on the phone or watch a movie or read) really should have no study break time and should just be doing my work, but I did.  I am in my kitchen remembering that tomorrow is the reminder of the last supper and Jesus' arrest, Friday is the day our Lord was crucified, and Sunday will be the celebration of His resurrection.  I don't know that I have been overly focused on this joy of the Gospel as of late.  While learning to lean into the power of God to get me through the day, sometimes it's easier to forget our ultimate joy.   Anyway I'm getting onto a tangent now.  The point being I went from playing some great worship songs to playing some of my old stuff that I wrote awhile back, I almost couldn't remember how to play it at first.  I had written a song based on Jonah's prayer in chapter 2 of the Book of Jonah.  This song has applied to my life over and over again but never so much as this season of graduate school.  The line in my bridge is not profound, but today I sang it not as a song or a statement but as a prayer.  These words came out of my heart praying that obedience be something true in my life, not just words in a jumble of song lyrics.  It may be hard to visualize typewritten out, but ultimately there are supposed to be two people singing simultaneously for this bridge part the person on top and the person in parenthesis:

"I'll obey, I'll obey, I'm overwhelmed but I'll obey.

(Salvation comes, Salvation comes, Salvation comes from the Lord)."

"If you love me, you will obey my commands."  What is the best way to show God we love Him, that we are thankful for the salvation we could never attain and the righteousness that we can never reach by our own hands?  By obeying Him and love His word and His law.  Psalm 119 shows people saying how they love the statutes and precepts of the Lord.  Do we love this?  Do we truly love it and adore it?  Do we desire to obey it?  My life is quite overwhelmed, maybe not as much as other people, but it's about what I can handle right now.  But may the Lord continue to push my limits and overwhelm me even more if it means giving me more opportunities to surrender and understand the love of His salvation more.  Nothing I can do ever do will earn my salvation, but I can respond to the gift of salvation He has given and that is what I pray today.  

Lord, come what may, I will obey. (Scary words, but I'd rather have a life that takes me beyond borders of happiness and comfort, to greater joy and fulfillment in Christ).

Amen.