obedience – Growing Up in the Lord

Be A Somebody

Angela — Sat, 31 Jan 2026 18:50:37 +0000

Since my week in the hospital, much of my recovery has depended on other people. Friends noticed needs and stepped in without hesitation. One coordinated hospital visits, so I was never alone when my husband had to work. Another stepped into my role as education coordinator, making sure every Bible class had a teacher and setting up a meal train. Others brought meals, sent gift cards, prayed, and stopped by once I was home.

My community showed up for us and served without question.

Usually, I am among the first to notice a need and act. That has been part of how God has shaped me for years. Right now, God has placed me in a different season. I am resting more. I am doing less. I am learning to pay closer attention to what truly belongs to me and what does not.

While my physical sight was diminished, my vision gained clarity and focus.

When we see a need and can meet it, responsibility follows. Sometimes we wait for someone else to do what God has placed directly in front of us.

An Acappella song has played repeatedly in my mind during long, wakeful nights as I wait for healing and allow God to refine my purpose. Everybody Said delivers its message with humor, but also with conviction. Everybody assumes somebody else will do the work. Anybody is capable. Too often, nobody acts.

Scripture names that tension clearly.

“If anyone, then, knows the good he ought to do and does not do it, he sins.” (James 4:17)

James is not describing ignorance. He is describing awareness without action. Knowing creates responsibility. Clarity calls for a response.

Seeing a need is not an accident. God often allows us to notice because He has already equipped us to respond. Scripture reminds us of this truth:

“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life.” (Ephesians 2:10, BSB)

Obedience does not require attention or applause. Faithful action often happens quietly, in ordinary moments, by people who choose not to look away.

Do not wait for somebody else to take action.
Everybody needs to be somebody.

An Awkward Fit

Angela — Wed, 31 Dec 2025 19:14:45 +0000

Some nights, getting comfortable takes longer than others. Many nights when I lie down to go to sleep, my arms get in the way. They feel cold when the rest of me is warm. They seem to be in the way and out of place. I shift and adjust, yet my arms become obstacles to rest. This problem seems a little silly, but one night I realized how this discomfort resembles life in the body of Christ. Scripture tells us we are one body with many parts. Each part is necessary, with a designated purpose. Every member has been placed with intention, yet many believers quietly live with a sense of awkwardness, like they never quite fit. No matter how they shift, they cannot find their place. What if that awkwardness exists because we are striving to fit into a place that was never shaped for us? Our discomfort is not always a sign of rebellion or reluctance. It may be a sign of misalignment. The apostle Paul describes the church as a collection of parts, a living body shaped by intentional diversity. The placement of each part matters for purpose and function. “For just as the body is one and has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also is Christ…. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact, God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, according to His will.” 1 Corinthians 12:12, 17–18 God Himself arranged the body this way. Each part matters, but each part also has limits. These limits are not weaknesses. Just as an ear cannot see or a foot cannot hear, we each have a purpose that fits our God-given abilities. Effort alone does not change design. Good intentions can blur an important distinction. Willingness does not mean every role belongs to us. My grandfather once said that God’s church is perfect, even though its people are not. The more I learn and grow, the more I see the wisdom in that statement. We bring our fears, insecurities, blind spots, and unmet longings with us into every relationship and situation, even into the body of Christ. We desire to matter, to be seen, and to fit. None of this surprises God, but it does shape how we relate to one another. The problem isn’t always the body. It may be where we’re trying to fit. Saying no can feel unfaithful, especially when we are asked to fill a specific need. Yet Scripture teaches us to serve with wisdom. Faithfulness does not mean personally responding to every need in the congregation. Even during His earthly ministry, Jesus did not respond to every demand. He withdrew to pray and sometimes left crowds behind, following the Father’s direction rather than every expectation around Him. If Jesus did not allow every demand to determine His direction, we cannot expect to do so either. Saying no is not necessarily a refusal to serve. It can be a decision to serve where we are actually equipped. Healthy bodies do not require every part to be loud or visible. They require honesty, discernment, and faithfulness. The goal is not for each member to prove their value, but to live faithfully within the Designer’s purpose. Maybe the goal isn’t to make ourselves fit wherever there is an empty space. Maybe it is to discover where God has equipped us to serve. The most faithful thing we can do may be to stop trying to be a part we were never meant to be.

Why did the turkey cross the road?

Angela — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 18:00:41 +0000

Driving down a country highway near the desert offers a chance to enjoy nature and find peace, unless a pair of turkeys crosses the road. I saw them on the shoulder, walking into my lane. I slowed down slightly, moving over in my lane, but one of them kept trotting, right beneath my tire. As I continued driving to a safe place to assess for damage, I checked the tire pressure, listened for any weird noises, and paid closer attention to how the car felt. When I stopped and looked it over, the damage appeared only cosmetic. It could have been much worse. Part of the fender was knocked loose, but the lights worked, the tires were unharmed, and the car ran the same. For the rest of the drive, I settled into gratitude while continuing to monitor the tire pressure and the car’s performance.

