Seeing the Good on Earth

Do you get impatient? Have you prayed for years for the same thing only to see no progress? Does it wear you down?

I am easily discouraged. I want an easy life, free from worry or fear (By the way, God offers us this if we trust Him, but sometimes that's a tall order, isn't it?). I want my prayers answered in a way I can see. I want miracles and prosperity. I don't feel cut out for the hard stuff.

But God is a God of waiting. Abraham and Sarah waited until their old age to have a son. Jacob worked 14 years for his beloved Rachel. Joseph waited decades before his dream of his brothers bowing before him came to reality. When we can't see how it will possibly work out, waiting forces us to trust.

David was familiar with waiting on God. After his anointing, he waited years to take the throne. Yet while he was running from those wishing to take his life, he penned these words.

Yet I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness
while I am here in the land of the living.

Wait patiently for the Lord.
Be brave and courageous.
Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.

Psalm 27:13-14 (NLT)

Do you see it? He says I will see the Lord's goodness. Here. In the land of the living. As in on earth. I will see God's goodness in my earthly lifetime.

I've had many discussions about how God works and makes good of everything. Often those discussions end with the acknowledgement that our prayers may not be answered until heaven. We are promised good in heaven.

But David says, "I am confident I will see the Lord's goodness while I am here in the land of the living." (emphasis mine)

Is this a promise to see God's goodness here on earth? Does it mean I don't have to wait for heaven?

I think so.

But don't misunderstand me. God's goodness may not be solving the problem. God's goodness may be painful. I might miss God's goodness because it doesn't resemble what I expect. Do I overlook it because I'm short-sighted? Have I covered it with hurt and disappointment? Am I looking with human eyes? Am I looking for it at all?

If God is good, and He is, there must be good in any bad. There must be purpose and glimpses of His touch. There must be a perfect plan in place. If we look hard enough for His goodness, will we find it? If we ask to see it, will He show us?

I will see the Lord's goodness while I am here in the land of the living.

Mmmmm. I like that idea. It makes me feel like a child waiting for the surprise. And just like any kid, I have a hard time waiting. God knows us well for He adds an admonition about waiting. Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. It might get tough. We might want to give up, but we're to hang on with courage. If we just wait long enough, we will see His goodness.

That's enough for me. I'll ask for better eyesight and put on my big girl panties and wait for the goodness of the Lord.

I will see the Lord's goodness while I am here in the land of the living.



Photo Credit: Jamie

If we just wait long enough . . .

Over the years I prayed a lot about my relationship with my dad. It wasn't bad. It just wasn't . . . well, good. I was never Daddy's Little Girl, or if I was, I never felt it. I could count on him to take care of my car, but we didn't communicate really. Time alone with him felt awkward. We were there for each other, but didn't really know each other. Anything he knew about me came through Mom.

When my parents divorced, it was new territory for us. I had to force myself to call him, and honestly didn't do it like I should have. He was actually more faithful than me. We'd have an uncomfortable ten minute conversation every couple of weeks and that was that.

But I kept praying about it. We both kept trying. Finally, MANY years later, while he was fighting cancer, we were forced together intimately, driving to and from doctors, tests, treatments. We talked like never before, perhaps knowing it was our last chance, and came to an understanding about each other. I think he "got" me before he died. I treasure that time to this day. It took a while, but God answered my prayers.

I've seen similar results in other circumstances. When we were first married, we were so poor, I prayed for God to rescue us. But He had better plans. He taught us to rely on Him and provided everything we needed along the way and slowly gave us more as we followed His lead. I've prayed for my relationship with my brothers for what seems like forever. A big age span has kept us in different life stations for most of our lives, but just this week one called to see what I thought about an issue he was struggling with. I never thought I'd see that happen. We talked freely and comfortably and spiritually. So amazing. I've prayed for things for my kids for YEARS. Some I've seen happen. Some not. But as I watch God's work unfold I am always left amazed at how He's orchestrated it perfectly.

I'd be the first person to admit I get frustrated with God's timing. I want release from the burden NOW, not in ten years. But one thought has encouraged me lately.

