Reflections: There is Salvation in Waiting
Sunday, March 29th, 2009
"The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord." Lamentations 3:25,26
Why is it so hard, at times, to give God our complete attention? I mean, are we that afraid of what He may have to say to us? Or, have we become so accustomed to giving God "lip" service, or doing all the talking and asking that we have forgotten how to be still, listen and wait on God?
It is my sincerest prayer that this week's Reflection will bring you not only encouragement, but food for your heart and soul. I pray that God will bless you mightily this week. That as you learn how to wait on God, and seek His face for all things, that you will know just how great God truly is.
I find myself at a loss for words at times. Struggling, it seems, to be alone in the presence of God, as all of these other thoughts seem to be bombarding my quiet time. Have you ever experienced that? I asked myself: Am I afraid? Am I afraid to hear what the Father may say? Have I been guilty of speaking only, and not listening? I pray not! I do want to know and hear what the Father has to say. I desire to know the things of God. However, I have to check myself--as we all should--being totally honest and asking ourselves, if what we truly want to hear is what God is speaking, or what "we" want to hear Him say. If it is in deed the latter, then we are cheating ourselves out of the grace and mercy and splendor of knowing and serving such an awesome God. If it is the former, then we know that great change and revelation are in store for us.
If this is the case, I ask myself: Why am I so fearful? How come I cannot maintain focus, and just allow God to father me, teach me and direct me? How can I say I desire the presence of Jehovah-Rohi, (The Lord is our Shepherd), and run the other way when I hear His voice? He is my Shepherd. He loves me...Better than anyone does or ever will. What's up with that?
I have to ask myself sometimes, or in just wondering, what is really going on in my soul? Why does it seem as though my mind is utterly blank? As if there are unaccounted for times that exist within the recesses of my mind? I mean, sometimes I feel as though there is this huge chunk of time that I literally cannot account for. I have know idea what I was thinking about; where my mind decided to go. Like a fog just rolled in, and took a mental break. To where? I don't know.
Lamentations 3:22-24 "It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him."
We are living in such a time that we cannot afford to be spacing out and taking for granted the time we have. I firmly believe that that Jesus is soon to return. And one can best believe that the enemy believes the same thing. It is quite evident just by looking around us, and the world we live in. Yet it is the Lord's mercy that we are not consumed. It is because of His love and compassion that never cease or fail, that we have the opportunity, each and everyday He blesses us to see, to spend time at his feet, and to learn of Him, and to learn how to wait on Him.
I've learned that waiting on the Lord is like strength training. It's like building muscle. It takes time, but it makes you stronger and able to withstand many things, boosts endurance. The enemy, I believe, is that resistance force. Always opposing us, and laying traps and hurdles in our ways. Trying to creep in and lay a spirit of fear upon our hearts. I'm not fearful of the enemy or his many plots. Only because I know that God has said no weapon formed against me shall prosper (Isaiah 54:17), the fact that he has to get permission from God to mess with me, and that if I spend time hiding from Satan, believing his lies, running from what God has for me, making impatient decisions, then that is less time that I spend with God, doing/living out His will for my life.
I realize that this is exactly what the enemy wants: To have our focus on him and his antics, so that we forget that we have already won through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We can denounce the enemy and his ways as much as we'd like, and still never get any closer to the fulfillment of God's promises, becoming stagnated in the mess of the devil, because somewhere in us we have given the enemy our power. At some point, we stopped believing the Word of God; stopped living and walking it. It is evident in our lives, and the enemy jumps on it quickly.
"The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord." Lamentations 3:25,26
Patience. A small word with a heavy load. Perhaps that's the source of many a burden: The lack of patience. I can attest to the fact that I've been there--many a time. I guess one can say that we live in a society where everything is rushed. Quicker is not always better. And sometimes, quicker is most costly.
Perhaps this, too, is how the enemy gains a foothold into our lives. In our prayer lives. Our praise and worship lives. Our daily lives and walk with the Father. Because we have become so impatient, we no longer wait on God, or wait to hear His instructions. Maybe we are afraid to hear Him say: Wait! Just maybe this is the reason why so many of us find it hard to spend quality time in prayer. Why so many do not understand the solace that comes from being quiet and in the presence of God. Maybe we are wanting God to answer us with the answer we desire, and truly do not want to hear His, because we know that there is a chance that His answer says: Wait! I don't know. Just a thought. One that I really need to consider for myself, as well.
Do I do that? Am I guilty of impatience? Wanting things done my way and quickly? Causing me to not fully hear what the Spirit of the living God is saying to me, and instructing me to do? Could my salvation from dilemmas and problems come from quietly waiting and hoping on the Lord? Waiting for His will to be done. And if He says, wait. Do it patiently, with a heart of praise and worship? Wow! That would be something, huh? Something that we all need to consider.
Perhaps you have grown impatient while waiting upon the Lord. Maybe you have begun to moan and complain. Maybe you have become fearful of what God has to say to you, because you know in your heart, that you have not given all to the Lord as you should, and have allowed the enemy to have power in your life. It's okay. Been there, done that. And the wonderful thing is, just as it says in the 22nd and 23rd verses of Lamentations 3, God's mercy and compassions are new every morning. In verses 25 and 26, it says that is good for us to wait on God while our soul seeks him. That is good that we wait quietly and with hope for the salvation of God.
