It has been quite some time since I blogged. Perhaps there are seasons in life that
require so much of you that hunkering down in the moment is all you are able to
do. Perhaps holding on to hope and faith
is easier to do at times when it is all internalized. Regardless, I have felt the Lord nudging for
quite some time about re-entering my blogging world. Whether my words are only for an audience of
One, or if they touch others I have never met outside of my tiny world, I must
follow and be obedient.
You may ask what I have been up to in my absence. The answer is simple….waiting. If you were to look at my life from the
outside, you might never know. I have
been content. I have been happy….or
perhaps joyful is a more appropriate word.
But through all my contentment, I have had a deep longing and
overwhelming expectancy of things that God has promised me I would see, but I
haven’t seen evidence of up until this point.
I have been waiting.
I would love to report that I have been waiting well. I would love to say that regardless of what I
saw, felt, or heard, I remained steadfast every moment for the last few
years. I would love to say that I have
seen what I am waiting for come to fruition.
But I am unable to say any of those things absolutely.
I can say this…..I know what it is to wait. I know what it is to wait well—to be
faith-filled and expectant regardless of circumstances, knowing that God will
come through in His perfect time and in His perfect way, according to His
perfect plan. I know what it is to
understand that God works all things for our good, even when all things that we
endure are not necessarily good. I know
what it’s like for God to use the honestly ugly and heart-wrenching things of
our lives to help weave together a beautiful tapestry in our lives and in the
lives of others. (See Death of a Dream.)
On the flip side, I also know what it is to NOT wait
well. I know what it is to struggle to
hold on in my own strength, and to fail miserably in my waiting well because of
that. There is a saying that is popular
that goes like this: “God will not give you more that you can handle.” This saying is so unfortunate! A subtle twist makes it a lie….even worse, it
actually promotes the idea that God gives you something expecting you to carry
it. On the contrary, Jesus said this:
“For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I
give you is light.”
Matthew 11:30 NLT
If you study commentaries, many discuss the yokes that Jesus
would have been discussing. When yoking
an stronger ox to a weaker or less experienced ox, a yoke designed to place the
brunt of the load upon the stronger one was used. While we are waiting, we are to cast our
cares on God.
“Give
all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” I Peter 5:7 NLT
Casting, according to Merriam-Webster, is to throw or move
something in a forceful way, or to send or direct something in the direction of
someone or something. If we throw
something or direct it to someone else, we can’t keep our hands on it. By simple definition, we can’t continue to
hold on to it. We can’t hold on to hope
and worry at the same time. By casting
our care—our anxiety, our worry—onto God, we are able to fully grab on to
hope. We are able to then pray with expectancy
and with hope. We are then able to stay
in peace because we are focused on our hope in Him.
“You
will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed
on you!” Isaiah 26:3 NLT
I understand that at times there is struggle. Sometimes casting our care is easier than
others. But I also know when the stakes
are high, and when the battle is long, casting our care can almost be a
moment-by-moment thing on some days. But I know that it is possible.
I know that you feel at times that there is no way you can
possibly wait another moment. I know
there will be moments when you will want to walk away and forget it all. But I also know that when you fix your eyes
on Christ, when you place your focus on Him, His Word, His promises, He will
renew your strength. He will give you
the ability to endure past anything you ever thought possible. (See Fly Like an Eagle.)
His timing is not our timing, and His
ways are not our ways. But He is
omniscient. We are not. He sees the beginning from the end. We do not.
He knows how to weave all of the messy pieces of our lives together, and
make something that is beautiful—something that we will be able to point to in
the future as evidence of His unfailing love and grace in our lives; something
that will be for His glory.
We will wait. Some days
we will wait well. Some days we will
fail in our waiting well, but God is faithful to forgive. He is faithful to empower us with His
strength to continue on the journey. One
day we will see what those things for which we wait. If you have been called to pray, to stand in
the gap, there is a reason.
“Write this letter to the angel of the church in Philadelphia.
This is the message from the one who is holy and true,
the one who has the key of David.
What he opens, no one can close;
and what he closes, no one can open:
the one who has the key of David.
What he opens, no one can close;
and what he closes, no one can open:
“I know all the things you do, and
I have opened a door for you that no one can close. You have little strength,
yet you obeyed my word and did not deny me.” Revelation 3:7,8 NLT
Continue to hope against hope. Continue to pray. This is something I have been praying over my
friend for the last 7 months. I believe
praying scripture is one of the most powerful things we can do. Until you see the fullness of God’s promise
come to pass, wait well, my friends.
Psalm 126
A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.
When the Lord brought back his exiles to
Jerusalem,
it was like a dream!
We were filled with laughter,
and we sang for joy.
And the other nations said,
“What amazing things the Lord has done for them.”
Yes, the Lord has done amazing things for us!
What joy!
it was like a dream!
We were filled with laughter,
and we sang for joy.
And the other nations said,
“What amazing things the Lord has done for them.”
Yes, the Lord has done amazing things for us!
What joy!
Restore our fortunes, Lord,
as streams renew the desert.
Those who plant in tears
will harvest with shouts of joy.
They weep as they go to plant their seed,
but they sing as they return with the harvest.
as streams renew the desert.
Those who plant in tears
will harvest with shouts of joy.
They weep as they go to plant their seed,
but they sing as they return with the harvest.
