Obedience

Hitching a ride

To know or to follow

The right place

Throughout life, we are constantly called to make choices. Some seem obvious, attractive, and full of opportunities. Others require faith, patience, and trust in God. The problem is that not everything that looks good to our eyes is truly what is best for our future. The Bible shows us this through the story of Abraham and Lot, a narrative that remains extremely relevant for everyone who desires to live according to God’s will. Appearances can be deceiving “Lot looked around and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan toward Zoar was well watered, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.)” Genesis 13:10 There came a time when Abraham’s and Lot’s flocks had grown so much that the land could no longer support them together. To avoid conflict, Abraham proposed that they separate and gave Lot the opportunity to choose first where he would go. Lot saw a place that, from a human perspective, seemed like the perfect choice. The plain was fertile, abundant, and promising. Everything pointed to prosperity. But Lot evaluated only what he could see. He observed the appearance of the land but ignored […]

Procrastinators

We live in a tired generation. We constantly hear about procrastination, discouragement, and the difficulty of completing even simple daily tasks. Many times, our lives seem organized on the outside, but inside there is an overwhelmed mind with no strength to begin. Getting out of bed feels difficult. Small tasks become gigantic. Simple things remain unfinished and, without realizing it, we accumulate pending matters that increase our anxiety even more. Procrastination is not always born from laziness. Sometimes, it comes from mental exhaustion, emotional overload, and a mind that can no longer handle so many demands at the same time. And perhaps the answer is not in doing more, but in slowing down, breathing, and learning to walk one step at a time before God again. The body stops “For he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.” Psalm 103:14 Our minds were not created to carry everything at once. When we look at a huge list of responsibilities, pressures, and expectations, the brain tends to search for a place of comfort and escape. That is why, many times, we become paralyzed even before small tasks. Not because we do not want to do them, but […]

God doesn’t speak to me

…Really? Many people carry in their hearts the feeling that God is distant or silent. They pray, wait for answers, try to move forward, but seem to hear nothing coming from heaven. Yet, perhaps the problem isn’t the absence of God’s voice, but the excess of noise within us. We live at a fast pace, surrounded by distractions, worries, and a routine that never slows down. And, in the midst of this confusion, we still say that God is too quiet. The truth is that God continues to speak. He continues to guide, teach, and call His children closer. But often, we are too busy to perceive His voice. Inner noise “After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.” 1 Kings 19:12 We live in a generation that hardly ever stops. We wake up thinking about commitments, we go to sleep worried about tomorrow, and we spend the whole day consuming information. The mind never rests. The heart is never silent. Between work, studies, bills, social media, projects, and anxiety, we fill our souls with noise. Then, we look to the sky and ask, “Why doesn’t […]

Religious OCD: Fear that distorts faith

Spiritual life should be a place of peace, hope, and relationship with God. But for some people, faith ends up becoming a constant source of fear, guilt, and anxiety. The so-called “religious OCD” is a manifestation of obsessive-compulsive disorder linked to morality, sin, and spiritual issues. Often, those who suffer from it don’t realize they are facing a disorder. The person believes they are simply “seeking God more,” when in reality, they live trapped in cycles of fear, intrusive thoughts, and compulsions that steal the freedom of faith. Faith generating fear “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7 Religious OCD usually manifests itself through obsessive thoughts related to sin, condemnation, blasphemy, or a constant fear of displeasing God. These thoughts are unwanted but arise repeatedly, causing intense distress. Many people spend hours repeating prayers, asking forgiveness countless times for the same issue, or mentally reviewing their actions, trying to figure out whether they have sinned or not. The problem is not in prayer, faith, or the pursuit of holiness; it lies in the extreme fear and anxiety that dominate the relationship with God. True faith draws […]

Prayer: Meet me in the secret place

Father, today I stand before You, acknowledging that many times I have allowed busyness, distractions, and the need for approval to steal from me the value of the secret place. Forgive me for the times I sought appearance more than intimacy, and recognition more than Your presence. I do not want to live a superficial faith, but a true relationship with You, built away from prying eyes and close to Your heart. Teach me once again to return to the secret place. May my prayer time not be a matter of obligation, but of a deep desire to encounter You. May I learn to seek You not only for what You can do for me, but for who You are. Give me a heart that delights in Your presence, that longs to hear Your voice and remain with You even in silence. Holy Spirit, reveal everything that has taken the center of my heart. If there is vanity, spiritual pride, or a need for human validation within me, I ask You: transform me. May I not live to appear spiritual before people, but to be known by You. Form in me a sincere and profound life, aligned with Your will. […]

