God Appears When We Walk in Obedience and Faith

Have you ever wondered why God seems to move so clearly in some people's lives? Why do some people recognize His presence while others keep asking where He is?

I want you to understand something. God is still appearing to His people. He is still touching lives, supplying needs, protecting us, and making Himself known.

As we begin this new month, I am calling it The Month of His Appearance. I want you to look for God to appear in your life. But there is something we need to understand about obedience, faith, and making ourselves available to Him.

Why Did God Appear to Abraham?

God appeared to Abraham because Abraham was a man who walked in obedience and remained faithful to what God commanded him to do.

Look at Genesis 18:1-5. The Bible tells us that the Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance of his tent during the heat of the day.

Now, you must understand what happened before this visit.

In Genesis 17, God had instructed Abraham to circumcise the males in his household. Abraham obeyed. And this was not something easy to do.

These were grown men. There was pain involved. Abraham himself was experiencing that pain.

Yet Abraham did not turn away from God's instruction. He did what God commanded him to do.

And approximately three days later, while Abraham was sitting outside his tent, God appeared to him.

Think about that.

Abraham was in pain, but he was still in a position to receive a visitation from God.

When he saw three men approaching, he got up and hurried to meet them. He welcomed them, offered water to wash their feet, and prepared food so they could rest.

He did not allow his discomfort to stop him from showing hospitality.

That tells me something about Abraham's heart. His obedience was not limited to doing one difficult thing. It was part of how he lived.

And I want to ask you a question. When was the last time you positioned yourself for God to visit you?

How Does Obedience Open the Way for God's Presence?

Obedience keeps us responsive to God's direction, even when following Him requires something uncomfortable or difficult.

Abraham had already demonstrated that kind of faith.

When God called him to leave his country and go toward Canaan, Abraham went. He trusted God's direction without knowing everything that would happen along the way.

Now, here in Genesis, we see him obeying another instruction.

Let me tell you something. You cannot expect to follow God's calling while continually refusing what He asks you to do.

Sometimes God will ask you to do something that challenges your comfort. Sometimes you may not understand why He wants you to do it.

But when God speaks, we must learn to say yes.

I know what it means to feel like walking away from a calling. There have been times when I have felt that way myself.

I have seen pastors leave Red Hook. I have known some of them personally. But God has given me the grace to remain here.

Why? Because I still feel His calling upon my life.

I know what God promised me, and I am not giving up.

You must understand that obedience is not always about something dramatic. Sometimes it is simply remaining faithful where God has placed you.

Does God Bless Us When We Obey Him?

Yes, God blesses obedience, and I have experienced His provision after choosing to follow what I believed He was telling me to do.

I remember standing in a supermarket behind an elderly woman who was paying for her groceries.

When the cashier told her the total, she did not have enough money on her card.

I was standing there, and the Spirit of God impressed upon me to pay the remaining amount.

Now, I hesitated.

There were people around, and I was concerned about how the woman might respond. I did not want to embarrass her or myself.

But I felt God telling me to do it.

So I offered to pay the balance.

At first, she refused. But I told her I did not want her to rob me of my blessing.

She finally accepted, and I paid.

That week, people began blessing me unexpectedly. One person gave me money. Another contacted me with work and offered to pay me.

I saw God's provision following my decision to obey.

Now, I am telling you what happened in my life because I want you to understand the importance of listening when God speaks.

Galatians 3:9 teaches that those who have faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.

Abraham believed God, and his obedience demonstrated that faith.

We must learn to do the same.

How Can You Recognize God Appearing in Your Life?

You can recognize God's presence through the ways He touches your life, provides for your needs, protects you, and answers you.

God does not have to appear physically for you to know He is working.

How many things could have happened to you that God protected you from?

How many times did you have a need, and somehow provision came?

How many times did something happen that caused you to recognize that God was involved?

That is what I want you to begin looking for.

Do not limit God's appearance to one particular experience. God moves in different ways.

But I also want you to examine your obedience.

Are you doing what He has called you to do? Are you remaining faithful when things become difficult? Are you willing to say yes even when you do not understand everything?

Abraham did not allow pain to keep him from responding when God appeared.

And I do not want you to allow your circumstances to keep you from recognizing God's presence.

This month, look for Him.

Be obedient to His calling. Remain faithful to what He has instructed you to do.

And when God directs you, let your answer be yes.

Because God is still working in the lives of His people, and I want you to recognize His hand when He moves in yours.