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 Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. Against such things there is no law. |
Patience In God's Time Christmas is a real funny time of the year for me. I see the season as a contrast. Shoppers are impatient to purchase their gifts; the drivers in their 2-ton vehicles scare me with their impatience; and, I am impatient with God to do the big plan for my life. It made me stop and think about if I really trusted God with my life. If I would be okay with it if this was all God wanted me to do. I believe God, don't I?  Christmas
used to be about shopping ‘till I dropped, baking tons of cookies and
decorating my house. And, oh yeah, it was Jesus' birthday. Then, about five
years ago, I became a Christian and a whole new meaning for Christmas came
with it. The other stuff seemed so small in comparison to the Gift we all
received about 2000 years ago. A Gift of Love so great that the impact is
felt to a depth that can change lives today.So back to
the original question and my answer: I do believe God and, yes, He still has
to remind me that it is in His time, not mine. He needs to grow in me His
likeness and that takes time. I still have to be reminded that He is still
with me, using me for His purpose, not mine.Prayer Dear God, my faithful and loving Father, forgive me for trying to speed You up. Forgive me for not stopping long enough in my busy days to see You standing there being so patient with me as I blunder along. Accept this prayer and keep me within Your sight. Teach me the God-Christmas and not the worldly-Christmas. Amen.
Deborah Bricker
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NOTE: This page contains 5 devotions. Pick
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| Luke 1:6 Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord's commandments and regulations blamelessly. |
Waiting . . Or Waiting Pastor Mike was sharing about receiving the promise and then waiting on the miracle this week. I have always hated the process of waiting. When I think about waiting, for some reason, the words "a big waste of time" come to mind. The feeling that accompanies it is usually one of irritation and frustration at not being able to get on with getting on. While
reading Luke 1:6 in the NIV Bible study guide, I found the following:
“Upright . . blamelessly. They were not sinless, but were faithful and
sincere in keeping God's commandments."Webster's
Encyclopedia of Dictionaries, new American edition, shows several
definitions for wait. They are: to stay for; to stop until arrival of some
person or event; to be temporarily postponed; to be expecting; to serve at a
table; to attend (on); act, period of waiting. What I found in my mind to be
true is, that while to wait is the act of stopping until the arrival of a
person, thing, or event (which wasn't incorrect), it also means in
the frame of mind of expecting, not just sitting there doing nothing while
waiting.This can
easily be applied to our Christ-walk, in that while we are waiting for the
fruition of the promise of the miracles in our lives, we are to be waiting
(working, serving) and reaching others with Christ's love. We can be Jesus’
wait-staff while we are waiting and expecting His return to claim His own
and take us home.Prayer Dearest Jesus, thank you for helping me to see that my impatience works counteractive to what you are trying to accomplish and grow in me and through me. Amen.
Dawn Swinford |
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| Psalm 123:2 As the eyes of the slaves look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, till he shows us his mercy. |
5-Star Dining I don’t eat at fancy restaurants. There is just something about paying $150 per person (or more) that doesn’t fit with my personality. I’m more of a 99-cent menu kind of guy, where I can “biggie” for only 39 cents. Sometimes
I eat at a place that has a waiter or waitress. But I wonder, “Why are they
given that name?” It seems that I do most of the waiting. And that is the
point of my story.At fancy
restaurants, each table has its own waiter or waitress. And they spend most
of their time waiting to respond to the wishes of the patrons at that table.
