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When you are tired of waiting, wait for it……

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Lord, how long?

If we are honest with ourselves, we’ve all asked this question.

Lord, I’ve been praying about this situation for years. How long must I wait to see an answer? 

Lord, our world feels it is spinning out of control. How long must we wait to see your response to our moans?

Lord, I’ve battled this illness for years. How long must I wait? I’m tired of waiting, Lord.

If you’ve asked God how long you must keep waiting, you are not alone.

“Lord – how long? Turn and have compassion on Your servants.” Psalm 90:13

“How long, Lord, must I call for help and You do not listen or cry out to You about violence and You do not save?” Habakkuk 1:2

These words hang on my bedroom wall. They are from Psalm 90, which I began praying over my family years ago. When I see these words, I remember what I’m asking the Lord.

“Satisfy us in the morning with Your faithful love so that we may shout with joy and be glad all our days.” Psalm 90:14

I’ll be honest, I’m drawn to pray these words out of selfish motives. I want to be satisfied. I want to shout with joy. I want to be glad ALL my days.

When I read Psalm 90:15, the very next verse, I pause. “Make us rejoice for as many days as You have humbled us, for as many years as we have seen adversity.”

Lord, how long?

And what do we do while we wait?

I imagine the Lord with a smile on His face, replying, “Well, child, I’m glad you asked.” I envision Him directing my heart in prayer. And this is the response of my heart.

“Let Your work be seen by Your servants, and Your splendor by their children. Let the favor of the Lord our God be on us: establish for us the work of our hands – establish for us the work of our hands!” Psalm 90: 16-17

While we wait, something is waiting to be seen. Do we see it? “Let Your work be seen….” Friends, He is working. Do we see it?

While we wait, something is waiting to descend upon us. Do we experience it? “Let the favor of the Lord our God be on us.” Friends, His favor is ours to hold.

While we wait, something is waiting to be done. Do we do it? “Establish for us the work of our hands….” Friends, we have work to do while we wait. Do we do it?

How well do I wait? Not that well honestly. I want results yesterday. I want healing instantly. I want to see heart change the moment I ask.

While you wait, dwell well. Live well, dwell well. Don’t wait for the answer to the cry of your heart before you decide to live fully alive in the Lord.

If we continue in God’s Word right where we left off in Psalm 90:17, we move into Psalm 91. Verse 1 holds a key to waiting well and dwelling better.

“The one who lives under the protection of the Most High dwells in the shadow of the Almighty.”

To live under the protection of the Most High is a choice to remain, abide in Him. To live a life of obedience. To crucify ourselves daily. To pick up our cross and follow Him. To slay selfishness and pride. That is how we live under the protection of His umbrella. When we live under His protection, we dwell well in His shadow.

Now that we are willing to live well and dwell well, we are ready to open our eyes.

Watch and Wait

“How long, Lord, must I call for help and You do not listen or cry out to You about violence and You do not save? Why do You force me to look at injustice? Why do You tolerate wrongdoing? Oppression and violence are right in front of me. Strife is ongoing, and conflict escalates. This is why the law is ineffective and justice never emerges. For the wicked restrict the righteous; therefore, justice comes out perverted.” Habakkuk 1:2-4

When I read this passage of scripture, I felt seen and heard by God. It feels as though we are crying out for justice, yet injustice escalates, evil continues to flaunt and parade itself. It seems. Just because we feel a certain way, doesn’t make it true.

How long must we wait? Really?

The Lord answered Habakkuk, and the Lord answers us the same.

“Look at the nations and observe – be utterly astounded! For something is taking place in your days that you will not believe when you hear about it.” Habakkuk 1:5

God desires we be utterly astounded by Him. He is worthy of our astonishment! I love how Habakuk responds to God’s first answer. He responds with who God is. Yahweh my God, My Holy One, my Rock. Yes, Lord!! You are astounding!

Habakkuk makes a choice to wait. To watch and wait.

“I will stand at my guard post and station myself on the lookout tower.
I will watch to see what He will say to me and what I should reply about my complaint.” Habakkuk 2:1

Lord, am I standing at my guard post? Am I stationing myself on the lookout tower? Oh, Lord, may I watch and see what you will say to me. May I be utterly astounded by You.

