God’s Waiting Room

Have you ever sat waiting in a doctor’s office or dentist office for an extended amount of time waiting? One of the thoughts going through my mind as I sit and wait is, “what are they doing back there?” or “will they ever get to me?” Are you waiting on the Lord for something?  Are you sitting in His waiting room?  For some reason, the Lord doesn’t seem to answer all of our prayers instantly. When we pray, we are programmed to think the answer to the prayer will happen just as a genie in a bottle would grant a wish (instantly, and with sparkle dust). But the Lord does not work in our time frame. His ways are not our ways and His timing is not our timing. When the Lord is in charge there might be a wait involved. This puts us in a “waiting room,” a place where there is nothing to do but “wait upon the Lord.”
This is exactly where God wants us, in His waiting room. But there is something actually going on while we wait. God does not put us in the waiting room to punish us or to show us who’s boss. He puts us in waiting for a reason; it is for our benefit. The verse, “those who wait upon the Lord,” does not actually mean to sit and just wait for His timing. The word “wait” is translated in the Bible from the word “qavah,” which has two facets to its meaning. It means to wait, as in anticipation, but it also means to tie or bind together (like a cord or rope being woven together from several strands ready for future use). The rope gets its strength from the multiple stands drawing upon each other. In the verse, “Those who wait upon the Lord…” can be understood as “those who are patient and bound together with the Lord can anticipate a renewing of their strength.”
   This gives you something to do while you are in God’s waiting room; allow Him to weave Himself into every fabric of your life. Instead of just reading those magazines in the waiting room, try binding yourself together with the Lord for future use. Not only might He answer the prayer that you’ve been waiting for, He might also strengthen you for a future use beyond any of your own personal capabilities. The reason we are waiting for His answer is so that He may also work on us in the mean time.
    He figures He’s got our attention since we are in prayer to Him, so why not use our attention span for some change and growth? His desire is to make us into the men and women of God that He needs us to be. And if the only way He can do that is by making us wait, then so be it. In what ever life situation you are going through don’t try to fix it yourself. Remember that in His Kingdom He is always working, even if you can not see Him or hear Him. That’s when you wait.  Allow this time for yourself to be bound together with Him, you’ll be amazed at the things you and the Lord can do together. Your new “cord” will have four strands, The Father, The Son, The Holy Spirit, and you.  The reason you’ll have renewed strength is because you’ll need it up ahead.
After you’ve renewed your strength it will be time to use it. But don’t worry, you’ll be transformed and be able “mount up on eagles wings;” you will be able to “run and not get tired…”

 

From The Word

 

“but those 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.” (Isaiah 40:31)

 

The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, To the person who seeks Him. (Lamentation 3:26)

 

Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD. (Psalm 27:14)

Lord, I Believe; ……Help My Unbelief!

Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!

One of my favorite verses in the Bible is Mark 9:24, which ends with the phrase, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” That pretty well sums up my spiritual journey.

God wants us to know that there is nothing that can interfere with us living in His perfect blessing except unbelief. Unbelief is the hindrance that keeps the power of God from being realized in our life. As soon as we allow the Holy Spirit to have His way, we will find that great things will happen all the time. Can you imagine what would happen if all “believers” actually believed God? Faith as big as a mustard seed, tell this mountain to be moved, whatever you ask in My name, you shall do even greater works than these…….the list goes on and on. It’s a wonderful thought that God and the Holy Spirit wants to emphasize the truth that if we will only yield ourselves to the divine plan, He is right there to reveal the mystery of the truth. Do you believe the word of God? It is easy  easy to quote, “Now we are children of God” (1 John 3:2), but it is more important for me to know whether I am a son of God and who my Father is.

It’s hard to trust God in extremity. It is of no use just determining to have more faith. That’s not where faith comes from. But this prayer “Help my unbelief” is wise and true and strengthening. In any circumstance you face, turn to God and reach for help rather than turn away and give up.

What is the outcome of asking for help in unbelief? It’s going to result in more belief, in joy and restoration. God is going to meet our need in His time. His ways are not predictable, but he answers prayers like this:”Lord I believe, help my unbelief”

From The Word

 ‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for him who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”  (Mark 9:23-24)

 

 I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. (John 16:23) 

 

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

On Fearing God

Do you fear God? There are two types of fear described in the Bible. For the unbeliever, the fear of God is the fear of the judgment of God and eternal death, which is eternal separation from God (Luke 12:5; Hebrews 10:31). For the believer, the fear of God is something much different. The believer’s fear is reverence of God. Hebrews 12:28-29 is a good description of this: “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our ’God is a consuming fire.’” This reverence and awe is exactly what the fear of God means for Christians. This is the motivating factor for us to surrender to the Creator of the Universe.

I remember as a child learning a song in vacation Bible school that went like this; “Oh be careful little eyes what you see, Oh be careful little hands what you touch, Oh be careful little feet where you go, because there’s a God up above who is looking down in love, Oh be careful little lives what you do”.

But even after I trusted Jesus as my Savior at a young age, I still stumbled in sins and failed Him in many ways. I understood His love for me imperfectly; and I often thought His acceptance of me was based on my performance. As a result, my concept of “Loving God” was incorrect. In my mind and relationship with God I would end the above song with; “There’s a God up above who will squash you like a bug, Oh be careful little lives what you do”. I  struggled with a lack of confidence before God. It took time for me to learn that God’s love for me is unconditional in Christ. A confidence in His love is something that, for some, comes in an instant; but I believe that, for others of us, it takes time. It’s something that the Holy Spirit helps each of us who have trusted in Jesus to individually grow into.

Believers are not to be scared of God. We have no reason to be scared of Him. We have His promise that nothing can separate us from His love (Romans 8:38-39). We have His promise that He will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). Fearing God means having such a reverence for Him that it has a great impact on the way we live our lives. The fear of God is respecting Him, obeying Him, submitting to His discipline, and worshipping Him in awe. As believers we are part of something bigger than our little brains can comprehend. A Kingdom that is big and getting bigger. This Kingdom is where our Father is the King and we have a loving relationship with Him. A Kingdom that cannot be shaken and where there is no fear.

 From The Word

Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love (1 John 4:17-18).

 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs – heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together” (Rom. 8:15-17).

 

 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.”    ( 2 Timothy 1:7-9)