The slightest look or gesture can cause them to respond. But most of the
time, they just wait. They don’t rush about trying to look busy. They don’t
try to impress the patrons with anything except great service. And to give
great service, they have to wait . . always alert, but waiting.I think
God wants me to serve in the same way. I need to stay out of the way until
he calls to me. Then I must respond, without hesitation. If I’m doing my own
thing, trying to impress him, I won’t be attentive to his call. If I’m busy
with my own plans, regardless of how “holy” they may seem, I miss his signal
and the chance to serve him and do what he really wants.I need to
step back. I need to stop being busy for the sake of being busy. I need to
find God, and I need to watch him. I don’t need to be busy to be serving; I
need to be watching and responding to God. And a lot of the time, I will be
waiting.Prayer Father, forgive my busyness. Holy Spirit, honestly, I don’t focus on Father very well. He has to practically shout to get my attention. I am sorry. Save my pathetic life. I don’t want to spend my days in busyness and miss Father’s business. Save me from the attitude that doing stuff is more important than waiting on God. Additional Scripture Psalm 27:14
David Phipps
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| Job 35:10 But no one says, 'Where is God my Maker who gives songs in the night?' |
Songs In The Night I felt I had been treated unjustly and unfairly by another person. As a matter of fact, by two other people. It was night, not only outside but in my heart and my soul. Sleep would not come. I was angry and hurt. I turned to Psalm 37 and read it over and over again. David, the author, was saying in verses 3 through 9 to trust the Lord and he would give me the desires of my heart. That sounded too good to be true. But what were the desires of my heart? Jesus knows our desires better that we know ourselves. David
wrote Psalm 37 as he dealt with the injustices of King Saul. He wrote down
his cries to God along with his praises. After a period of years, God did
raise up David as He had promised. He also said not to be angry or fret. God
gave David a new attitude and I chose to let Him work on me. I wrote in the
margin of my Bible, "It takes time for God to paint a rose.David
wrote "songs in the night." The Psalms have ministered to many people! I
trusted God for my salvation; I would trust Him to lead me through this
valley. I chose to say out loud, "Father, I forgive these people. I want You
to replace this spirit of unforgiveness with Your Presence in my life." "Songs in
the night" renewed my spirit as I listened to John Michael Talbot's tape by
St. Francis: "Lord,
Make me an instrument of Your peace. Where
there is hatred, let me so love. Where
there is injury, pardon. Where
there is doubting, let me bring Your faith. Lord, make
me an instrument of Your peace. Where
there is despairing, let me bring hope. Where
there is darkness, Your light. Where
there is sadness, let me bring Your joy. O Divine
Master, grant that I might seek, Not so
much to be consoled, but to console. To be
understood, as to understand. Not so
much to be loved, but to love another. For it it
is in giving that we now receive. It is in
pardoning that we now are pardoned. And it is
in dying that we are born again. And Lord,
make me an instrument for Your peace. Where
there if hatred, let me sow love."Seventeen
years later, God is restoring what the locust has destroyed. (Joel 2:25) Prayer Praise You, Jesus, for Your redemption that is available to us daily on this earth. Thank You for favoring us with Your mercy, love and grace. I glorify Your name as You take us through these valleys and stabilize us as we wait for You. Make me an instrument of Your peace.
Evelyn Rhoades
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| Romans 8:25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. . |
Bruised Reeds and Smoldering Wicks Lately, my life seems to be a series of nothing but simple choices. Choosing to believe the word of God over what my emotions tell me. Proverbs 13:12 says, "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life." I have
been heartsick for awhile. For the longest time I didn’t give up, but then,
finally, one day my emotions got the best of me and I laid down my
expectations in defeat. I entered a kind of no-spirit zone, where after
daily hearing the voice of my Abba, I now heard little or nothing. I had,
and still have, a strange sort of peace, but it doesn’t feel right, or like
it belongs there. I even fight it occasionally because it makes no sense.I simply
find myself waiting. It’s not a comfortable spot for me. I have been
pursuing Jesus daily for several years with Scripture reading, prayer and
time just spent worshipping in His presence. Each day He has been on my mind
in one way or another. All day I strive towards Him, intensely desiring His
presence and work in my life.Now I feel
cut loose, even drifting. I continue to serve in small ways, here and there
as opportunities arise, but feel empty and without real purpose. I
understand, finally, that I can do nothing on my own; that God will work out
the changes in my life through His Holy Spirit.I have
failed so much, but I find myself wondering, ‘has it been Holy Failure?’ Has
it been God allowing doors to close and pride to come to an end so that when
He finally moves me into my life purpose, I will be humble, ready to listen,
unwilling to take credit and totally dependent on the One who has led me? I
hope so. I pray so.One of my
spiritual gifts is mercy, and I have felt that mercy expand incredibly as I
have dealt with my own failures and realized the patience and grace of God
that I have received. So I choose. I feel like I have failed, but God’s word
says that His grace is sufficient for me. I feel unclean, but His word says
the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses me from all sin. I feel lonely and alone.
But His word says He will never leave me or forsake me. I feel afraid, but
His word says to fear not, for He is with me. He is with me, for me, and
interceding for me - as I wait.
Prayer Lord, even in the past crises of my life, I don’t think anything has been as hard as this waiting. Please forgive me my impatience with others and myself. Help me to keep in focus and that desire to extend to others what I have received in abundance - great mercy and great grace. Help me to yield to your Holy Spirit. Keep my love from growing cold through passive waiting. Instead, let me remember your promises and keep working. I choose to trust you. Enable me to do so. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. Additional Scripture Matthew 12:20-21; Romans Chapter 8
Lisa Sowry
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