The crisis of life “with” God

We live in a generation that values what is visible, shareable, and recognized. In the midst of this, life with God faces a silent risk: losing the value of what is done in secret. What should be the foundation of our faith—intimacy with the Father—is often replaced by a spirituality that is visible, yet empty. Jesus taught us a completely different path—a path where what is done in secret is not optional, but essential. Where It all begins “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen…” Matthew 6:6 A true life with God is not born in public, but in secret. It is there, away from human eyes, that the relationship is built, the heart is aligned, and faith becomes real. Jesus was not only teaching about prayer, but about priorities. What we do in secret reveals where our heart truly is. When that place loses value, faith begins to grow shallow, and everything starts to feel difficult. Without secrecy, there is no depth. Without intimacy, there is no real transformation. Public expressions may impress, but it is the secret place that sustains. I know there are days when […]

Judgment, revelation, and redemption

When reading the narrative of the plagues in Egypt, in the book of Exodus, a question often arises: why didn’t God free His people with just one word? At first glance, it may seem like unnecessary suffering, even cruelty. But in reality, each plague carried a profound revelation about who God is. Egypt was a society filled with gods, where every area of life was attributed to a deity. What God does there is not only to free Israel — it is to reveal His absolute sovereignty over everything and everyone, showing that there is no other besides Him. False gods “…and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord.” Exodus 12:12 The plagues sent to Egypt were not random. They struck directly at what the Egyptians worshiped, confronting their gods and exposing their powerlessness. The Nile, considered sacred, turned to blood. Animals that were worshiped were struck. Plagues like locusts, flies, and darkness came upon the land, showing that none of the gods of Egyptian culture had the power to stop the work of the true God. Even the sun, represented by one of Egypt’s chief deities, could not prevent the darkness. Each […]

What God really sees

We live in a world where appearance is often confused with essence. People may seem spiritual, righteous, and aligned with God, but only He knows what is truly in the heart. The parable of the weeds and the wheat confronts us with this truth: not everything that grows together belongs to the same purpose. More than seeming, God calls us to be. And in the end, that is what will make all the difference. Same field, different nature “Let both grow together until the harvest.” Matthew 13:30 Jesus explained that the weeds and the wheat grow together in the same field, sharing the same environment, the same soil, and even the same conditions. To human eyes, it is often difficult to tell them apart. This reality teaches us that being in the same place — in the church, in a Christian community, or in environments of faith — does not mean having the same essence. The weed may even resemble the wheat for a time, but its nature is different. Therefore, the calling is not merely to be present, but to be transformed. God is not impressed by outward proximity, but by inward truth. Essence above appearance “Thus, by their […]

What if…

How many times does the “what if…” paralyze us? “What if I don’t know what to say?”“What if they reject my faith?”“What if I am not prepared?” These questions, although common, cannot become excuses to ignore what God has already called us to. The Great Commission is not a suggestion, just an option presented by God. It is a direct call for all who follow Christ. And this call does not depend on perfection, but on willingness. “Go” is a commandment “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” Matthew 28:19 Jesus left a clear order before ascending to heaven. He didn’t say “if you want to,” nor “when you feel ready,” but He declared with authority what His disciples should do, seeking empowerment in Him to follow through. This instruction reveals that evangelizing is not an exclusive function of leaders or missionaries, but of every Christian. The “Go” does not depend on context, personality, or the ideal moment; it is an essential part of our faith. This is everyday life. He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the […]

Prayer: Surrender to the Source

Father, I know that many times I act as if I were the one who is always right. How often have I trusted more in my own understanding than in Your wisdom, forgetting that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (Proverbs 1:7). Today I surrender, recognizing that true wisdom does not come from within me, but from You. I confess my pride. Many times I struggle to accept correction, to listen, and to acknowledge when I am wrong. My ego speaks louder than Your voice. Therefore, I ask You—break in me everything that prevents me from having a teachable heart that is sensitive to Your direction. Teach me to trust less in myself and more in You. May my heart not be grounded in my own opinions, but in Your truth. As Your Word says, what I value directs my life, so align my desires, thoughts, and decisions with Your will, so that I will not lose my way by trusting in myself. Holy Spirit, work in me the humility to recognize when I am wrong and the maturity to accept and allow myself to be shaped by Your hands of love and justice. Even when […]

