We’re using the summer as an opportunity to re-align our lives to the Lord as many of us step away and rest from the daily routines and demands of life. This week’s focus will be on how well we are able to conform to God’s will:

IN WORD We serve an unpredictable God. He is not unreasonable, and He is not inconsistent, but He is unpredictable. No human has ever fathomed His ways. As much as we try to make the spiritual life of discipleship a formula—and check out the shelves of your local Christian bookstore if you don’t believe we have done that—God will change directions on us. Why is that? Does He enjoy being elusive? Does He like to taunt us by always staying out of our reach? No, God does not tease.
But anyone who follows Him must quickly learn: He is not a formula. He does not repeat the same methods over and over again. He does not let us get into a habit of obedience-by-memory that does not engage the spirit. There is great mercy in that. He is a God of relationship, and He only allows us to relate to Him. We cannot memorize Him, we cannot learn His principles apart from His person, and we cannot substitute His Law in place of His Spirit. He desires to be known, and while His past deeds help us know who He is, His present direction can only be found in a vital relationship with His person.
IN DEED God is looking for those who have the flexibility to pick up and go when He says to pick up and go, and to sit down and stay when He says to sit down and stay. Sometimes He will have us camp for several days, sometimes only for several minutes. Sometimes He will lead us for miles, sometimes for a few feet. The disciple who says, “The God who led me five miles yesterday will lead me five miles every day,” does not know the God he serves. He’s into religion, not faith. There’s a huge difference. In your discipleship, are you depending on principles, or are you looking for God? You must be available to do what He commands today, not what He commanded you last time. Know the difference. Know your God. “The evidence of knowing God is obeying God.” – Eric Alexander (in “Walking with God” by Chris Tiegreen)

There is a saying that the unexpected always lies around the corner. Vacations are opportunities to step outside our comfort zone and to experience God’s “unpredictable” nature.
When you encounter hiccups in your vacation plans, how do you respond? This week, reflect on the apostle Paul through Acts 13-28 as he faced so many twists and turns in his travels. Ask the Holy Spirit to learn from how Paul responded and how God blessed him through the unexpected. As you obey God in the same way when you encounter hiccups this summer, you will find that God blesses those who humbly submit to Him with the flexibility of faith. Have a blessed week! – back in Singapore, Pastor Sam