Today, I’m welcoming one of my dearest Proverbs 31 sisters, Wendy Pope. She’s that friend I can call any time, and she’ll stop whatever she’s doing to pray a prayer that reigns down power from heaven!! We met many years ago when we shared a desk at our original Proverbs 31 Ministries office. We both had little children at the time, and now we’re empty nesters. We raised our babies together and prayed each other through some difficult times. I adore her and you will as well.
Without further ado, read on as Wendy gives you a sneak peek into her new book, Yes, No & Maybe: Living with the God of Immeasurably More. If you want an Ephesians 3:20 life, where you see God at work in intimate, amazing and mighty ways, this book is for you!
Be sure to enter her giveaway at the end of the post!
I’ll be the first to admit, trusting God through obedience can be fearsome because we don’t know what He will ask us to do. Building trust works like receiving money. Each time we are given funds, we deposit the money in our bank account, where it remains until we need it. Our Memory Bank of Faith works the same way. As we obey, we experience God’s faithfulness. We deposit His acts of faithfulness in our bank; then, when He asks us to do something we don’t understand, or maybe don’t want to do, we can make a withdrawal from our Memory Bank and confidently adjust our want to. We have experienced His faithfulness and know that what He has asked us to do is completely trustworthy—even if it involves something unexpected.
Sometimes God asks something big of us when we least expect it. Sometimes even in the middle of Sunday worship.
My normal Sunday seat faced the congregation from the choir loft. I was minding my own business, praising my Jesus, when the unexpected happened. No, Lord. I can’t. No one else is walking to the altar to bow. What will people think of me? This isn’t the time in the service we go to the altar; that’s at the end of the service. The songs ended. The choir left the loft. I did not say yes.
The next Sunday was a repeat. Same scenario. Same assignment. Same response. As the week went on, my weight of disappointment was heavy. Oh, how my spirit grieved that my answer to God was no. In my conviction, I confessed my sin and received forgiveness.
The following Sunday was a repeat. Same scenario. Same assignment. Different response. Yes, God. I will NOT follow the schedule in the bulletin and the expectation of others. I will leave the safety of this choir loft and bow before You in praise. I will sing praises to You, my audience of one, in a sanctuary full of people who might think I’m weird. Yes! Yes! Yes!
I sensed eyes staring at me as I left my place of comfort. When I kneeled to worship, I was alone. When I stood to return to my place, others stood with me. While I had been kneeling, many others had joined me at the altar to share their praise to God and to pray. This beautiful moment was a deposit in my bank. The pleasure of God is greater than the fear of man’s reactions. Tears are puddling in my eyes as I relive this moment with you. Even now, years later, the act of obedience, even if delayed, is palatable. There are times when obedience makes His Spirit almost touchable.
It’s critical to remember that obedience without a pause is a process—a process full of mistakes, regrets, and misgivings. Even with banks full of His faithfulness, there will be times we will want to obey, but we will not. Don’t be discouraged. Lavish yourself in His endless grace that forgives, and intently listen to His Spirit as He continues to beckon you. Then, when the next assignment comes, your response will be yes! The more you say yes, the more you will want to say yes. Fill your bank!
Preorder Bonuses
Preorder your copy of Yes, No & Maybe by Sunday, September 30 and receive these beautiful bonuses from Wendy Pope.
Giveaway Now Closed – congrats Bonnie Chaltry!
Wendy Pope is giving away a copy of her new book to one of ya’ll. SO, please leave a comment below sharing a time YOU struggled with obedience. The winner will be announced here and notified by email on Wednesday, October 3. U.S. Addresses only please.
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Wendy is a wife, mom, author, speaker, and Bible study teacher. Wendy writes devotions for Proverbs 31 Ministries Encouragement for Today devotions, is a content provider for the First 5 app, as well as member of the Proverbs 31 Ministries Speaker Team. She loves lazy Sundays watching golf with her husband, thrift store shopping with her daughter, and watching building shows with her son.
Jill Beran is a farmer’s wife, homeschooling mom to 5, and Bible teacher. When she’s not picking rocks or pulling weeds, she enjoys coaching basketball, serving in women’s ministry and writing. You can connect with Jill at 
Sharon Jaynes is an international speaker and best-selling author of 21 books. For those who know her best, she is a simple southern girl who loves sweet tea, warm beaches, and helping women live fully and free as a child of God and co-heir with Christ.
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