Waiting
in His Word-4-8-13
Do you
sit there looking at life around you and wonder where you went wrong?
Do you wonder if you totally messed up a chance at victory over a
problem because of a choice you made to wait? Or maybe a decision to
stay put instead of moving on a promise of God by yourself trying to
do it alone?
Today I
want to tell you that if you were given a promise to stand on that
means to stand, not to walk on or drag to the spot you think it will
be. God is the director of our path. End of story. If He has given
you a calling He will bring it to path all you have to do is walk in
it, keep your eyes on Him and listen for His
guidance.
“And
now, Lord what do I wait for? My hope is in You. Deliver me from all
my transgressions; do not make me the reproach of the foolish. I was
mute, I did not open my mouth because it was You who did it. Psalm
39:7-9
Once
again the best way to know that it is God directing you is to line it
up with the Word of God. Study to show yourself approved... not
approved by man, but by God. If God told you to preach, then preach
the Word as He has given it to you, do not look to what man will tell
you to do or not but look straight to the source!
Psalm 18
tells us it is He who gives us strength, who goes before us, who is
our shield of salvation, who listens to our hearts cries; we can try
do it on our own, but who would want to?
As for
God, His way is perfect, the Word of the Lord is proven, He is a
shield to all who trust in Him. For who is God except the Lord?
Psalm 18:28-30
If you
feel as if you are floundering around in life and not really
fulfilling your purpose check in with God and see what He says about
it. Do a recheck in the word. remember your timing is not always the same as God's timing.
Rediscover
what that purpose is; pray and ask God for guidance.
Find
scripture back up for that purpose; God is not going to call you to
do something that is contrary to the Word of God. If your calling
does not line up with the Word then it is not a call of God but of
man. I don't know about you but I do not want to pursue the call of
man but the call of God in my life. Sometimes that means we have to
struggle through things like pain, sorrow, trials, testing times in
our lives but the good news is that with God we have an adversary or
an ally to help us through those times of character building.
Come and
show me your mercy, as you do for all who love your name. Guide my
steps by Your Word so that I will not be overcome by evil. Ransom me
from the oppression of evil people; then I can obey your
commandments. Psalm 119:132-134
He will
show mercy upon us when we walk according to His will. We just have
to be sure that we are doing that; not walking according to mans will
but God's will in our lives will help us to see that path before us
that much more clearly.
Even in
the middle of a sink hole in the middle of a road God can show you
direction and encouragement.
We can
rejoice too, when we run into problems and trials for we know that
they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of
character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.
And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly
God loves us because He has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our
hearts with his love. Romans 5:3-5
His Word
is full of direction, encouragement, guidance and even support for
what He sends us to do.
For you
have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from
the time you first heard it until now. And I am certain (confident)
that God who began the good work within you will continue his work
until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.
Philippians 1:5-6
He who
started the work will complete the work if you stay focused on the
task. The task at hand is following through with reading the Word,
praying according to it and listening with your heart and mind to
know the heart of God toward you. All the reading and praying keeps
your in line with the life God had planned for you; reading,
studying, listening, praying all brings you more focus as to what God
wants.
When you
know someone really well you can guess what they will want and be
correct most of the time.
Simple
things, as easy as choosing the perfect beverage for your daughter to
quench her thirst, or difficult things such as choosing an apartment
to live in while your husband is off at war can be on an even ground
of decision making when your heart and mind are in the right place
with God.
But how
do you know that your heart and mind are there? How can we know we
are right with God in the first place in order to walk in the path
He has laid out?
It all
comes back to getting in His Word, on your knees praying, basking in
His presence and listening to His voice. Do you see the circle? We
need to be in the Word to get the direction, we need to be humbled in
prayer to accept the guidance and we need to bask in His presence to
listen to the still small voice to find the trust, the faith, to make
commitment we need to acknowledge the call is of God. Yes it is a
commitment, when you acknowledge that God has given you a plan to
follow you have committed yourself to follow His path. If you do not
remain in His presence the perspective He has for you to achieve the
plan can be jaded by this world. It is easy to think of achieving the
plan by the world's standards.
For
example; God said He would bless me; the world says that means I will
get rich and have lots of stuff.
In God's
mind that may mean that He would give you health, love, and
direction, peace with where you are at any given moment regardless of
how rich or poor you are.
Our ways
are not always His ways; but when we really seek God He will show us
what His plan is for us. He will show us by His Word, and our faith
to trust Him to show us. Of course He gives us the measure of faith
we need so it all comes back to Him.
This
week lets focus our hearts and minds on Him, His Word and His
guidance in our daily walk and I am certain we will begin to see the
path He has placed before us; if not for such a time as this then
perhaps for a lifetime; when we put our hope and trust in Him He will
not fail to direct our paths.
Proverbs
3:5-7 is our proof!
Dear
Heavenly Father, direct our paths, open our hearts and minds to Your
truth, Your hope, and the faith to trust You to do what you promised,
in Jesus name. Amen.
Suggested
reading: Philippians 1:1-30, Romans 5:1-21, 2 Corinthians 5:1-21, and
Psalm 18:1-50.