March 24, 1998
A city restaurant offers lunch free if customers have to wait longer than 10 minutes from the time they order to the time it is on their table. We sat with friends discussing the difficulty of waiting. Everyone seems to be time-oriented, busy, always rushing, and increasingly impatient.
One person at the table told a story about a man standing in a slow-moving lineup at his bank. He shuffled from one foot to the other, seething inside. The tellers were pitifully slow. Even the customers seemed to take their time moving ahead when it was their turn. Then he noticed a small sign on the counter: “For every 5 minutes you wait in line, we will put $5 in your account.”
Suddenly he viewed waiting from a different perspective. He relaxed. Slowness was no longer an issue. He even found himself mentally saying “take your time” to both tellers and customers. It was to his advantage that they dawdled.
A different perspective can change our response to other ways of waiting. Waiting on God is one of them. Sometimes we are anxious for His answer to our prayers, for Him to change our circumstances. We feel less anxiety when we look at His view of our problems.
For instance, James 1 tells us to “consider it pure joy when we face trials.” At first read, that is ridiculous statement. Who can face trials with any kind of positive reaction, never mind “pure joy”? But we must not let this strange command make us think God does not care. He has a greater plan in mind than simply giving us relief. James goes on to say trials are His tool to test our faith and produce perseverance. He says if perseverance does its work in us, we will be mature (like Christ) and not lack anything. Therefore, if we can keep His end result in mind, we can face trials as opportunities for our good and even be glad they are happening.
God challenged me when we decided to have my aging parents live in our home. My gifts lie in teaching and although I love my parents, serving them with compassion would be a trial. As my frustrations grew, I prayed asking God why He wanted this for me. His response came quietly to my conscience: “I am using this to make you a better teacher.” After seeing His perspective, it was much easier to cooperate with Him.
Another example that ties with the hurried, impatient pace of current life is the importance of spending time with God. Caught up in hectic doing, many Christians find it difficult to stop and pray or read their Bible. We say we don’t have the time, yet in our hurrying we find ourselves stressed and even exhausted.
The prophet Isaiah offers this: “Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but they who wait upon the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
Waiting on God means not fretting about life but allowing Him to care for us. To do that, we need to spend time in His Word, learning about His faithfulness and reminding ourselves who He is and how great He is. As we do that, we can face trials with a different vantage point — His.
Spending time with God helps us see our circumstances as part of His plan, not something unfair or meaningless. Waiting on God also helps us find our strength in Him and not in our own resources. Knowing He is in control and that he loves us gives us a sense of peace and renews our energy.
Bank line-ups or impatience for food in a restaurant are small trials but for even these, we can focus our thoughts on the care and purposes of God. The renewal He gives will mean far more to us than a free lunch or an extra few dollars in our account.
Showing posts with label waiting on the Lord. Show all posts
Showing posts with label waiting on the Lord. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 17, 2017
Friday, May 12, 2017
Power in weakness ................ Parables 587
March 10, 1998
Betty, an eighty-one year old heart patient and almost totally deaf, told her pastor she wanted to be involved in ministry to other people, despite her health problems. So a few people in her church went to her farm where she lived, and taught her how to use a computer.
Betty started using the Internet to find prayer groups and began praying for posted requests. She then began e-mail with those people to see how they were doing and how she could pray further for them. Some of these new friends started visiting Betty on her farm. They wanted to meet this warm-hearted, caring lady. Betty has even volunteered to organize a prayer network.
One of the dilemmas and fears of growing old is losing a sense of personal worth and significance. These are basic human needs, yet diminishing strength or health problems can rob us of the ability to do those things that once gave us fulfilment.
God’s people are not exempt from these fears. In Psalm 71, the psalmist wrote, “Do not cast me away when I am old; do not forsake me when my strength is gone . . . . Since my youth, O God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare Your marvelous deeds. Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare Your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come.” Betty may have prayed this prayer.
Along with this accurate description of human need, God promises He will be faithful to His people. In another psalm, the writer declares, “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Betty is a contemporary example that a failing heart and deafness do not hinder God from pouring His strength into those who long to serve Him.
Our weaknesses and sense of incapacity do not limit God’s power. The Apostle Paul, although younger than Betty at the time, also felt unable to do the things God called him to do. In 2 Corinthians he wrote about an experience that was so incredible God had to give him a “thorn in the flesh” to keep him from becoming conceited. The Bible does not tell us what that thorn was but we can identify with Paul. Just like him, aside from our strengths we have limitations that seem to stand in the way of our becoming and doing all that we want to do.
