F.L.O.W.

Lately I have found myself drawn to acronyms. I will hear a word and start to ponder something it could stand for in my life. I see a frog – Fully Rely on God. I hear Fear – I think Forget Everything And Run or Face Everything and Rise. I was listening to a message recently and heard the word Rise. I thought Repent Introspection Seek Exhault. I am still working on a blog about it. Yesterday at church the pastor or maybe the worship leader mentioned Flow. I wrote down F.L.O.W. as if he would provide the words that it represented in my mind. Maybe the word stuck out to me because I had been at the creek the day before. Or because my husband had apparently got caught in the flow of the creek current and someone had to help him out. The other thing that stuck out to me is that we have to release before we can receive. I know there are things in my life I need to release in order to receive where God is taking me next.

As I pondered on the word “flow” and thought of release to receive, I thought about four things that we should all release in our lives.

Faith – “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭11:6‬ ‭. Faith must flow from our life in order to please God. Faith in His existence. Faith in our ability to have relationships with Him. Faith that He will reward us for seeking Him.

Love – “But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭6:35‬ ‭Love flows from our life, because He first loved us. We are told to love the Lord and our neighbors. We are also told to love our enemies. That pretty much covers everyone. When love flows our rewards will be great.

Obey – ““And if you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the Lord your God. Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your cattle, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock. Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out. “The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before you. They shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways. The Lord will command the blessing on you in your barns and in all that you undertake. And he will bless you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. The Lord will establish you as a people holy to himself, as he has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in his ways. And all the peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they shall be afraid of you. And the Lord will make you abound in prosperity, in the fruit of your womb and in the fruit of your livestock and in the fruit of your ground, within the land that the Lord swore to your fathers to give you. The Lord will open to you his good treasury, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hands. And you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you shall only go up and not down, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, being careful to do them, and if you do not turn aside from any of the words that I command you today, to the right hand or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.” Deuteronomy‬ ‭28:1-14‬ ‭The Old Testament is filled with blessing that flow out of obedience to the Lord. Obedience is a command, not an option.

‬‬Worship – “But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”” John‬ ‭4:23-24‬ ‭

“Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.” Hebrews‬ ‭12:28-29‬ ‭Our worship is in spirit and truth flowing from the knowledge that His kingdom can not be shaken.

We do not flow in faith, love, obedience and worship for what we receive, although He does attach promises to each. These things flow out of abiding relationship with Him. They are long term actions that we release to Him because of who He is and all He has done for us.