Is it just a matter of time before we see God work? If we hang in there long enough, will we be satisfied? Will it make sense some day, either here or in heaven? Are we too impatient? If we just wait long enough, will we see His deliverance, His restoration? Do we give up too easy?

Or do we lack imagination? Do we miss His hand because we're looking for something different? Is He showing Himself, but our human eyes are too dim to notice?

Is ten years too long to wait? Three weeks? Eight months? A lifetime? If we desire God's perfect plan, His masterpiece, shouldn't we give the Master time to work? Would rushing it ruin the beauty? God is not bound by time like we are.

With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.

He could answer our prayer in 20 years. Or it could be tomorrow.

And so we wait.

For His PERFECT way.

For what is faith if it isn't tested? How do we gain trust by never having to rely on Him? If we keep believing, keep praying, persistently and fervently, is it only a matter of time until God answers? Not until He grants our wishes, but until He answers, with a yes or a no. If we don't lose heart, if we keep coming near, won't the answer come eventually?

I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

Psalm 27:13-14

I am confident that God is working, friends. Even when we can't see it. Time is nothing to Him. We just have to wait. And if we just wait long enough . . .

Perfection.



Photo Credit: Jose Luis Mieza Photography

Masterpieces Take Time

It took Michaelangelo four years to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel at Vatican City.


Margaret Mitchell needed eight years to write Gone With the Wind.


Construction on the Nebraska State Capitol required ten years.


Experts believed it took 50 years for workers to complete the Sphinx in Egypt.


200 years were spent on the Leaning Tower of Pisa.


Who can calculate how many years carved the Grand Canyon?

Masterpieces take time. And yet it strikes me that each of these marvels are temporal, lasting only as long as earth does, deteriorating every minute. We value them as treasures, but none will be part of our eternal future. None will be in heaven.

So why do we expect God, the master Creator, to take less time crafting His everlasting children? Why do we want quick fixes? Why aren't we willing to wait for His beautiful, masterful plan? Why are we so impatient?

I want to see what I want to see in the people I love, in those my heart hurts for, yet God is constantly working, chipping, carving, sculpting. He's writing the story of our lives and painting it with His skillful, creative, unique hand. Masterpieces take time and if I want the best, I have to patiently wait for Him to do His thing.

God works in mysterious, yet calculated, perfect ways. He's not making junk. He's creating masterpieces.

Wait and hope for and expect the Lord; be brave and of good courage and let your heart be stout and enduring. Yes, wait for and hope for and expect the Lord.

Psalm 27:14

Do you have trouble waiting for God's master plan to unfold?



Photo Credits
Sistine Chapel: Beyond Forgetting

Nebraska State Capitol: jimbowen0306

Leaning Tower of Pisa: Sam and Ian

Sphinx: digitalurbanlandscape

Grand Canyon: Markusnl

What We Miss By Asking Why

Sometimes things don't turn out how I think they should, how I'd like them to. We sold our first house SEVEN YEARS after we moved out of it. My kids didn't get jobs I prayed for them to get. A video we submitted twenty years ago to America's Funniest Videos got initial approval and we signed papers, but it never aired. I've prayed for and expected miracles which never came. Hardest of all is the waiting. God always requires waiting.

I spend a lot of time asking God why. What's so terrible about revealing Your plan? Why would it be so awful for my child to get that job? Where are You, God? Are You hearing me at all?

Disappointment. Frustration. Aggravation.

But God never promised to meet my every whim. I pray for things that would make my life easier. He answers to make me holier.

“True peace comes from embracing what is, not from ceaseless striving to change everything around me to make my life more safe, secure, comfortable.”

Dan Meadows in The Mosaic Bible

Do I struggle when I fight what IS? Would I feel better if I just went with what God gives without asking why, without doubting His goodness? God doesn't make mistakes. He gives each of us gifts we may or may not like. Disappointment, frustration, aggravation come when we refuse to accept what He's given or how He's working in our lives.

It's like a little boy who asks for a glass of milk and his father gives him a cow.

"A cow?" the boy whines, "But that's too hard. I don't want to work at this. I just want milk."

"I could give you a glass of milk, but soon it would be gone and what would you learn?" his father replies, "With a cow you gain a new skill, get all the milk you'd ever want and have plenty to share. Isn't that better than one glass of milk?"