After arriving home, I began to reflect on how much we are like the turkey crossing the road. We focus so intently on what we want that we often fail to see the danger around us. The turkey ran toward danger instead of away from it. We often do the same when we follow our selfish desires rather than God’s direction. James 1:14 explains, “Each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own desire.” Scripture also gives clear guidance: “Flee from temptation” (2 Timothy 2:22). God provides a way out every time (1 Corinthians 10:13), but we must choose to take it. Turning away is not weakness. It is wisdom and obedience.

When I returned home, my mechanic friend looked at the car. The damage truly was cosmetic. He snapped the fender back into place in less than five minutes. You cannot even tell anything happened. That is what God does with us! He restores what is broken and strengthens what is weak, making us new. We may still experience consequences from past choices, but through the blood of Jesus, we stand without stain or blemish, whole and redeemed in His sight.

Even a turkey on the highway can teach a lesson when the heart is listening. My frustration with myself became a nudge from God to stay alert.

A Time to be Still

Angela — Mon, 19 Sep 2022 17:34:00 +0000

Psalm 46:10 in the Amplified Bible says, “Be still and know (recognize, understand) that I am God.” Other versions say “cease striving,” “stop fighting,” or “desist.” In context, the Psalmist is proclaiming that God is our refuge and that He is with us. There is no better place to find rest and peace than in the Shelter of God (Psalm 91:1). In this stillness, we are to praise God, thank Him, and follow Him. When we read “be still” in Scripture, stillness is often connected to an intentional response of faith.

One of the best-known examples is Exodus 14:13–14, “But Moses told the people, ‘Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the LORD’s salvation, which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians you see today, you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.’”

The Israelites still had to step forward in faith and cross the sea. Imagine walking on dry land with WALLS of water on both sides and an army behind you. Biblical stillness is not inactivity; it is rooted in trust and accompanied by faith.

As a child, perhaps you heard the words, “Because I said so.” As a parent, perhaps you cringed the first time those same words escaped your lips. In The Mandalorian season one, Kuill, one of the main characters, repeats the phrase, “I have spoken” at the end of all of his demonstrative statements. In other words, “I’ve said all there is to say on this matter, and that’s how it’s going to be.” This character does what he says he will do and keeps his word. He expects the same from the people he chooses to trust. When we first watched the show, I thought, “I’m going to start saying that at the end of my requests and discussions with my children.”

Soon after, I read, “I, the LORD, have spoken” in my daily Bible reading in the book of Ezekiel. This phrase is repeated throughout the books of the prophets over twenty times! God is repeating Himself to the Israelites, saying, “Because I’m YHWH, and I say so!” Growing_Up_in_the_Lord_KINDLE

God tells us to be still. He gives us clear directions. Then says, “Because I AM!” We have the benefit of the whole picture, all the promises and warnings, the consequences, and the reconciliation. Pay attention when God speaks through His Word. When He says, “Stop fighting!” He’s saying, “I have a better way. I will take care of you if you will let me.”

Lessons from Judges

Angela — Sun, 12 Apr 2015 00:00:00 +0000

If it isn’t obvious by now, I’m enjoying participating in my family’s Bible reading calendar. One thing that consistently amazes me is that you can learn something new each time you read through the Word. I know I’ve completely read through the Bible at least twice, and I’ve read through the book of Judges at least three or four times, yet this time, I found two big things I didn’t notice before. In Judges 3:1–2, the writer records that the Lord left some nations behind to test the Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan. God wanted the Israelites to know how to engage in battle. The footnote in the NIV Study Bible says, “Because of the incomplete conquest, succeeding generations in Israel needed to become capable warriors.” The second thing I noticed is that the Book of Judges is not chronological. About halfway through the narrative, the non-sequential aspect of the record became confusing. The narrative doesn’t read like a story since it is “out of order.” This characteristic may distract some from the message and overall theme. In my confusion, I looked for tools to sort through the chronological problem. I found a timeline which helped a little. The overall theme of Judges (and even the Bible as a whole) is a message of redemption. This cycle is seen in four stages:

The people of God fall away (apostasy), rejecting God’s commands, each person doing what is right in his/her own eyes.
They face oppression, persecution, and even captivity in later times.
They cry out to God in their distress, confessing their wrongdoing, and longing for forgiveness.
Finally, God sends deliverance, repentance occurs, and peace follows for some time.

