Thursday, January 22, 2009

Waiting on the Lord

I was reading from my devotional this week and one of them was about waiting. I do not know about you, but I often struggle with waiting on the Lord. Why does God's timing have to be so different from our own?

To answer that question, one of the things I know is that God sees the whole picture when we only see in part. The Bible tells us this is the case in 1 Corinthians 13:12. "Now we see things imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely."

Isn't it nice to know that God knows you completely?! Well, maybe, it is a little frightening, but also comforting. God knows where you are today, physically, spiritually, emotionally. He knows what challenges you are facing and how you want to respond to those challenges.

Thankfully, He is waiting with an answer. Waiting is the key word we come back to. The Bible has a lot to say about waiting, but one of my favorite verses is this: Isaiah 40:31. NAS puts it this way, "Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary". NLT says it this way, "But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint."

Waiting is the key to most situations. In the waiting, you find the Lord and your answer, but sometimes you want to bypass the waiting and get to the answer. My devotional said this, "One way we often cope with a long wait (or even a short one) is begin helping God get his plan into action... Another way we cope with a long wait is to gradually conclude that what we're waiting for is never going to happen."

Sarah is the example they use in this devotional. She, at some point, chose both avenues. At first she tries to figure out the most reasonable way God is going to bring the promise about. Then when that does not work, she begins to believe that it will never happen. Her body is just too old.

I know at times in my own life I have gone both avenues. I have either tried to make it happen myself or I have given up hope. I believing that today is not one of those days. The challenges I face today I stand in faith believing that if I will patiently wait, God will provide for all of my needs.

I encourage you to do the same. Seek the Lord and He will find you. When He does, He will have the answers to any circumstances or crisis you might be in the middle of.

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Please Join Us
Healing Rooms Team Training
Date: Saturday, January 17th
Time: 9:00am
Cost: $10 (to cover materials)