Friday, December 14, 2007

Good morning! I found today's devotional in a pile of stuff that I had written a while back. It was interesting to read it, to remember where I was in my life when I wrote it, and to know where I am today. God did indeed answer my prayer, but in a way that was completely different than anything I would have considered.

Think of Christmas. Jesus was the answer to God's promise from long, long ago. The Israelites waited a very long time for the fulfillment of that promise. And then it came in a way that they weren't expecting. But God's way was so much better than what they had been expecting.

God is faithful. He always keeps His promises and always cares for His children. Sometimes it might be in ways that are foreign to us. Sometimes it might be in ways that are so incredible they are beyond our comprehension. Sometimes it might be in subtle and gentle ways.

Waiting for God to answer a prayer or fulfill a promise is difficult. That is why He has placed us in each other's lives, to encourage and strengthen each other. If you are waiting on God, do not get discouraged. And if you know someone who is waiting on God to answer a prayer, be their encourager, no matter how long it takes.

Have a wonderful weekend and I will look forward to talking to you all again on Monday!
-Becky


Waiting

But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. (2 Peter 3:8, NIV)

Maybe you can relate to my dilemma. I am going through a very difficult situation in my life, one that would probably be easier if I didn’t feel the desire to do what I know to be right in the sight of God. Being faithful is often the harder road. And knowing you’re doing the right thing doesn’t take away the temptation to run the other way when you know that it would make life less painful and less difficult.

I truly believe that God has the power to change my situation. I pray with boldness every day that He will intervene in some way. I even pray for Him to change my own heart in the process. What I don’t know is this: how long will I have to pray? How long do I have to persevere?

I feel like if I were to persevere for six months, that would be a very long time and surely God would answer prayer by then! But what if not? What if I am wrong? The truth of the matter is that God is not restrained by the world’s time. He does not run on our clock.

The Bible is full of stories where God gave a promise and then made the recipient wait to have it fulfilled. He promised Abraham a son …and it took 24 years. He promised the Israelites the Promised Land …and it took 400 years. He promised Joseph leadership and power …but it first took being sold into slavery, being falsely accused and convicted of attempted rape, and sitting in prison for several years. Others did not see the fulfillment of God’s promise until they tasted death.

What if I have to wait 20, 30, 40 years for my situation to be resolved? What if? Could I survive that long without going crazy? Could I persevere without succumbing to doubt and depression? Could I keep going without giving up?

The answer is, I have to. If I believe that God is God, if I say that I trust Him, then I have to wait. I have to. To do anything less would be to deny the faith I claim to have.

I also need to continue living life to the fullest in the meantime. I have to enjoy what God has given me. If I wait by sitting in a corner and pouting, then what good is that? What have I accomplished besides wasting the life that God has given me? What kind of example would I have set? What joys would I have missed out on?

Dear God, Please help me to keep my focus on You. Don’t let my circumstances deter me from taking the harder road. Help me to focus on the truth that You are God and I am not. And give me strength and peace while I wait.