Obedience to God’s Voice

by Mark Denney, Jr.

"I have been nailed to the cross with Christ. I have died, but Christ lives in me. And I now live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave his life for me. I don’t turn my back on God’s undeserved kindness. If we can be acceptable to God by obeying the Law, it was useless for Christ to die." — Galatians 2:19-21

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." — 1 Corinthians 10:31

Cast: Will you be obedient to God’s voice? Professional bass fisherman Randy Howell was, and here’s what happened: “The Holy Spirit put a picture in my mind of where I needed to be and when I needed to be there… as I’m running the boat that morning going up lake [He] said turn around and go to this other place and go there now. I tried to out-reason it again, and then I thought, ‘No, I am going to do it, Lord.’” Randy was nine pounds behind the leader on the final morning of the 2014 Bassmaster Classic. He intended to fish a familiar spot but felt an overwhelming conviction from the Holy Spirit to go elsewhere. Fighting back tears, Randy turned his boat around and headed to a new area he hadn’t fished before in that tournament. On his very first cast, he caught a fish. What followed was nothing short of miraculous: he caught fish after fish, including a seven-pounder that anchored his total. With the largest daily weight of the event on that final day, Randy’s story is a testament to how God’s blessings overflow when we set aside our desires to follow His lead. At the weigh-in, Randy topped the leaderboard, making the biggest comeback in Bassmaster Classic history and giving all glory to God.

Hook: Galatians 2:19-21, 1 Corinthians 10:31

Reel: Reflect on how the Holy Spirit is guiding you. Surrender to His direction, even if it takes you down an unexpected path.

Weigh-In: Make a list of your long-term and short-term goals. Prayerfully examine which ones align with God’s glory and which are rooted in self-interest.

Follow-Through: Psalm 130