When I complain about my life, when I ask God to cure my problems quickly, am I asking for too little? Am I asking for a glass of milk when He wants to give me a cow? Am I missing true peace by not accepting what is? Do I get stuck and distracted in my "if only"s? Is wanting easy causing me more trouble than necessary on the road to something great?

What do you think?

Tell me your opinion in the comments, or better yet, link up below and share your post on this quote.

When God Speaks

He gets my attention in unusual ways--a strange turn of phrase, an amazing sight, a surprising action by a friend, too many coincidences to be coincidence. I know He's trying to tell me something, but what?

How do you interpret it when God speaks?

The answer comes in phases, over a period of time. Sometimes it makes sense, other times, not so much. But Scripture always supports it. My gut tells me it's more than a fleeting thought.

What do you do when God speaks?

I pray, but there's no audible voice, no handwriting on the wall, no trumpets announcing my next move. I just know I'm affected and my thoughts wander in the same direction and I don't feel right until I've either done what He's asked or keep pursuing His answer.

How do I know what's next when God speaks?

I talk to Him directly. I don't get what You're saying, God, but I know You're trying to tell me something. Make it clear. Guide me to Your message. I read my Bible. I pray. I listen. New conviction tells me only the next step. Is it because I can't handle the whole map? Is it too much? Too scary? Too hard to understand? If I knew what was ahead, could I do it anyway?

How do you proceed when God speaks?

I do what I know and wait patiently. I think of Mary and ponder what's happened, how He works, what I can do. I pay attention and beg Him not to let me miss it.

And I wait. And repeat.

If I stay attuned, if I keep asking for the answers, won't they come eventually?

What do you do when God speaks?



Photo Credit: Fergal of Claddagh

Why The Waiting?

I'm convinced God is the genius behind automated phone systems and Christmas return waiting lines.

After all, He's a master at leaving us in limbo, springing the unexpected our way, forcing us into unfamiliar territory. We beg for His favor and relief only to sit in what feels like a stalled car. You know what I'm talking about?

He says, "Don't be anxious about anything, but with prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God." But when I follow that and "give it to God," the answers don't come any quicker. In my experience God usually requires a holding pattern, enough time to wonder if He's heard or will ever intervene. There's no explanation for what we're waiting for, only a resounding, "Trust Me."

Sigh. Is it just me or is that really tough?

Why does God work this way? What is He shaping by making us wait? Is He giving us time to relinquish our own ideas? Building our faith muscles? Trying to give us an eternal perspective? Teaching us to give it up already?

The Jews in the Old Testament waited for a Messiah. The Christians in the New Testament wait for His return. We wait for answers, His rescue, for Him.

Why all the waiting?

God gives a clue in the middle of His big faith chapter in the Bible, Hebrews 11.

All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. and they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country--a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

Hebrews 11:13-16

He IS building our faith, but He also wants to see how serious we are. Are we fairy godmother Christians, in it to get His good graces or do we love Him so much we're willing to do whatever He asks? Are we looking for a heavenly home or earthly comfort? If we're seeking ease in this world, do we honestly worship Him? Are we a true disciple if no sacrifice is involved? Does the waiting sift out the shallow and reveal the faithful?

I want to be faithful. I work to be faithful. I endure to be faithful, but I admit there are times I get angry with God, thinking I've waited enough, wanting Him to make it easy one time. But God doesn't do easy. God does BEST. So when the growly in me starts rising at His admonishment to "Trust Me," I have to find a way to stay faithful, to wait for His best. I turn to His soothing Word.

Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!

Isaiah 30:18

He LONGS to be gracious. He shows compassion. BLESSED are all who wait for Him. I want His blessing. I want His best. So even when I don't like it or understand it, I choose to wait.

What will you do?

Holding it Together

I asked my friend with eleven kids how she handled the stress, the disagreements and bickering that are bound to happen in any home, but can only be multiplied as more children are added to the mix.

"Whenever things get heated, I just tell myself in five minutes this situation will look completely different."

It's a good lesson in parenting, but also in life. What will look different in five minutes, by the end of the day, next month, next year? Can you hold it together until then? Can you hang on until the pain passes? Can you wait for God to work?

