Teach Me To Wait

It is better to be patient than powerful. Proverbs 16:32 (GNT)

 “Be patient to everyone, but above all with   yourself.”

Nature provides many wonderful examples of patience. One of the most fascinating is the century plant,

Agave. This cactus grows to a height of about six feet then stops, standing at that height for twenty or thirty years. After that long period of time, a new bud suddenly sprouts at the top of the cactus and grows at a phenomenal rate up to seven inches a day! The cactus grows to a height of twenty to forty feet, and, finally, a crown of glorious yellow blossoms emerges at the top.

Our life is like the century plant. Often, it is after years of patience and preparation that the most wonderful things happen. All we need to do is continue walking with the Lord faithfully, patiently, every day.

Unlike the blooms on a century plant, the crown awaiting us will not be gone in three short weeks. It will last for all eternity!

The path of the Christian life is a long journey with many unexpected turns, delays, and setbacks. Progress can be difficult. It is likely that we are the one who gets the most impatient with our progress. At those times when we’re impatient, better keep in mind that becoming all that God created us to be takes time—lots of time! But if we keep our eye on the goal, we’ll get there—not through our own strength and resources, but through His.

 

But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.-Romans 8:25 (ESV)

Power Of Prayer

The power of prayer is not the result of the   person praying. Rather, the power resides in the God who is being prayed to. 1 John 5:14-15 tells us, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us – whatever we ask – we know that we have what we asked of him.” No matter the person praying, the passion behind the prayer, or the purpose of the prayer – God answers prayers that are in agreement with His will. His answers are not always yes, but are always in our best interest. When our desires line up with His will, we will come to understand that in time. When we pray passionately and purposefully, according to God’s will, God responds powerfully!

We cannot access powerful prayer by using “magic formulas. Our prayers being answered is not based on the eloquence of our prayers. We   don’t have to use certain words or phrases to get God to answer our prayers. In fact, Jesus rebukes those who pray using repetitions, “And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him” (Matthew 6:7-8). Prayer is communicating with God. All you have to do is ask God for His help. Psalm 107:28-30 reminds us, “Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven.”

There is power in prayer!

Hold On

As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many peopleshould be kept alive, as they are today. Genesis 50:20

God promised to make Abraham the father of a great nation, with descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky (Gen. 15:5) Despite his great faith, can you blame him for questioning when this was going to happen when he was still fatherless at age 75 (Gen. 12:4)?

Samuel anointed David as king of Israel in response to Saul’s spirit of disobedience (1 Sam. 16:1). The problem is David was hunted like a fugitive and animal for the next seven years (1 Sam. 19:9) No wonder he cried to God, “Why have you forgotten me? Why am I sad and troubled by my enemies?” (Psalm 42:9).

Moses led the Hebrew slaves from captivity and into the Promised Land over the course of forty years (Ex. 16:35). Jesus spent the first thirty years of His life as a child, son (as was supposed) before the right moment came for Him to begin His ministry (Luke 3:23).

Why doesn’t God just bring about His plan in our lives right now? Could it be that once of the most important ways God forms us into the image of His Son Jesus Christ is through allowing us to express our faith in Him through waiting?

In the Proverb, Solomon points out the natural truism that “When hope is crushed, the heart is crushed, but a wish come true fills you with joy”(13:12-GNT). But Paul’s testimony that “the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us”(Romans 8:18) is a powerful reminder that God may not be early BUT He’s always right on time with just what we need.

Is your soul weary with worry? Are you frustrated waiting to know what God wants to do in your life? HOLD ON. God is on the way right now.

The Big Picture

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. ~Romans 8:28

There are times in our lives as Christians when God will do things or fail to do things that we want Him to do, and it will not make sense to us. And because we don’t see the big picture, we may falsely conclude that God has abandoned us. But we need to trust Him during these times, remembering that Jesus Christ is the author and finisher of our faith. In other words, what God starts, He completes.

It seems as I get older, I get distracted and forget things all the time. But what if God forgot about us? What a frightening thought. Imagine being in the midst of a fiery trial as God is watching and waiting for that moment to take us out of it. Then the phone rings, and He is gone for a decade! Thankfully, God never forgets about us. He is in full control. He knows exactly what He is doing. He will complete what He has begun.

Sometimes in the middle of that process, we may think the Lord is missing it. But He isn’t. We’re the ones who are missing it. From our limited human viewpoint, we think of the temporal, but God lives in the eternal. We are thinking of today, but God is planning for tomorrow. We are thinking of comfort, but God is thinking of character. We are thinking of an easy time, but God is thinking of how to make us better people.

So let’s trust Him. Whatever our circumstances or hardships, let us believe His promise to His children, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). All things are working together.

He Is Enough

Read: Matthew 14:22-33

But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.-Matthew 14:27

Sometimes we are overwhelmed by life. The crushing waves of disappointment, endless debt, debilitating illness, or trouble with people can cause hopelessness, depression, or despair. It happened to Jesus’ disciples. And it has happened to me.

Three statements by the Lord beginning with the words “It is . . .” offer us comfort, reassurance, and hope that Jesus is enough. The first is in Matthew 4 and is repeated three times: “It is written” (vv.4,7,10). In responding to the three temptations of Satan, Jesus gave us proof enough that the Word of God is true and overcomes the most powerful forms of temptation and pressure.

The second statement, “It is I” (Matt. 14:27), was spoken when Jesus told His terrified disciples that He Himself was presence enough to stop the howling storm and calm the raging seas.

Jesus spoke the third “It is” from the cross: “It is finished!” (John 19:30). He assured us that His death was provision enough to pay the debt for our sins and set us free.

Whatever our circumstances, Jesus is present with His love, compassion, and grace. He is proof, presence, and provision enough to carry us safely through.  — David C. Egner

When trials overwhelm our souls
And tempt us to despair,
We need to reach out to the Lord
And trust His tender care. —Sper

God’s love does not keep us from trials; it helps us get through them.