Interesting instructions
And He took him aside from the multitude, and put His fingers in his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue. ~ Mark 7:33
Have you ever sensed God leading you to do something that didn’t make sense, something that felt completely opposite of what you would naturally do? I sure have. I remember a time when we were trying to secure a land easement with our neighbors so we could move forward with the purchase of our home. They were not willing to cooperate, and we explored every option we could think of. We considered cutting a new access point through our property, taking them to court, or even walking away and finding another home. Every option was expensive, time consuming, and stressful. Not to mention that we believed this was where the Lord had led us.
One morning during that process, I felt a nudge in my spirit to bake a cake and take it to the neighbors and talk with them about thee situation. Honestly, I didn’t want to do it. I wasn’t exactly happy with the complications they were causing, but I chose to take that step of faith. I was willing to do about anything to resolve the situation and I know a little humility goes a long way in God’s hands.
As I baked and prepared, something shifted in me. I began to feel excited because I realized I had the opportunity to bless them, regardless of the outcome. I didn’t even tell my husband what I was doing, so you can imagine his surprise when they called later that day and agreed to sign the paperwork. What could have cost us thousands of dollars and created years of tension with the people we were moving in next to turned into peace, favor, and even a friendly relationship. God is so wise.
I’ve seen this in other situations too. There was a time I was involved in a court battle that was draining me emotionally, financially, and relationally. The Holy Spirit led me to step out of the legal process and trust Him to handle it. That did not look like the right decision from a natural perspective. It felt like I might lose financially and waste time, but I obeyed. Over time, not only did peace come, but a deep wound was healed. Looking back now, it was one of the wisest decisions I could have made.
When you look at scripture, you see this pattern over and over. God’s instructions often look very different from what we would expect. Jesus taught that if you want to elevate a situation, first you must humble yourself. If you want to receive, you give. If you want to be great, you serve. If you want to live, you surrender your life over to Him.
God told Noah to build an ark before rain had ever fallen. He told Abraham to leave everything familiar without a clear destination. He even told Joshua to march around a city instead of attacking it. None of it made sense in the natural, yet every act of obedience led to something powerful.
In today’s reading, Jesus healed a man in a very unexpected way. He took him aside, touched his ears and tongue, and then told him not to tell anyone. It wasn’t a formula, it wasn’t predictable, it was personal. That is how God works. He knows exactly what is needed in each situation, and His instructions are always purposeful, even when they seem unusual.
Here is the truth, when you go to your heavenly Father with a need, don’t try to figure out how He is going to answer. His ways are higher, and His solutions are often very different from what we expect. But understand this when you turn a matter over to Him, you can trust Him completely.
Here are some practical ways to apply this truth in your life:
- Stay open when you pray, do not limit God to your expectations of how He should answer
- Pay attention to the small nudges in your spirit, they often carry His direction
- Be willing to act, even when the instruction feels simple or does not make sense
- Choose obedience over understanding, trust that He sees what you cannot see
- Let go of fear of how it will look to others, focus on what God is asking you to do
- Look back on past acts of obedience and remind yourself how faithful He has been
When I think about the ways God has led me over the years, I am so thankful I chose to listen, even when it felt uncomfortable or unexpected. It has shaped my life in ways I never could have planned on my own. I have not always done it perfectly, but I have learned to get excited when His direction feels different, because I know something good is on the other side of it.
Today I want to encourage you to trust God’s instructions, even when they seem unusual or go against what you would naturally do. He knows exactly what you need and how to bring it to pass. Stay sensitive to His leading, take the step of faith when He speaks, and believe that His way will always lead to something better than you could have imagined.
Today’s scripture reading: Mark 7:31-37
31 Again, departing from the region of Tyre and Sidon, He came through the midst of the region of Decapolis to the Sea of Galilee.
32 Then they brought to Him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech, and they begged Him to put His hand on him.
33 And He took him aside from the multitude, and put His fingers in his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue.
34 Then, looking up to heaven, He sighed, and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.”
35 Immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly.
36 Then He commanded them that they should tell no one; but the more He commanded them, the more widely they proclaimed it.
37 And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.”
Journal:
- What is something I am currently asking God for
- Have I been limiting how I think He should answer
- Is there a nudge or direction I have sensed but hesitated to follow
- What is one step of obedience I can take today, even if it does not fully make sense
The Daily Dose 