Not everything needs to be figured out or handled or taken care of. Some circumstances, some trials can only be endured. When life seems too hard or too full, my wimpy self begs for reprieve. My heart wants a break from the pain I see around me, the evil lurking at every turn, the anxieties which can take over my mind. I think, "O Lord, can we be done here yet? Can you take us home? I don't know if I got it in me to be on earth anymore."

But He calls me, He calls you to hold it together, to wait it out, relying on Him and His Word to muddle through. He knows that only through the fire can we become who He wants us to be.

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

1 Peter 1:6-7

So hold on, my friend. Know that in some period of time your situation will look completely different. It may be tomorrow, it may be next week, it may be three years from now, or it may only be solved in heaven. One thing is certain. It WILL pass. If not here, in eternity. Can you hold it together that long? Can you trust the Creator of the universe it make it right some day? Can you wait on His perfect timing?

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Don't lose heart. Fix your eyes on the only solution, our loving God. Hang on. It will pass eventually. Keep holding it together.



Photo Credit: fallsroad

Building Faith Muscles

Three years ago, when Drummer Boy was a senior in high school, I realized all of my children would be out of our home in ten years. I immediately asked God to tell me what I needed to do in that ten years to be prepared for the next chapter of my life.

In true God form, He gave me three specific BIG things to work on--get an advanced degree, write the novel on my heart and build a writing platform. Pretty intimidating things, but given a ten year window, I thought they were doable. At first I tried doing all three at once and not only wore myself out, but ended up feeling defeated, like I was getting no where, only spinning my wheels. God gently told me to take one thing at a time. Building a writing platform is a long-term, gradual thing, so I'll always be working on it, but the other two are possible to knock off in a couple of years each. So I concentrated on the novel for a full year. It's pretty tough to make it a priority when I have no idea what will become of it, plus life crowds in, stealing my time away. Some things are more urgent than writing thousands of words no one reads.

Now our next child is a senior in high school and I'm evaluating my progress. And feeling frustrated. The writing platform is coming along. Slowly. The first draft of the novel is only halfway done and because of circumstances in my life, I'm wondering if I should switch gears to the advanced degree. I know what I need to do in the next seven years, but don't know how or in what order. These three goals are in addition to my normal activities. How can I fit it all in? Do I need to give up something to accomplish this? I want God to be very clear (and told Him so), yet the answer He gives me over and over is, "Keep doing what you're doing." Sigh.

“Learning to wait on God’s timing and having the patience to follow his lead rather than running ahead of him is essential to those who are committed to seeing their faith journey through to the end. God seldom rushes things along. Getting used to his pace will help you in the long run.”

~ Essentials for Life For Women by Marcia Ford ~

I totally understand that God's timing is not mine. Totally. And I'm okay with that most days, but when I look back on my life, I wonder what I've accomplished. But there's the problem. I'm looking to see what I've done, not waiting to see what He'll do.

He's asking me to build faith muscles, not sprint to the finish line.

God says, "Trust Me," with my material needs, my loved ones, the future, and WITH MY TIME. I do today what He places on my heart to do and then do it again tomorrow, trusting He will accomplish what concerns me today.

Can I get an advanced degree, write a novel and build a writing platform in the next seven years? Not on my own power. The last three years have proven that. If I want to reach the goal, I've got to do it His way, in His timing, trusting Him for each day's activities. I won't quit asking God for specifics on how to do this, because aren't we supposed to bring everything to Him? One day He'll show me the path. Until then I'll learn to rest in His timing and follow His clear words, "Keep doing what you're doing." The waiting will strengthen my faith.

What are you having a hard time waiting for? Can you use it to build your faith?

To read what this quote inspired in other people, visit Deborah at Coffee and Chocolate.

A Word to the Waiting

The following devotional is taken from the classic book, Streams in the Desert. These daily messages are also available online.


Waiting is much more difficult than walking, for waiting requires patience, and patience is a rare virtue. We enjoy knowing that God builds hedges around His people, when we look at the hedge from the aspect of protection. But when we see it growing higher and higher until we can no longer see over it, we wonder if we will ever get out of our little sphere of influence and service, where we feel trapped. Sometimes it is hard for us to understand why we do not have a larger area of service, and it becomes difficult for us to "brighten the corner" where we are. But God has a purpose in all of His delays. "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord" (Psalm 37:23 KJV).