Paul asked God three times to take away his “thorn” but God did not do it. Instead, He promised: “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” That promise is God’s answer to our feelings of inadequacy also.
God doesn’t need our strengths and abilities in order to use us. A primary example is salvation. The Bible clearly says God does not ask for our character to reach a certain level or our performance to conform to certain standards before He forgives our sins. In the same way, He works in the lives of His people apart from what we can do.
This does not mean our skills and abilities are useless but whatever we do has no eternal significance or consequence apart from being empowered by God. In other words, even if we go through the motions of serving Him, unless His power is there, our work is to no avail.
On the other hand, God’s people are not robots. We have longings and desires and can make choices. As we learn to align those with what we know of God’s will, we find that He is not only willing but able to give us the capacities we need to carry out what He has put on our minds.
Betty illustrates that, but her story does not end with God supernatural blessing of strength in her weakness. She recently went to see her doctor. After examining her, he asked what she had been “taking” that he didn’t know about. She was puzzled and said, “Nothing.” At that her amazed doctor told her, “Betty, your heart is healed.”
The Lord became the “strength of her heart” in more ways than one.
Betty, an eighty-one year old heart patient and almost totally deaf, told her pastor she wanted to be involved in ministry to other people, despite her health problems. So a few people in her church went to her farm where she lived, and taught her how to use a computer.
Betty started using the Internet to find prayer groups and began praying for posted requests. She then began e-mail with those people to see how they were doing and how she could pray further for them. Some of these new friends started visiting Betty on her farm. They wanted to meet this warm-hearted, caring lady. Betty has even volunteered to organize a prayer network.
One of the dilemmas and fears of growing old is losing a sense of personal worth and significance. These are basic human needs, yet diminishing strength or health problems can rob us of the ability to do those things that once gave us fulfilment.
God’s people are not exempt from these fears. In Psalm 71, the psalmist wrote, “Do not cast me away when I am old; do not forsake me when my strength is gone . . . . Since my youth, O God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare Your marvelous deeds. Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare Your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come.” Betty may have prayed this prayer.
Along with this accurate description of human need, God promises He will be faithful to His people. In another psalm, the writer declares, “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Betty is a contemporary example that a failing heart and deafness do not hinder God from pouring His strength into those who long to serve Him.
Our weaknesses and sense of incapacity do not limit God’s power. The Apostle Paul, although younger than Betty at the time, also felt unable to do the things God called him to do. In 2 Corinthians he wrote about an experience that was so incredible God had to give him a “thorn in the flesh” to keep him from becoming conceited. The Bible does not tell us what that thorn was but we can identify with Paul. Just like him, aside from our strengths we have limitations that seem to stand in the way of our becoming and doing all that we want to do.
Paul asked God three times to take away his “thorn” but God did not do it. Instead, He promised: “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” That promise is God’s answer to our feelings of inadequacy also.
God doesn’t need our strengths and abilities in order to use us. A primary example is salvation. The Bible clearly says God does not ask for our character to reach a certain level or our performance to conform to certain standards before He forgives our sins. In the same way, He works in the lives of His people apart from what we can do.
This does not mean our skills and abilities are useless but whatever we do has no eternal significance or consequence apart from being empowered by God. In other words, even if we go through the motions of serving Him, unless His power is there, our work is to no avail.
On the other hand, God’s people are not robots. We have longings and desires and can make choices. As we learn to align those with what we know of God’s will, we find that He is not only willing but able to give us the capacities we need to carry out what He has put on our minds.
Betty illustrates that, but her story does not end with God supernatural blessing of strength in her weakness. She recently went to see her doctor. After examining her, he asked what she had been “taking” that he didn’t know about. She was puzzled and said, “Nothing.” At that her amazed doctor told her, “Betty, your heart is healed.”
The Lord became the “strength of her heart” in more ways than one.
Friday, February 10, 2017
Time: wasting it or using it? .......... Parables 548
March 3, 1997 ?
In a lifetime, the average North American will spend six months sitting at stop lights, eight months opening junk mail, and five years waiting in line. We might be able to shorten the time on junk mail but what can we do to make the time we wait for other people seem more productive?
Before offering suggestions, maybe waiting is not as bad as we insists it is. Always hurrying can be unhealthy. Taking a breather, even in traffic, can keep some of us from losing our senses. In fact, the bigger problem could be impatience. Inner agitation at whatever puts us on hold is more destructive to mental and physical health than spending a few minutes paused at the mercy of machines, traffic lights or the slow clerk at the other end of the line.
