Where you go...I will go!!!

But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.” Ruth 1:16&17

Gosh! This is the verse that has been the resonating theme in my life these past few months. Jesus Culture sings about it, so does Chris Tomlin and I am sure many others. But I bring this up because I want you to see something that I am finding out. I have known this all my life but it is more of a reality now that no matter what God wants me to do, I have to choose to be obedient. I am not even just talking about obedience as in I HAVE to refrain from sexual activity until I am married, OR I have to be obedient and be nice to those people. I am not talking about obligatory obedience, that really isn't obedience at all. It is just that, an obligation. BUT what God wants from us is "Joyful Obedience." He wants us to obey Him not just because we want to but because we LOVE HIM! He wants our obedience because that changes us, it makes us more like Him. In 1 Samuel 15:22 it says: "But Samuel replied:

'Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as much as in obeying the LORD?
To obey is better than sacrifice,
and to heed is better than the fat of rams.'"

Now this was in response to King Saul and because King Saul was VERY disobedient to God and did only part of what God wanted and yet caused problems for God's people for hundreds of years after King Saul's horrible and arrogant choice to disobey.

Are you still with me?

Ok so when Samuel says: "To obey is better than sacrifice." That is huge because God wants the obedience to be our sacrifice at times and how many times have we complained about it? I know I have. God wants our sacrifice at times to be that choice of obedience. I bring all of these aspects up because if we are to "Go" then we need to make sure that we are keenly aware of the obedience that is required. It talks about Jesus being obedient unto death in Philippians.

"And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!" Philippians 2:8

I want to be THAT obedient. I want to go if He wants me to go...and that is where Tonga comes in. I know that God has place this country on my heart and so out of obedience I will GO! I leave you with the lyrics to one of the songs that has encouraged me to do what I KNOW God wants from me.

"Where you go I go" -Jesus Culture (Kim Walker)

where you go I go
what you say I say, God
where you pray I pray
where you pray I pray
(repeat)

Verse
Jesus only did
what he saw you do
he would only say
what he heard you speak

he would only move
when he felt you lead
following your heart
following your spirit

how could I expect
to walk without you
when every move that Jesus made
was in surrender

I would not begin
to live without you
for you alone are worthy
and you are always good

you are always good
yeah...

you are always good
always good
always good
yeah, yeah yeah

Chorus

Bridge
though the world sees and soon forgets
we will not forget who you are and what you've done for us,
what you've done for us

Chorus

Bridge

Bridge 2
though the world sees and soon forgets
we will not forget, who you are,
who you are, who you are, yeah
who you are, oh you are my god, you are my god
you are my god, you are my god, you are my god
woah, yeah..

Chorus

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