Next to this verse, in the margin of his Bible, George Mueller made this note: "And the stops too." It is a sad mistake for someone to break through God's hedges. It is a vital principle of the Lord's guidance for a Christian never to move from the spot where he is sure God has placed him, until the "pillar of cloud" (Exodus 13:21) moves. from Sunday School Times

Once we learn to wait for the Lord's leading in everything, we will know the strength that finds its highest point in an even and steady walk. Many of us are lacking the strength we so desire, but God gives complete power for every task He calls us to perform. Waiting--keeping yourself faithful to His leading--this is the secret of strength. And anything that does not align with obedience to Him is a waste of time and energy. Watch and wait for His leading. Samuel Dickey Gordon

Must life be considered a failure for someone compelled to stand still, forced into inaction and required to watch the great, roaring tides of life from shore? No--victory is then to be won by standing still and quietly waiting. Yet this is a thousand times harder to do than in the past, when you rushed headlong into the busyness of life. It requires much more courage to stand and wait and still not lose heart or lose hope, to submit to the will of God, to give up opportunities for work and leave honors to others, and to be quiet, confident, and rejoicing while the busy multitude goes happily along their way.

The greatest life is "after you have done everything, to stand" (Ephesians 6:13). J.R. Miller



Photo Credit: h.koppdelaney

Alone in the Middle of it All

Rather than turn from loneliness, what if we turned toward it? Could it be that loneliness is not a curse but a gift? A gift from God?

Max Lucado,
Traveling Light: The Promise of Psalm 23

I am the mother of four children, three teenagers and a tweener who is a social butterfly. My mom stayed with them this weekend and said our house is like grand-central station with kids coming and going (some mine, some not). At my house, there's always a lot of activity, a lot of noise, a lot of people. How could I possibly get lonely?

Yet there are days I feel lost in the shuffle I call my life, days when the things I want to concentrate on take a back seat to the physical, social and transportational needs of my family. There are days I feel pulled to the limit and then asked for more, days when my only time alone is at 5:AM, days when one more "Mom, can I. . .?" will send me over the edge (or at least into another room alone to collect myself.).

I feel forgotten, used, unseen. And alone.

I've spent many moments feeling stretched too far, crying in my bathroom, asking God what the point of it all is, asking Him, "What am I supposed to do with this?" Often I've prayed for Him to have a friend stop by, or give me a call, or send an e-mail to encourage my drooping spirit, but rarely does it happen. He lets me have my little weep fest, then says to get up and take another crack at it. So I take a deep breath and go back in.

I have often wondered why he doesn't send a little boost my way. Would it be so terrible to have someone think of me? (Ouch, I'm embarrassed to even type that. See how much work God needs to do?) But I've figured it out. A person having a pity party doesn't learn to deal with life by having more attention drawn to herself. In sending no one, God's blessing me by teaching me perseverance, toughening me up, making me stronger.

He's showing me He is enough.

Truly that is a gift. If I can learn to live by that motto, nothing can keep me down. Friends will not always be there. My own husband cannot always be there, but God. . .God will ALWAYS be there.

Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.

Psalm 27:14

For more ideas on this quote, visit our host, Patricia, at Typing One-Handed.

Loving Action

Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

1 John 3:18

I know she's struggling. I see it in her eyes every time she enters a room. I know what causes her pain and I ask about it, trying to give her a sounding board, but I sense she doesn't really want to talk about it. She does a tremendous job of pressing on, but the sadness, the anxiety just sits there behind her eyes. I see it and I want to help.

But how do I love, in action, when there is nothing I can do, no way for me to alleviate the pressure? I lack the resources, the knowledge, the ability to solve her problem. I'm not sure what she needs or what would ease her burden. I've prayed and prayed and prayed (so has she) and still there is no change in her situation. It seems to only get worse.

