Waiting ...
When you can’t hear the voice of God….
Have you ever been at that place where you want to be hearing from God but either you can’t hear or you feel like Jesus isn’t talking? Yeah, me too. We live in a society of bombardment, and it is detrimental to our relationship with God. We must learn to trust him in every circumstance, even if that means waiting, being still, not having the complete picture, or not completely hearing what God is telling us. Instead we start telling Christ why our lives are so hard and this is what he needs to do to fix it. If you think Jesus needs your help planning your life and if you and him will just sit down in the morning with a cup of coffee and hash out what the conduct of the day should be, then you’re missing the point. The gospel is not for just you. Jesus wants you to realize that he has called you for a purpose bigger than yourself. His entire existence was for others. Did he take time for himself? Yes, but he always returned to others. The lesson of forgetting yourself is always a hard one, but when learned it will serve you well in the future. If you think you are the only one that’s ever felt like that then I encourage you to revisit your old testament bible stories and you will soon find that it is riddled with stories about people waiting, and thinking they’ve even been abandoned by God; Moses had to wait in the dessert for 40 years, just to know that he was the one to deliver Israel out of Egypt; Job sat in the dust for months fasting and grieving, his skin filled with boils and his friends telling him he must have done something terribly wrong; Abraham had to wait till he was almost 100 years old before Sarah and him were able to conceive and bear the child God had promised. Waiting.
We all have our times of hardship and waiting (our “desserts” if you will) but be patient. In due time, there will be answers and you will know what you need to do. Now this does not mean that he will make it blatantly obvious. God never promises he will make it all perfectly clear and He also never promises that He is going to provide it all right away. Most importantly you must realize that it is not going to be easy.
Jesus did not come to make your life easy but to claim his bride and to win your heart. He did this the only way anyone could, by willingly giving up his perfection to claim the punishment we all deserved. He purchased us before we knew we were for sale. Yes, you are bought with a price. Why? Because Christ knows you and desperately desires you to desire him and to know love, joy, and all things that are pure and good.
Gal 4:4-7 4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.
As you wait...
Remember, He knows best and He is going to ask you to step out in faith in order to change and Grow your heart to be more like Christ. Use your gifts, develop and nurture your skills, learn so that you can be as effective as possible when he calls you to do his bidding. Oh, and by the way, He is calling you now. America is a good country, we have grown up in success and prosperity which is good in a way but also has developed us to think that the only way to measure our lives is with human success. Yes, it’s good to be prosperous to a certain point, but I would ask you, who is your teacher and what is your goal in it all? Where is your heart? Is It for God, or is it for something or someone else? Please, let the spirit change the way you think. Pray that you will be able to stand on truth outside of your culture, and able to listen to the Spirit. He is your teacher, for this is the will of God dwelling inside you!! LISTEN, day and night, if you are born again he does guide and He will develop you though the spirit. The spirit Leads you and all you have to do is learn to listen to him and his word. And the best place to start with that is reading your Bible and Prayer!! Pray!! Watch what the Lord is capable of. Maybe it’s not going to be the answer you want or what you think it should look like to you, but it’s the will of God within your life. Are you ready to stop waiting? Are you willing to let Christ upset your life in order to use it for its real potential? Ask and then know that even you as a sinner can’t spoil Gods perfect plan. Love others, do Good, be patient, and seek Christ! For this is God’s heart for us. So even in those times of loneliness or spiritual draught, where you feel like you are not able to move forward. Maybe just be ready to listen and be still before the Lord and Let him speak. Who knows what could happen, and you will only know his plan is better when you let God change you.
Prayer:
Thank you Lord that even in my short comings and my faults you are able to pull me out and save me from myself. Lord I pray that I can be patient and wait on your all- knowing timing in my life. And that you would choose to use this broken vessel, make it new. More importantly would you teach me and use me, mold me and make me, and shape me into a pure and perfect creation. Lord, please never leave me. Grant me you and you alone, for in you I am complete.
Written by Josh Lytle
