Yes

                It's funny to see how many times we can go to church, pray for hours, read our Bibles, go to Bible studies, go to community groups, and go to worship nights and think that those are the things that God wants. It amazes me when people believe that God wants you to live in the church building, as if there was nothing else that He could possible want. In all honesty, we think that God is so big and mysterious that He must want things that we cannot fathom. In all honesty, God just wants one thing: He just wants a yes.

                When He died on the cross it was not a standard of what kind of suffering we should be doing; He suffered for us. Nothing will ever match up to Calvary. What He did was confess His love for us in a way that we could understand. What we call crucifixion was something like proposal. It was Him coming to redeem His bride, giving her the chance to be with Him once again. All God wants is a yes. He doesn't want you to log hours at the church or read a certain number of Bible verses each hour. He just wants a yes. Just as you will say yes on your wedding day, a yes that will change your life forever, God is asking for that same life changing yes.

                A yes to what, you might ask? A yes to His call. He has proposed to you. He has laid down His live for you. He has made an offer for you. Will you say yes and accept it? Now, before you say yes and jump and praise, know what that yes means. God says, "Will you be Mine?"

                If you say yes, you are saying yes to trusting Him. If you say yes, you are saying yes to putting Him first and letting His word have authority over your word. If you say yes, you are saying that His word is law and He is the one that you will rely on. If you say yes, you are saying that you will trust His word and trust His promises. If you are saying yes, you are saying that you want God to use you however He wants. If you say yes, you must say it with your heart and soul. If God says, "There is more that I require of thee," will you still say yes?

                Will you still say yes if He doesn't remove the thorn from your side? Will you still say yes if you have to cut out some relationships? Will you still say yes if you have to give up doing some things that you want to do? Will you still say yes if there is more that you have to learn? Will you still say yes if God is calling you? Will you still say yes if you have to give up your independence for God-dependency?

                What is keeping you from saying yes with your heart and yes? Bring it to the Father.