If it were me, I'd be discouraged, doubting God. She's much stronger than I am, but maybe she needs someone to come alongside and believe God can do the impossible for her. Maybe she needs someone else to wait on God, to expect Him to work. Maybe she needs another set of eyes to watch for His hand or notice her pain. She may need someone to hold fast to the faith when she doesn't have it in her anymore. Does the knowledge that someone remembers her often in their prayers, lift her spirits? Can it assure her she is not on this road alone?

Believe.
Wait.
Expect.
Watch.
Notice.
Hold fast.
Remember.
Pray.

All verbs. All action.

It doesn't seem like enough, but it's all I can do. I am with you, my friend, and I love you.

The Hope in Dreaming

The graduates walk across the stage, move their tassels and smile, ready to take on the world and reach their goals. Anything is possible. They just need to dream big and go get it.

Or so the theory goes.

I'm curious. How many of you feel like you have reached those big goals and achieved what you hoped? How many wishes are realized? Or did your dream lose its importance as you grew up? Did reality steal it?

Are dreams overrated?

Yet there's something within me that wants to believe the impossible, wants to beat the odds, wants to at least try to achieve something extraordinary. Why? There must be a reason God places these desires in our hearts.

Does the pursuit alone give added meaning and excitement in life? Is attaining our lofty goals as important as working towards them? Is success defined by achievement or faithfulness? Leaving the door open to the possibility of doing something great takes the ordinary out of our reality, gives us hope to press on in difficult times.

It's much like our Christian walk. The hope of something better keeps us going, helps us persevere. The dream of living in heaven with Jesus, experiencing no more heartache and stress, enables us to withstand our time on earth.

Can the same be said for our dreams? Does hoping for and working towards what seems impossible give us more courage for today? Does it infuse us with the child like wonder Jesus encourages? Are these dreams wrapped up with our faith? Does striving for them keep us believing God can do anything?

I may never get a book published. The odds are about the same as me being a finalist on American Idol. The older I get the more unlikely it seems, but I know I'll never get there if I don't work on it and take a shot. In doing so, I am left with a question that makes my insides flutter.

What if it actually happened?

The thought alone can get me out of bed in the morning. It gives me something exciting to think about while folding laundry and puts a spark of joy in an otherwise ordinary day.

To me that joy is worth the extra work, whether the dream is realized or not. The hope of waiting for God to do the impossible keeps my motor going.

And my faith alive.

So go ahead, my friends, dream big and see where God may take you.

For the Love of God

Frustration set in. Again.

What are we doing here, God? Why does it have to be so hard? What do you expect?

O Lord, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy; in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief. Do not bring your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before you.

The enemy pursues me, he crushes me to the ground; he makes me dwell in darkness like those long dead. So my spirit grows faint within me; my heart within me is dismayed.

I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done. I spread out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like parched land.

Answer me quickly, O Lord; my spirit fails. Do not hide your face from me or I will be like those who go down to the pit. Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. Rescue me from my enemies, O Lord, for I hide myself in you. Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.

For your name's sake, O Lord, preserve my life; in your righteousness, bring me out of trouble. In your unfailing love, silence my enemies; destroy all my foes, for I am your servant.

Psalm 143

A servant MUST wait.

For your timing.

For your purpose to prevail.

For your perfect plan.

Truly, you are the God who sees, the God who knows, the God who cares.

Forgive the impatience and lead on.


For more Thankful Thursday posts, visit Iris at her new blog, Grace Alone.


Related link: Dreams

Dreams

Joseph had a dream.

He didn't ask for it. God put it in his head. Though he didn't quite grasp its meaning, it started within him a gnawing curiosity about what God had planned for his life. Naturally he told those closest to him. But they didn't get it. They thought him a little too full of himself and decided to teach him a lesson.

As he was being drug to a foreign land, do you think he thought about that dream?

He remained faithful to what was before him and soon became a household servant. But when he wouldn't compromise himself to fulfill the desire of another, he was burned again, this time sent to prison, accused of something he did not do.

With plenty of time to contemplate in that jail cell, did he remember? Did he ask God what it was all about? Did he try to dismiss it, thinking it a childhood fantasy or impossibility? Or did a flicker of hope remain, motivating him to press on?

