GIVE GOD TIME TO WORK

Week Thirty-Eight, 2020

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Phil 4:6

Patience is not one of my virtues. I don’t do well waiting. I want results now. I work hard to relax and wait and give God time to work. If I stand in the shortest line, it takes the longest time. I think God is trying to tell me something.

Sometimes it is like that with the bigger challenges in life. When those strike, I want to fix them immediately. The two improper words in that are “I” and “immediately. I cannot solve every problem, cure every hurt or avoid every fear, but I can (and should) leave room for God. I can’t do the seemingly impossible, but He is able to do “exceedingly, abundantly and above all” that I could ask or imagine. (Eph 3:20) The Lord delights in the impossible.

This is what the Biblical phrase “wait on the Lord” is all about, trusting and waiting for Him to work. Waiting and trusting runs counter to my proactive and assertive self. Fretting only causes harm. He alone can part the waters. We are to walk by faith, not by feelings. We must trust God with the impossible and leave room and time for Him to work.

There’s not a mountain too tall; nor a problem so small that Jesus can’t resolve. One of my favorite verses is Isaiah 40:31: “But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

We live in an instant world. Waiting is such a loose term these days. We throw it around as though it’s something we are very familiar with, but are we? Do we really know what it means to wait? We can cook meals instantly in the microwave or go through a drive-thru for the fastest meals we could ask for. Amazon Prime (and even Prime Now!) has made it so that we can get a package in our hands in days or even mere hours.

If we have a question or are curious about something, there’s no need to wait or research later. The smart phone most of us hold in our hands much of the day can generally answer any questions we may come up with. The point is, waiting is an idea we are all familiar with, but aren’t necessarily used to practicing.

No one likes to wait, but waiting on the Lord is an act of obedience. We should not be anxious about tomorrow and live each day in its own time. God will take care of tomorrow.

We must cast out fear, not an easy thing for me to do. I tend to worry, especially about the unknown. The only fear a Christian should entertain is the fear of sin. All other fears are from Satan sent to confuse and weaken us.

These past six months have given us all a lot to fear, more than anytime I can ever remember. We have things to fear that we had not ever considered like the pandemic, being evicted onto the streets, having no employment and the list goes on. We have long term things to fear, but we also have tomorrow. When we feel we are in the dark and don’t know what to do next, God tells us to cast out fear and seek His light for the next step. We need to trust God for guidance in small increments. If you can’t see dimly in the distance, do what lies clearly at hand.

Be patient and trust the Lord. Psalm 37 CEV

With all your heart you must trust the Lord and not your own judgment. Always let him lead you, and He will clear the road for you to follow. Proverbs 3:5-6 CEV

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. Isaiah 55:8

Trust God to deliver in His own unique way. That’s His specialty!

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SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

What would you attempt to do if you knew you would not fail?

Initially, I was quick to respond. But then, as I deliberated and really thought through it, my mind and heart were pricked. Sometimes… We have to be like Peter and step out of the boat, eyes solely focused on Christ, and walk on water. It’s only when we take our eyes off of Him and begin to focus on our circumstances that we find ourselves thrashing about in the water. All too often we allow others to steal our dreams, squash our passion, diminish our purpose… whether in jealousy, in ignorance or in untruth. You know your gifts. You know your strengths (and your weaknesses). You know God has a plan. So I’ll ask it again. “What would you attempt to do if you knew you would not fail?” Marty Stubblefield.

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Worse than COVID-19 is the unseen enemy, Satan. The scourge of his pestilence that he has inflicted upon the human race is of pandemic proportions. The plague of sin has infected every home and every heart. In its wake we witness suffering, sorrow and shame. Its symptoms are pride, greed and lust. And it manifests itself through immorality, addiction and corruption. Ken Weliever, The Preacher Man

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The famous preacher Dwight L. Moody once said, “Trust in yourself and you are doomed to disappointment. Trust in your friends and they will die and leave you. Trust in money and you may have it taken from you. Trust in your reputation and some slanderous tongue may blast it. But trust in God and you are never to be confounded in time or eternity.”

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QUOTES YOU CAN USE

“We are saved by faith, not by growing fruit; but we are not saved by fruitless faith. A person saved by faith will be a person in whom the fruit of the Spirit grows….” – Timothy Keller

There is a difference between joy and happiness. Happiness is based on circumstances. Joy is found in knowing that God is faithful and will work things for His good despite our circumstances. Joy comes in knowing the hope, peace, grace, forgiveness and love found in a relationship with Jesus Christ. Marty Stubblefield

The fact is, human words cannot save human souls. You and I cannot convict anyone of their sins or lead them to repentance. This is the work of the Holy Spirit. He will use us to the degree that we depend on Him.

The works of God are such that only God can perform them. Soren Kierkegaard

Don’t let your circumstances define your image of God, but let God define your circumstances. Pastor Phillip Hanes

You can let people get on your nerves, or you can let people get on your heart. Ken Whitten

Proverbs is God’s wisdom for making wise decisions. Rob Taylor

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