Wait for it!!!

We have short attention spans. Our media, image driven world, is ready for the next scene before the first is fully developed. When a parent posts a cute video of their toddler, a common caption is “Wait for it!” The one posting the video doesn’t want us to miss the best part, which is yet to come. Often if they don’t prompt us to “wait for it,” we move on because we believe we’ve seen all we need to see. But they know what we don’t know. The best is yet to come.

God responds similarly to Habakkuk in 2:3. “…..Though it delays, wait for it, since it will certainly come and not be late.”

Though it delays, it will not come late. I love words. And words that seem to contradict grab my attention these days. Is a delay not late? Or is it maybe we feel an answer we wait on is delayed, but really it will arrive right on time. God does everything in perfection, including timing His answers.

We can trust Him fully.

Live well, Dwell well, Watch well, Wait well. God is moving.

 

 

 

 

 

How do you handle when someone else gets what you want?

/in , /by

Have you worked so hard on a project only to watch someone else receive credit for the work hours you labored through?

Have you watched a co-worker receive a promotion you felt was undeserved? Maybe you wonder if the powers in charge realize how much time she wastes on Facebook on company time?

Have you poured your heart and soul into a career path only to watch others receive what you can’t seem to reach no matter how hard you work?

Have you done all the “right” things but can’t seem to catch a break?

Depending on our mindset, if we aren’t careful, our thoughts can lead us to grow bitter heart roots. At the very root is often envy and jealousy. I recently listened to a devotion on the Abide app on healing from jealousy. I shared this, which I heard on this app, on Instagram. “At the root of jealousy is the belief that God is not good. It says ‘If God is good why won’t he give me what he’s giving other people.’”

Jealousy leads to bitterness.

I attended a convention recently where the keynote speaker, Bob Heilig, gave this challenge. Get better not bitter.

If you follow me on Instagram and my personal Facebook page, you know I’m passionate about proactive, natural health, particularly gut health. I spend a good deal of time corresponding with people who reach out to me. I send videos, ingredient sheets, testimonies, basically whatever they are requesting. This typically leads to the person deciding to try what I’m suggesting or deciding it’s not for them right now. Occasionally, something else happens.

At times I spend time answering all the questions and helping them however I can for them to respond something like this. “Thanks so much! I have another friend who does this so I ordered through her.” When I first started, this drove me bonkers. I wondered if they didn’t understand that I get paid commissions and bonuses but not a salary.

Recently, I experienced this scenario with a twist.

Turn vent session into prayer session

When the person thanked me for all my time and help and informed me they reached out to a friend they knew who represented my company, I felt immediate disappointment. I vented for a minute then prayed. I’m working on praying out my vents to God so He can speak to me in the middle of the feelings and thoughts I need help with.

My prayer went a little like this: “Ok, God, I’m super frustrated. You know how much time I spent and how I’ve prayed to help more people. She wanted help and now I feel I wasted that time that could have been helping others I could continue working with toward their health goals.”

Immediately Bob Heilig’s words popped in my head, “Get better not bitter.”

“God, don’t let me grow bitter roots. Thank you for all the people you’ve brought my way. And I pray blessings over this person and the friend she will work with. I pray blessings over her business. Thank you that with you there is always more than enough.”

God steered my thoughts instantly by showing me a picture of a gal like me. One who is praying big goals and big dreams. He showed me I don’t know the whole story.  He reminded me that He loves me and cares for me, and that is enough.

He is enough.

The company I’m part of is unlike anything I’ve experienced. The culture is of true oneness with generosity at the very core.

If I had stayed frustrated and focused on the negative, no good would come from that. What we focus on expands. I heard this multiple times at convention. I find it true in my life. When I focus on what I don’t get, my feeling of lack only grows. But when I focus on gratitude, my joy increases.

After my vent turned prayer session with God, I walked away feeling free and light. I felt true joy, true happiness. I didn’t have to carry the burden of jealousy and bitterness in my heart. I was free to walk hand in hand with God knowing He is for me not against me. He is the giver of all good things to all His children. And I really love that about Him.

 

Go deeper with God

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