I know that this week's Reflection has a somewhat different tone. That is because I needed to share with you, as I always do, what God laid upon my heart, but also what I personally experienced this past week. It is good for us to share with one another things we battle with at times. The thoughts that we may tangle with. The struggles we may contend with. Why? Because our testimony may help someone else. Our candidness and honesty may allow someone else to know that they are not alone. That they are not the only one contending with the same issues that so many of us contend with, and many act like they don't.
Whatever it is that you have been facing, know that God has you. He loves you. And when you practice patience, placing your hope in Him, quietly and patiently waiting on the Father, while seeking His face, while offering up continued prayer, praise and worship, your salvation will come. What does Psalm 34:17 say? "The righteous cry, AND the Lord hearth, and delivered them out of ALL of their troubles." Don't be afraid to cry unto the Lord, and to wait on Him. And don't be afraid to hear what God has to say to you. Why? Because with God, it's ALL GOOD! I pray that you are met with the spirit of peace and prosperity in every area of your life: spiritually, physically, emotionally, mentally, socially and financially. Be Blessed.
©2009. Ruthe McDonald. All Rights Reserved.
rate
email
print
link to this page
Comments: 21
I'm so glad to hear about your book signing. I miss Brooklyn, NY...it's where I was born and lived until I was 10 years old. Congratulations to you on your awesome, inspiring book and may God continue to use you to encourage His people.
Congratulations!!!!
Patience and humility are both hard for us to learn. I've tried dialoguing in prayer, listening and speaking. A priest advised me to pay attention to distracting thoughts that come during prayer. Sometimes those are spiritual messages.
Most of us do a lot of our serious praying when something sad, painful or frightening happens. I know He likes to hear about the good things, and the everyday things, too.
A friend who was suffering from cancer told us not to pray for her to have no pain because it was during the worst pain and suffering that she felt closest to God.
Wanting something is not enough. You must hunger for it. Your motivation must be absolutely compelling in order to overcome the obstacles that will invariably come your way.
In the end, it is the person you become, not the things you have achieved, that is the most important.
Thank you and may God continue to bless you.
My pastor and dear friend was sharing a story with us about a bad day he had comming home from work. One of his co-workers road with him to work and on the way home his truck broke down. He could not find out what was wrong with it so he began to replace parts, each time finding that was not the problem. His co-worker asked him how could he stay so calm. Each time you change a part you say "well thank God that wasn't it",.boy I'd be cussing and kicking the fender by now. Our pastor told him that the truck was already broken down and that putting a dent in the fender would not fix anything.
Shortly after that the truck started rite up. It was then that the Lord spoke to me, His words to my spirt gave me an understanding that I felt ashamed not to have already realized.
"My hand passes thru the strong to caress the weak and lead the sinner to righteousness". I realized that some of the things that we go thru at times are not as much for us (per-say) as they are for others. For them to se that God can bring peace in the mist of the storm. We are examples, just as the city set upon a hill can be seen, so are our actions. A tool in the hand of our creator as He neatly displays His work in our lives so that others can look at us and say " I truely can se peace in the mist of the storm " and know that is were they need to be.
When we ask God to use us to help others, realize that He answers or prayers, it may not be what we were thinking but it will be the most effective. His strenght is made pefect in our weakness. You are one of my blessings from God. I asked for help and He sent me a Reflection.
Thanks Comments
Myspace Comments - Upload Photos
THANKS FOR SHARING
Psalms 46:10 "Be still, and know that I am God. It looked like a place were you would just want to set and look at and try to asorbe the beauty. I realized that setting and waiting in the presences of God should be the most important and beautiful place in our lives, there in finding His peace and direction for each of our lives.
Thank you and may God continue to bless you.
Samuel W., Mar 31, 2009, 6:26am EDT
Psalm 130
5 I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,
and in his word I put my hope.
6 My soul waits for the Lord
more than watchmen wait for the morning,
more than watchmen wait for the morning
I realized that some of the things that we go thru at times are not as much for us (per-say) as they are for others. For them to se that God can bring peace in the mist of the storm. We are examples, just as the city set upon a hill can be seen, so are our actions. A tool in the hand of our creator as He neatly displays His work in our lives so that others can look at us and say " I truely can se peace in the mist of the storm " and know that is were they need to be.
When we ask God to use us to help others, realize that He answers or prayers, it may not be what we were thinking but it will be the most effective. His strenght is made pefect in our weakness. You are one of my blessings from God. I asked for help and He sent me a Reflection.
Samuel W., Mar 31, 2009, 7:24am EDT
Patience. Boy, do I need more. Praying daily a hundred times. Confusion. Not hearing.
Pain. Continued pain. More pain.
Expectations. Nothing happening. Patience. Oh Lord, please grant me the patience I so sorely need.
Being in the presence of the Lord is truly a gift that I cherish. I, too, can get quite overwhelmed, and feel as though God is a million miles away. Also, I know how it is when you look around, and it seems as though you just step into a deeper hole, after just climbing out of one. It is difficult, but not impossible tp have peace and joy. For all things are possible with God, and there is a lesson to all that we go through.
Samuel, thank you so much for sharing. Is it not amazing to know that God is in the midst all along? Amen!
Dale, you know you remain in my prayers. I know that things may seem easier said than done at this time; but trust me, God is there, and He is waiting for you to open your mouth and speak what He says about you and your situation. He desires for you to speak the Word out loud; His promises.
Sometimes it is very hard to speak anything other than what we are faced with on a daily basis. But try. Instead of speaking of what's not going right, begin to declare the promises of God. He loves you. As do I.
God Bless, dear friends. I hope this past week met you with much love and kindness.