Sometimes in our busyness, we push good intentions to the side. We say no when we push our quiet time, coffee with a friend, or date night with our spouse to the side. Saying yes to God seems difficult. We believe our plans are better than God’s because…well, they’ve worked this far on our own. Or so we think.
We feel that by creating our own agendas we are ultimately in control of our lives… but, dear friend, we are thankfully not.
There are so many examples in the Bible for how God uses a simple Yes to bring so much joy and hope to the world. Yes to His plans vs my plans, Yes to the impossible vs the possible, Yes to the unexpected vs the “try to make my way fit.”
- In Genesis 18, God promises Abraham and Sarah a child. Sarah laughs because she thinks this is absurd, especially in her old age. But God calls her out, asks why she is laughing, and says that nothing is impossible for God. And with her Yes, God performs the impossible, bringing her a child in her old age. And bringing her joy and laughter.
- In the book of Ruth, Naomi loses all of her sons and is left with her daughters-in-law. Ruth, despite her actions not making sense, clings to her mother-in-law Naomi and demands that Naomi take Ruth with her to the new land that Naomi is going. Ruth knows no one and yet says Yes to the plans God is making for her. God takes this Yes, and Ruth meets and marries Boaz, and becomes an ancestor to the Savior of the world.
- Each of the disciples put their plans aside, drop everything and immediately follow Jesus. They say no to their own lives and say yes to Jesus and what He has for them.
In every case in the Bible where someone says Yes, they are ultimately saying yes to something bigger than themselves. God always has a plan. Are you onboard?
How to Say Yes to the Almighty
- A written devotional at Proverbs 31 on how to defer to God.
- In Touch Ministries shows why you can trust God with your plans.
- A blogger, Courtnaye Richard, lists practical ways to say yes even when it doesn’t make sense.