Like any of us, he had responsibilities and obligations. Did they cause him to forget? He gave his best and remained faithful in every duty, eventually working his way out of prison, rising in rank until he was second in command only to Pharaoh. Do you think he enjoyed his work? Or at the end of the day did he stare out into the darkness and remember he once had a dream? Did he find satisfaction or did his spirit nag him that there was something more?

And when his brothers bowed before him, begging for his mercy, did he weep not only for lost time, but because he recognized his dream occurring before his very eyes? Did he cry at the faithfulness of God's plan? Did years of wondering what God was doing suddenly make sense? Did it all seem worth it?

We all have dreams. We don't invent them. They are placed by God, not to be taken lightly or discarded. Some are years, many years in the making. We can doubt or we can press ahead with the tasks He has given us, knowing they are part of a perfect plan we cannot fathom.

Did Joseph ever lose sight of his dream? Did he ever think he heard wrong? Did he doubt it would or could happen? Wasn't he human? He chose to give his best where he was and trusted God for the rest. He was faithful and patient.

What is before you this day? What has God asked of you? How will you choose to answer? Will you shrug off the nagging as a childhood fantasy? Or will you dig in and do what is before you, trusting Him to provide the next step?

This earthly life is not for sissies. Imagine how dynamic, how persistent, how hard-working Joseph must have been to rise from slave to ruler. Does God expect less of you? Are you willing to put in years of work, years of toiling over the ordinary to see how God may fulfill your dream? Can you faithfully wait for His timing? Can you push through your doubts as you wait? Can you trust He is working you up to it? Are you willing to put in the grunt work only to wait?

The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.
1 Thessalonians 5:24

Press on, my friends.

On the Road Again

You know how I was frustrated the other day, feeling like I didn't have what I needed to do the job God asked?

You know how I asked for your help?

THANK YOU!!

You'll be happy to know I got a breakthrough late Wednesday morning (or maybe you're just rolling your eyes at my melodrama). In any case, the light bulb went off and I'm at it again. I know there will be struggles ahead, but at least I'm moving forward for now.



The Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made. The Lord upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.
Psalm 145:13b-14

I thank You, Lord, for your faithfulness to me, but I also thank You for the waiting. It forces me to put my money where my mouth is when I say I trust You. Thank You for not leaving me hanging forever and thank You for the dear people who uttered prayers on my behalf. Help me love them as well as they have loved me.

Have a beautiful day, my friends. God is good.


Remind yourself of His goodness by checking out some other Thankful Thursday participants at Laurel Wreath.

Aaaargh!!!!!!

Hey y'all.

I

AM

STRESSED

!!!

Have you ever had God ask you to do something and you weren't sure you could do it, but you accept the challenge anyway, knowing He will give you what you need? And the going gets a little tough and you get a little frustrated, but you press on understanding that opposition is a good thing because it may indicate Satan's not so happy about you doing this job. So you do what you can and wait for God's leading. . . and wait. . . and wait. . . and it gets down to crunch time when it really needs to be done but you're still in waiting mode.

I've got a job to do and I'm waiting for the all important next step from God. I've been working on it and praying and thinking really hard and still missing something that's got to come from Him. It has to come soon because this job has a time limit. All last week the unexpected came, sucking up my time, but I knew each thing was necessary and important so I stayed calm knowing He would supply. Each day I pray confidently, asking God to give me the big idea to get the ball rolling, expecting Him to show me what's next and every night I mull it over, tossing and turning, anxious to get the "aha" moment that never seems to come.

I know You can do it, God. I know You will give me what I need, but could Ya bring it soon?

I've been telling myself all morning, "He who calls you is faithful and he will do it." (1 Thessalonians 5:24)

But now I wonder if it's time to humble myself and ask for your help. I don't think God ever called us to be lone rangers. We need each other and this morning I realize no matter how capable I want to be on my own, I need you. Will you pray for me? Will you pray for God to clear my tired, fuzzy head and fill it with true inspiration? Will you ask Him to give me discipline and discernment and perseverance? Will you pray as I do, that God will give me the ability to do all that AND be the wife and mother I need to be, maintaining outside relationships as well which are vitally important?

My husband told me as he left today to take a deep breath. He's right, I know. It will be okay. What I need will come. This waiting business just jiggles my nerves.