Things to Do While Waiting

Sunday sentiments for January 18, 2009

Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. (Psalm 27:14)

Wait patiently. People often say, “Don’t ask the Lord for patience. You just might be put in a position that requires it.” But, as long as waiting is a fact of life, and I think we can all agree that it is, patience is necessary. It’s difficult for me to be patient. I was the child who sneaked into her parents’ closet before Christmas morning to peek at her presents. For me, the element of surprise failed to outweigh the agony of waiting. Patience implies an unknown future. We must wait for the outcome. And, for most of us, that’s not an easy thing to do. I want my ducks in a row and my arrangements made, don’t you? The secret to waiting patiently is trusting God. Do you love Him? Are you called? Then trust that no matter what the outcome, “all things work together for good” for you. (Romans 8:28 )

Pray. Pray with thanksgiving and with assurance that your Heavenly Father hears you. Pray faithfully. Pray without ceasing. (Philippians 4:6; Romans 12:12; I Thessalonians 5:17)

Hope. This hope is born of intimate knowledge and experience, the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts and minds. This hope does not disappoint. (Romans 5:5) 

Wait contentedly. Christ promises that He will never leave us nor forsake us. Even if the whole world should crumble around us, what else could we possibly ask for? (Deuteronomy 31:6; Hebrews 13:5)

Wait trusting. ”Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” God stands true to His Word. Has there ever been a time when God has failed you? Are not all the promises of God yes and amen in Christ Jesus? Salvation, peace, hope, joy, wisdom, fellowship, redemption, mercy and grace are all ours in Christ. God has been trustworthy in the past. God is faithful today. While you are waiting, remember that He is the Great I AM. The God who IS. Therefore, rest assured, the future belongs to Him, too. Trust Him for it. (2 Corinthians 1:20, Exodus 3:14)

Serve. Serve others and by so doing, serve God. Serve wholeheartedly and sincerely. Even the most menial task is made sacred if it is done as unto the Lord. (Ephesians 6:7, Colossians 3:23)

Count your blessings. A grateful heart is a humble heart. Cultivate the discipline of thanksgiving. God is good and your list of blessings, endless. When you delight in God’s generosity towards you, you bring honor to His Name.
(I Thessalonians 5:18 )

 

     

Short and Very Sweet

Sunday sentiments for November 16, 2008

Give all your cares and worries to God, for He cares about what happens to you. (I Peter 5:7)

This week’s Sunday sentiments will be somewhat abbreviated. I’ve had an extremely busy weekend. It’s 9:35 p.m., and I am more than ready to lay this body down.

I always seem to find something to worry about. I’m like Telly on Sesame Street. This week, the Lord has comforted me with this verse from I Peter, chapter five. I actually prefer the first part of the verse in the King James translation: Cast all your cares upon Him…It says, “cast”. We don’t have to be shy about it. We can throw, bombard, heave, hurl, pitch, or thrust all our troubles upon our loving Heavenly Father. He can take it.

The second part of the verse gives us a glimpse of our Father’s heart. He cares about what happens to us. Think about it, He is King and Sovereign Lord over all the universe, and as believers we call him Father. Daddy. Papa. There is nothing, no thing, that comes our way that does not originate from his loving, caring hand. As my pastor so often puts it, God takes our trials and tribulations and forces them to do good to us. Nobody loves me like my Heavenly Father does. Nobody.

I’ll leave you with this quote from Corrie ten Boom. If you have never read her amazing story as written in her book entitled “The Hiding Place”, I urge you to add it to your must read list. And after you’ve finished reading it, add it to your must read list again. It’s really that good.

“Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.”

-Corrie ten Boom