If God is going to be there, do it!

Hats folded like tacos. Even the preacher was a cowboy. 

The sermon opening was a summary of the bible story of Queen Esther.

Esther’s cousin, Mordecai sent her a message:

“Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14 NIV.

She agreed to speak to the King (her husband) without being summoned which would result in one of two outcomes: she would be either killed or pardoned.

“Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai:  ‘Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.’ So Mordecai went away and carried out all of Esther’s instructions.” Esther 4:15-17.

The preacher took off his hat and looked straight at us. 

“I believe God gives us opportunities to partner with Him. If we say no, deciding to stay put, I don’t believe He punishes us—there’s just more blessing in the opportunity to follow Him. By the way, blessing is something that can never be taken away.”

He paused.

“I lived in Texas on a cattle ranch. God asked me to move to Colorado and become a preacher. I could’ve stayed—and there was good reasons to stay in Texas. I had a great job…I flew on a private plane…but I sensed that God was speaking to me like He did to Queen Ester; You can stay, but relief and deliverance will arise from another place. It wasn’t like the old game show where if I chose curtain number two, there’d be a pig behind it. No, God doesn’t punish us for not going with Him, we simply miss the blessing.”

He looked at the audience. 

“If God is going to be there, DO IT!”

People in the audience agreed with him.

“It’s better to be the man in the arena doing something rather than the man sitting in the stands wishing he had.”

An amen came from the back of the auditorium.

“If God is there, GO FOR IT!”

***

Is there something in your life that God is calling you to but you’re afraid? Do you want to simply keep what’s been safely offered?

If you choose to follow God, there’s no guarantee that it will be comfortable, but if He’s offering it to you, I bet there’s greater blessing in the journeying with Him.

If God is going to be there, do it.