God is Wait Worthy

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faith, God is wait worthy, grace, Jesus, Receive, rest, wait, worry anxiousness

“Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and He will strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord” Psalms 27:14

If you’ve ever been in the midst of a situation where you have to wait for someone or something to happen before you get relief then you know what it means to be anxious. 

Nobody likes to wait when they are in dire straits.  We want instant results or instant answers. Especially when you have people pressuring you.  Like when the landlord is pressuring you for the rent, or when the utility company is threating to cut you off. Or when your children are pressuring you for their needs or you’re waiting to hear back from a job.  You want relief now.

David tells us in the above scripture to “wait on the Lord.”  Why do we find that hard to do in trouble times?  I think it’s because we’re not waiting on the Lord at all.  We’re actually waiting on people to help us and not the Lord.  Why do I say this?  It’s because when you’re truly waiting on the Lord there will be peace and strength to settle your heart so that you’re not full of anxiety.  Waiting on people will cause you to make the wrong decisions and comprise your faith.  Saul made this mistake when Samuel told him to wait till he return but when Samuel was delayed Saul because of the pressure from the people made a decision that would cost him the kingdom and ultimately his life. 

            “And Samuel said, What has thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash:  Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the Lord: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt-offering.”  I Samuel 13:11-12

Samuel was the voice of God to Israel.  Saul not following Samuel’s instructions was Saul not waiting on the Lord.  Now let’s contrast this with Job.  Job lost his children, his house, his wealth, his health and all that he had. His friends were telling him that it must be his fault that he was in the predicament that he was in.  His wife even told him to curse God and die.  But here what Job says:

            “If a man dies, shall he live again?  all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.” Job 14:14

Job was waiting on God not man.  It didn’t matter how long it took Job knew that God was wait worthy.  He didn’t comprise his faith or make a bad decision because Job was waiting on God.

God is wait worthy!  He has been tried and proven never to fail.  Regardless of what you might lose or have lost while you’re waiting know that He will restore to you more than hundredfold. Therefore, our posture should be, while I wait on Him, I will continue to worship Him. 

Faith To Endure

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Endurance, Endure, faith, Father, God, Jesus, joy, rejoice, Temptations, Trials

“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations: knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.  But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” James 1:2-4

In order for us to continue in whatever we have purposed to do this year we’re going to need endurance.   We won’t be able to continue unless we’re able to endure.   

First, we must realize and come to grips with the fact that at some point we are going to come into divers temptations.  It’s a biblical fact, the above scripture tells us so.  But somewhere along the way we believed the lie of the enemy that as Christians we’re not supposed to have any problems or that if we do, they won’t be of long duration.  My Friend, this is the lie the devil wants us to believe so that when trouble and problems come, we’re so focused on the problems and trouble that we’re not using our faith.  And if we’re not using our faith, how can we endure or stand up or hold up under the pressure?  You see endurance is an outflow of our faith.  Jesus is our faith.  We don’t use our own efforts to endure, it’s not our own strength, it’s Christ in us.  We have His endurance to continue pursing the promises of God.   Hebrews 12:2 says, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”  Christ endured the cross, despised the shame so that you and I could have victory in the midst of it all.

However, if you continue to believe the lies of the devil and cry and complain when trouble comes as if some strange thing is happening to you, how can you see victory?  You’re too busy looking at the trouble.  Listen to what Peter says,

“Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you; But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.” I Peter 4:12-13

In other words, get up from that place of pity and petting and start rejoicing.  Because while the devil is meaning it for evil God is working it for your good.

So, listen when you find yourself in the midst of divers temptations know that your faith is being tried. And if you would focus on your faith who is Christ.  You will find that from your faith there will be an outflow of strength and power so that you are able to endure through it all and not only endure but continue pursing your dreams.  Rejoice my friend and again I say rejoice.