The Gospel is not a patch

The coming of Jesus was a turning point in human history. His message was not merely an improvement of the existing religious system, nor simply an adjustment to human traditions. The Gospel brought something completely new: a new covenant, a new way, and a new life for those who believe. Many times we try to live this newness while keeping old structures within us. We want to experience the grace of God, but without letting go of patterns, thoughts, and habits that belong to the past. However, Jesus made it clear that the Gospel is not a patch on an old life, but a complete and true transformation, through a deep pursuit of Him. The mew patch and the old garment “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.” Matthew 9:16–17 The illustration used in Matthew 9 shows that the message of the Kingdom […]

Prayer: Fruit of Life

Father, today we place ourselves before You, recognizing that You know all things. You know what we were, what we are, and what we will still become. Even knowing our failures, wrong choices, and weaknesses, You continue to call us close. Just as in the beginning, when You placed before humanity the choice between obeying or disobeying, You continue to offer us the path of life. We were not created as robots or forced servants, but as children who are free to choose to walk with You in love. Many times we are like Adam and Eve. We know what is right, yet we are still drawn to what seems easier, faster, or more pleasurable. Our hearts are fragile and easily deceived by our own desires. Forgive us for the times we chose the “fruit” that You told us not to touch. Forgive us for the times we preferred our own will instead of Your direction. God, teach us to choose obedience every day. May Your Spirit give us discernment to recognize the voices that try to pull us away from You. May we remember that Your commandments were never meant to limit us, but to protect us and lead […]

Eating the forbidden fruit

From the beginning, God knew everything. He knew what had been, what is, and what was yet to come. He knew the lies we have already told, the sins we have hidden, and even the mistakes we will still commit. So the inevitable question arises when we read Genesis: if He knew that Adam would fall, that Eve would be deceived, and that the serpent would be there, why did He place the tree in the garden? This is one of humanity’s oldest questions. Some even ask: Was God inconsistent? Selfish? Did He create an unfair test? But perhaps we are looking at the story through the wrong lens. The tree does not reveal a divine flaw; it reveals the depth of God’s love. Love requires a choice “And the Lord God commanded the man, ‘You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” Genesis 2:16-17 The presence of the tree reveals something fundamental: God created children, not robots. Love without the possibility of choice is not love—it is slavery. For obedience to have value, the possibility […]

Prayer: Death that gives birth to life

God, I thank You because You do not merely allow me to dream about what is great, but You call me to live what is Eternal. I am taught every day that each new spiritual step requires the death of my own “self,” of my plans, desires, and will, so that Your will may flourish in me. Give me the courage to surrender completely, knowing that only in You do I find true life. Help me understand that the journey with You is not designed to be comfortable, but to be transformative. I do not want to measure my value by what I achieve or control; I want my surrender to be driven by the pursuit of a deeper and deeper relationship with You. May I not fear the “deaths” You allow—open my eyes to see them as doors leading to the purpose prepared for me by Your hands. When the world leads me to see the process of surrender as frustration or abandonment, remind my heart that You do not want to leave me empty-handed, but to create space in my hands to receive what is greater and Eternal, filling me continuously. Turn my struggles into faith, my surrender […]

Steps of death and life

The journey with God is not a ladder of personal achievements, but an altar of daily surrender. Every new spiritual level, every greater responsibility, and every deeper purpose require something from us: surrender. In the Kingdom of God, growth does not mean accumulating, but emptying. There is a truth we often avoid: every spiritual step carries a death. The death of pride, of personal plans, of human expectations, and often of what we insist on calling a “dream.” But it is precisely in this place—the death of our “self”—that we find true life. God never calls us to lose, but to exchange. He invites us to surrender what is limited in order to receive what is Eternal. The more we pour out at His feet, the more room we create for Him to live in us. Death that gives birth to life “Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” John 12:24 Jesus made it clear that the principle of the Kingdom is death that produces life. The seed must be buried and seemingly “lost” in order to bear […]

On your knees

We live in a generation that desires quick results, supernatural experiences, and remarkable stories to tell. We want miracles, open doors, and powerful testimonies. But often, we are not willing to go through the process that produces them. In the Kingdom of God, our knees take us farther than our feet. The spiritual life is not sustained by haste, but by dependence. It is not about chasing opportunities, but about pouring ourselves out in His presence. Before great public victories, there are secret encounters with God. And it is there, in the place of prayer, that everything begins to be transformed. The pressure that produces oil “Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him.” Psalm 126:5–6 “Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed” (James 5:16). The prayer of the righteous is powerful because it is born from surrender. We want oil, but we forget that oil is only produced when the olive is pressed. A testimony is not born from comfort, but from process. In 2 Kings 4, the […]

