Mar 14, 2026 – Hesitation
JC – Young’s interpretation of Scripture in the first sentence today is very interesting: “Do not hesitate to receive Joy from Me, for I bestow it on you abundantly.” Hesitate? It is very inciteful of her to catch us right off the bat in our reluctance to accept good from God. Why don’t we feel worthy to even ask sometimes? We perhaps think “I have enough and don’t want to be greedy especially if it might cause me to lose something else.” If we are asking in a greedy way, perhaps we should be humbled, but we have to remember that the Joy of the Lord is not in the things we amass or the prayers that are answered the way we want.
We also have to remember that our Father wants to bless us, yes with things and answered prayer sometimes; but, mostly, He wants us to have Joy despite our circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). We feel His Joy when we trust Him and feel His Peace knowing He is in control (and we don’t have to be). That kind of Joy and Peace takes time and experience to develop, but it’s there in abundance if we will not hesitate to ask for and receive it.
Young conveys this another way, “Sometimes the relationship I offer you seems too good to be true. I pour My very Life into you, and all you have to do is receive Me. In a world characterized by working and taking, the admonition to rest and receive seems too easy. There is an intricate connection between receiving and believing: As you trust Me more and more, you are able to receive Me and My blessings abundantly.” We are worthy to receive. We just have to believe that.
Power – Jeremiah 42:3, 6 NLT – “Pray that the Lord your God will show us what to do and where to go….Whether we like it or not, we will obey the Lord our God to whom we are sending you with our plea. For if we obey him, everything will turn out well for us.” This verse adds “obey” to what we’ve heard so far about receiving. If we hesitate in either of them, obeying and receiving, the Lord’s Joy and Peace are delayed. Joyce asks, “What would your life be like if every time you went to church or listened to a teaching CD or read the Bible you had the mind-set, Whatever I learn today, I’m going to do it! James 4:17 says if we know what to do and don’t do it, that is sin. The wrong things we commit are sin, but the right things we omit [or hesitate to do] are also sin. Make a decision to be a ‘doer’ of God’s Word, and not merely a ‘hearer.’”
Streams – From selected sources, Cowman adds, “God still has His secrets – hidden from the ‘wise and learned’ (Luke 10:21). Do not fear these unknown things, but be content to accept the things you cannot understand and to wait patiently. In due time He will reveal the treasures of the unknown to you….” Sometimes it’s nice, and relieving, to live in childlike trust. Don’t we all sometimes look back fondly to those days of not having to plan for and figure out the things of adult life? And just as suddenly, we are grateful to be where we are in life, but we can have that peace that passes understanding (Philippians 4:7) as we lean in for God’s provision and direction.
Max uses James 1:9, “be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,” to encourage us to protect our joy. He points out that, “…there is wisdom in acknowledging the relatively small number of major decisions in life. Don’t sweat the small stuff, and you won’t sweat much at all.” He warns us about being tested by daily annoyances, involving people and situations, and deciding “whether or not it’s just small stuff. Don’t give up your joy or theirs over something that’s not worth sweating.”
Utmost – Romans 6:16 – “His servants ye are to whom ye obey.” Chambers’ thoughts add to our considerations about hesitation in receiving and obeying as he writes, “The first thing to do in examining the power that dominates me is to take hold of the unwelcome fact that I am responsible for being thus dominated because I have yielded…. Yield in childhood to selfishness, and you will find it the most enchanting tyranny on earth…. There is no release in human power at all, but only in the Redemption. You must yield yourself in utter humiliation to the only One Who can break the dominating power, viz., the Lord Jesus Christ…. Yielding to Jesus [without hesitation] will break every form of slavery in any human life.”
Simpson – Ephesians 2:10 – “We are His workmanship.” Simpson reminds us that “Christ sends us to serve Him, not in our own strength, but in His resources and might…. Let us learn to work by faith as well as walk by faith, then we shall receive even the end of our faith, the salvation of precious souls, and our lives will bear fruit which shall be manifest throughout all eternity.”
JA – We may hesitate to obey and receive because of our lack of understanding, but that can be remedied fairly easily depending on our willingness. The devotion reminds us that, “Setting aside time to be alone with Me is countercultural, so this practice requires discipline and determination.”
I really need to be at our rental house painting the dark laundry room a bright yellow while Don fixes a roof leak; but, months ago, I accepted what I believed to be God’s direction in writing this daily blog. The discipline it has created in me has led to a deeper relationship with God and has deepened my need for His presence, His peace, and His guidance before I start my day (even if, on some days, it’s just a quick meeting, saving the deeper time for later in the day.)
And, to be sure, I am so grateful that God has blessed me with a husband who understands and encourages this time spent with the One who brings us closer together as we grow closer to Him – remember the triangle concept? It was an important symbol at our wedding. Enough of my interruption, the devotion concludes with, “Living close to Me brightens your life immeasurably. With Me is the fountain of Life; in My Light you see Light.” And He always seems to either multiply my time or slow time for me to be able to rest in these moments with Him.
Prevail #73 – In today’s “Discerning God’s Voice” devotion, Larson offers some great perspectives on the questions that may be churning in our minds about whether we are hearing from and being directed by God (and being hesitant to obey), or whether we are hearing from other sources, or ourselves, (and being cautious). She bases her thoughts on 1 Kings 13:18 when God’s prophet was lied to by “the old prophet” as she points out that, “We live in a day when most anyone will claim they speak for God. What was happening during this prophet’s mission is happening today. People manipulate their faith to match their lives and then claim it was God. They justify their sin and call it good. After all, God wants them to be happy, right? But there’s only one true God, and He never contradicts himself or speaks contrary to what He’s written in His Word. God’s Word is life to you. May you grow increasingly discerning of the times and sensitive to His voice so you’ll not be deceived by the many who claim to speak for Him. Your calling and influence depend on it.”
Larson offers these valuable suggestions: “Make it a daily practice to read God’s Word. Pray before you read. Lean in and listen with a receptive heart,” and this prayer:
“Lord, I want to hear Your voice above all others. Open my eyes to see You and my ears to hear You. Heighten my discernment and give me a fresh love for Your living Word. Amen.”