However, life is short enough as it is without filling it with years of do-nothing, waiting-for-someone-else-to move minutes. Demands for increased productivity and for more attention to personal development make us impatient with delays. Instead of allowing those delays to fill us with anxiety or resentment, we can use them wisely.
Standard suggestions for sit-down waiting include writing thank-you notes, reading, planning with a notebook and calendar, and knitting or other crafts. Be sure to include the children if that is your situation. My daughter reads to her younger daughter in waiting rooms, while the older one does her homework.
Some people talk to friends or business associates on their cellular phone. Obviously that works for them, but for some reason, it makes me feel like my privacy is being invaded. Those who would rather keep their business and personal affairs private can dispense with a cell phone but use a laptop computer to write letters or outline a business proposal. More than one person has threatened to bill their doctor for the hours spent waiting; however, in our electronic age, we do not need to put work on hold while someone makes us wait.
Personally, I usually take a notebook with me and plan my shopping list, read and take notes for homework assignments, prepare short speeches, outline a Sunday School lesson or design quilt blocks. I also write in my journal, work through relationship snags and rehearse what I want to say to someone I may owe an apology or explanation.
The best idea is using waiting time to draw closer to God. The Psalms are filled with verses referring to waiting on Him but my favorite passage comes from Isaiah 40:29-31: “(God) gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who wait on the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
Waiting on God is not the same as being stuck in a hospital waiting room or at the end of a long lineup for tickets. Instead, it is simply refusing to think (worry) about other things or focus on anything else but Him. It is approaching Him as a listener, waiting for His commands and His inner encouragement. It is eagerly standing or sitting still, watching for the signs that He is coming or doing something on our behalf. It is setting aside all the chores and cares of the moment to focus on Him, to hear His voice and be refreshed.
Waiting on God requires time. It takes time to learn how and time to perfect. It also takes time to just do it. If our schedules are already full and making an appointment with Him is difficult, then the best time might be while we are waiting and unable to do anything else.
In a lifetime, the average North American will spend six months sitting at stop lights, eight months opening junk mail, and five years waiting in line. We might be able to shorten the time on junk mail but what can we do to make the time we wait for other people seem more productive?
Before offering suggestions, maybe waiting is not as bad as we insists it is. Always hurrying can be unhealthy. Taking a breather, even in traffic, can keep some of us from losing our senses. In fact, the bigger problem could be impatience. Inner agitation at whatever puts us on hold is more destructive to mental and physical health than spending a few minutes paused at the mercy of machines, traffic lights or the slow clerk at the other end of the line.
However, life is short enough as it is without filling it with years of do-nothing, waiting-for-someone-else-to move minutes. Demands for increased productivity and for more attention to personal development make us impatient with delays. Instead of allowing those delays to fill us with anxiety or resentment, we can use them wisely.
Standard suggestions for sit-down waiting include writing thank-you notes, reading, planning with a notebook and calendar, and knitting or other crafts. Be sure to include the children if that is your situation. My daughter reads to her younger daughter in waiting rooms, while the older one does her homework.
Some people talk to friends or business associates on their cellular phone. Obviously that works for them, but for some reason, it makes me feel like my privacy is being invaded. Those who would rather keep their business and personal affairs private can dispense with a cell phone but use a laptop computer to write letters or outline a business proposal. More than one person has threatened to bill their doctor for the hours spent waiting; however, in our electronic age, we do not need to put work on hold while someone makes us wait.
Personally, I usually take a notebook with me and plan my shopping list, read and take notes for homework assignments, prepare short speeches, outline a Sunday School lesson or design quilt blocks. I also write in my journal, work through relationship snags and rehearse what I want to say to someone I may owe an apology or explanation.
The best idea is using waiting time to draw closer to God. The Psalms are filled with verses referring to waiting on Him but my favorite passage comes from Isaiah 40:29-31: “(God) gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who wait on the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
Waiting on God is not the same as being stuck in a hospital waiting room or at the end of a long lineup for tickets. Instead, it is simply refusing to think (worry) about other things or focus on anything else but Him. It is approaching Him as a listener, waiting for His commands and His inner encouragement. It is eagerly standing or sitting still, watching for the signs that He is coming or doing something on our behalf. It is setting aside all the chores and cares of the moment to focus on Him, to hear His voice and be refreshed.
Waiting on God requires time. It takes time to learn how and time to perfect. It also takes time to just do it. If our schedules are already full and making an appointment with Him is difficult, then the best time might be while we are waiting and unable to do anything else.
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