Return to the present

“By faith Abraham, when called, obeyed and went to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, even though he did not know where he was going.” Hebrews 11:8 We live in a generation that wants explanations before obedience. We want clarity, guarantees, and security before taking any step. But in the Kingdom of God, the path is often the opposite: first we obey, then we understand. The space between obeying today and God explaining later is called faith. Faith does not eliminate questions, but it teaches us to walk even while they remain. We will not always have all the answers before acting, but we will have enough direction for the next step. God allows certain uncertainties not to confuse us, but to form us. Obedience without immediate explanation builds trust. When we learn to trust God’s character, even without understanding His ways, our faith stops being circumstantial and becomes relational. Do not measure the future “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:34 A common mistake, in moments when we do not have clear or specific answers, is trying to calculate future challenges […]

From discomfort to purpose

God does not always lead us to purpose through comfortable paths. Often, what awakens us to obedience is not tranquility, but discomfort. The story of Jonah reveals that God, in His love, allows uncomfortable environments not to punish us, but to reposition us. Discomfort, when guided by God, becomes an instrument of alignment. Fleeing from the calling “But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.” Jonah 1:3 Jonah received a clear command: go to Nineveh and proclaim repentance. But instead of obeying, he chose to flee toward Tarshish, in the opposite direction. His escape was not only geographical, but spiritual. He tried to distance himself from the calling because he did not agree with God’s plan. Many times, we do the same. When God’s will confronts our emotions, desires, or sense of justice, we try to choose paths that seem more comfortable, acting as if obedience depended on our agreement with the Word. But running away never leads to true peace. Disobedience may feel like temporary relief, […]

The guilt that distances us

Many times, when we fail, the first feeling that arises is not repentance, but shame. It makes us retreat, fall silent, and distance ourselves from God, as if our mistake had made us unworthy of His presence. However, this reaction reveals something deeper: at some level, we still believe that the Gospel revolves around us. But the center was never us. It has always been Christ. Accepted by works “Hearing the man and his wife the sound of the Lord God as He was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, ‘Where are you?’ He answered, ‘I heard You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.’” Genesis 3:8–10 Since Eden, shame has been a human response to sin. When Adam and Eve sinned, they did not run toward God—they hid from Him. Guilt produced distance, and distance produced fear. Shame is born when we believe God looks at us through our failure rather than through His love. When we fail and find it difficult to draw near, it reveals that […]

Remain in His presence

It is common to ask, “What is God’s will for my life?” In the midst of decisions, expectations, and dreams, we seek clear, quick, and definitive answers. We want to understand our calling, our mission, and the next step. However, many times God does not respond with a complete map, but with an invitation: remain in His presence. God’s will is not, most of the time, revealed all at once. It is discerned along the journey, through daily obedience that builds intimacy with Him. Before revealing destinations, God shapes hearts. Before showing the “where,” He works on the “who.” The presence of God is not a reward for those who get it right, but the path for those who desire to walk with Him. When we understand this, we stop running after answers and begin to rest in the One who guides every step. God’s will is born in His presence “Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.” Psalm 25:4–5 Moses did not ask for direction first; he asked for presence. In Exodus 33:14, God […]

The call continues

The special dates on the Christian calendar invite us to reflection, fellowship, and reunion with God. End-of-year services and messages about new beginnings warm the heart and renew hope. However, when the calendar turns and January arrives with its routine, God’s call must not lose its voice in our lives. Faith is not seasonal, and the Kingdom does not operate according to commemorative dates. Following Christ is a daily commitment that goes beyond emotional moments and reaches into the ordinary flow of life. The same God who spoke during a special service continues to speak on an ordinary Monday. The call does not end when the celebrations end; it continues to be lived out with consistency. Expiration date “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20 Jesus ends His earthly ministry with the clear command to “go.” There is no deadline, no specific season, and no requirement for a favorable emotional state. The Great Commission is not limited to spiritually intense […]

The silence of the birth

“Thus says the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel: ‘In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.’” Isaiah 30:15 Before the birth of Jesus, the world went through about four hundred years of prophetic silence. From the last announcement in Malachi until the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, there were no records of new direct revelations from God. For many, this silence could be interpreted as absence, but in truth, it was part of a plan carefully carried out by the Lord. God’s silence is not empty, nor does it mean abandonment. It carries intention, preparation, and alignment. While there was no prophetic voice, God was arranging times, people, cultures, and circumstances for the greatest event in history: the incarnation of the Son. The same happens with us. There are seasons when God seems silent, but that does not mean He has stopped working. Silence precedes spiritual births, maturity, and the fulfillment of promises. Not every silence is a “no”; often, it is simply a “not yet.” A guarded promise “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and dreadful day of the […]