A secondary theme in the book of Judges is that God raises leaders and heroes from unlikely sources. Ehud was left-handed, important because the guards didn’t search him thoroughly, thinking he was right-handed and would be armed on the left side. Therefore, he walked into the king’s chambers with a sword on his right thigh and killed the very fat Moabite king (Judges 3). Deborah, obviously a woman, was a prophetess. The leader of the army, Barak, wouldn’t go into battle without her. As a result, God used another woman, Jael, to kill the Canaanite king (Judges 4), and Barak did not receive the honor of winning the battle. Gideon was the youngest in his family, the lowest family in the clan. God used an army of only 300 men to defeat the Midianites with Gideon as their leader (Judges 7). The judge most people are familiar with is Samson because he was the strongest man in the Bible. However, his greatest victory came when he was at his most vulnerable. He had been handed over to the enemy, blinded, and stripped of his former glory. In his humbled state, he realized his need for God’s strength. He asked that God return his strength, seeking vengeance on the Philistines. God granted this request, and Samson sacrificed himself in a victory for Israel over the Philistines (Judges 16). The last few chapters of the book, which happen throughout the judges mentioned, are an overall lesson in keeping God’s commandments. We also see the sins of the past (worship of idols, failure to rely on God, homosexuality, rape, and brutality) are not different from the sins of today. Our “idols” may be different, but we still allow other things to take higher priority than God. Yet despite all of this, the Israelites failed to eradicate their enemies. Remnants of the enemy remained in the land God set aside for His people. God allows us to choose. He allows us to live with the consequences of those choices. He also provides forgiveness, redemption, and grace.

Lessons from Joshua

Angela — Wed, 01 Apr 2015 18:47:00 +0000

This week, in our family’s daily Bible reading, we completed Joshua. Joshua is a book of battles and distribution of lands, of defeated kings and cities, of warning and encouragement. Like Deuteronomy (or any other book of the Bible), there are lessons we can apply in our daily lives. Here are just a few that inspire me.

Be strong and courageous when doing the will of God. When you are following His commands, you have no reason to fear. Joshua admonishes the Israelites over and over throughout the book to be strong and courageous, a message still applicable to the figurative battles we face today.
Stand up and fight for your brothers (and sisters). Part of the Israelites had already been given their inheritance. The fighting men from those tribes were required to help their brothers in battle until each of them found rest in an inheritance of their own (Joshua 1:15). Our fight today may be as simple as speaking for those who cannot speak for themselves, providing for a need when we are able, standing up for what is right, and maybe, on occasion, really fighting for our family in some way.
God is willing to save even the worst of sinners. Rahab was a prostitute, yet she and her family were the only people in all of Jericho saved from destruction because she chose to help the Israelites (Joshua 2; 6:25). Rahab became a convert to the Israelite faith and is in the lineage of Christ (Matthew 1:5).
God’s way is the best way. Even when God’s commands don’t seem to make sense, He wants what is best for us. His timing is always perfect. When we force our will into His, we often get in the way of the big picture. Fortunately, God still works all things out for good (Romans 8:28). These promises remain true even if we do not see the fulfillment until heaven.
Consult God about big decisions. The Israelites made a treaty without consulting God (Joshua 9). This seems to set the course for the rest of their battles. Overall, they failed to drive out 100% of the enemy as God commanded them to do.
Nothing is impossible for God. Joshua asked God to make the sun stand still during a battle, and it happened! The Bible says of the event, “There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the LORD listened to a man. Surely the LORD was fighting for Israel!” (Joshua 10:12–14).
The choice remains ours. God does not force His will on us. We are not robots made to follow Him without freedom of thought. Joshua’s challenge still matters today: “choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve” (Joshua 24:15). The choice is ours.

Lessons from Deuteronomy

Angela — Thu, 26 Mar 2015 20:27:00 +0000

The Old Testament. The beginning of time. The fall of man. The flood. The establishment of a promise. Journeys into and out of slavery. The presentation of the Law. Miracles and wonders.

The accounts of the first five books of the Bible are rich with history important to all Christians. (I admit, it is hard to get through parts of Numbers and Leviticus.) In Galatians 3:24, we read, “So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith.” We often want to “skip over” large portions of the Old Testament, yet these Scriptures were the only ones the first Christians knew.

As much as I enjoy the classic, well-known events of Genesis, I often find myself captivated by the summary of Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy’s 34 chapters detail over forty years of Israelite history. Moses is talking to the whole company of Israel for the entirety of the book.

Moses’s final words can be summed up in four major lessons.

Love God and teach His ways to your children.

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down, and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
Deuteronomy 6:4–9

Consequences are not always because of our own actions, but the actions of others.

It is not because of your righteousness or your integrity that you are going in to take possession of their land; but on account of the wickedness of these nations, the LORD your God will drive them out before you, to accomplish what he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Understand, then, that it is not because of your righteousness that the LORD your GOD is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff-necked people.
Deuteronomy 9:5–6

God’s request is simple and for our benefit.

And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the LORD’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?
Deuteronomy 10:12–13

God gives us a choice. He wants us to choose life.

See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees, and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess. But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.

This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Deuteronomy 30:15–20