Tag: Wait

The Saturday Song – Move (Keep Walkin’)

Posted on by Dorci

There are days, months, years, when I feel like I’ve been on a 1000-mile march, uphill, carrying 500 pounds on my back.  Maybe the apostle Paul knew that feeling, too, and guessed Timothy might also, and why Paul wrote to him: 

“You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please Him who enlisted him as a soldier.” 2 Timothy 2:3-4

That word “good” means beautiful, honest, worthy, valuable, virtuous (for appearance or use.)

Be sure we’re in a war, and maybe now more than ever. But we don’t walk alone. God is with us, strengthening us, empowering us, enabling us to finish in victory.  

So keep walking.  And look up. Cause things may seem bleak right now, but it ain’t over yet. (Spoiler Alert – God wins, and if we’re with Him, so do we.)

 

 

Heavenly Father, help us keep moving and to endure the hardship we encounter in this life, not as those who is endure alone or needlessly, but as a people who, in Christ Jesus, oppose your enemy who prowls around looking for someone to devour, and to be witnesses of your great grace and mercy and proclaimers of the power of the gospel to save.  In Jesus’ name we pray, amen. 

 

Keep Growing and Growing and Growing…

Posted on by Dorci

“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap. For he that sows to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that sows to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. 

And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. 

As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good to all men, especially to them who are of the household of faith.”
Galatians 6:7-10  AKJV


It is a long and tedious process to produce the perfect grape. It is three years from seed to harvest and involves soil cultivating – different soils for different grapes, perfect planting, temperature and wind control, proper sunlight, protection from pests and disease, watering, and pruning.  Oh, the pruning.  Pruning is so important that pruning contests are held to reward the best pruners. It takes a lot work to produce a fully mature, sweet crop of grapes.

Jesus said “I am the vine; you are the branches.” John 15:5a

The branches on grapevines can’t get tired, but we can. And as we endure years of tending and watering and pruning and waiting and not yet seeing the fully mature faith we desire, we might be tempted to give up. And right about the time when it looks like nothing is happening, it’s time to prune. Pruning is painful and sometimes all we see is that something is gone.

What we don’t see is what’s happening underground. Beneath the surface the roots are growing deep and strong, feeding on the nutrients in that perfectly fertilized and watered soil. And the stronger the roots, the stronger the grapevine will be.

So, let us not be weary in well doing…”

That word “doing” is a prolonged form of the word to do. To keep doing for an extended period of time.  It also means to abide.

Keep going, keep growing, keep doing well, keep holding onto Jesus, the Vine, until harvest time.  Yes, it’s hard, yes, it can be exhausting, yes it might look like nothing is happening except that so much has been taken away, but good things are coming if we don’t give up. We’ll see some fruit in this life, but the full harvest comes in the next. One day we’ll stand before our Heavenly Gardener and reap what we’ve sown.

So whatever season we’re in, let’s keep doing good to others – sowing to the Spirit – as God gives us opportunity, producing the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, and eventually the harvest of a sweet, fully mature faith.

The Saturday Song – Everlasting God

Posted on by Dorci

 

Starting to feel a little weary?  Yeah, me too.  But God’s Word says

 

The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of all the earth.
He never grows weak or weary.
    No one can measure the depths of his understanding.
He gives power to the weak
    and strength to the powerless.
Even youths will become weak and tired,
    and young men will fall in exhaustion.
But those who trust in the Lord 
will find new strength.
    They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
    They will walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:28-31 NLT

 

I used the New Living Translation because that’s the version spoken by the little girl near the end of the song.  (That part always gets to me.) 

But in the original Hebrew, the word, or phrase, used where it says “those who trust in the Lord…” is wait upon. Waiting on the Lord is not sitting and doing nothing, and it’s certainly not waiting in anxiety, wringing our hands, feeling helpless. 

Wait upon means to bind together.

If while we wait upon the Lord, we will spend the time in His presence, in prayer and in His Word, binding our hearts to Him, He is then able to give us new strength, His strength, a second, third, fourth wind so we can keep going, keep waiting, keep trusting, and not grow weary. 

And the bigger the trial, the more time we need to spend with God.

So, let’s do what we need to do to catch our second wind, rise up in His strength and power, and keep going.  

 

 

Hope

Posted on by Dorci

Why are you cast down, O my soul,
And moan within me?
Hope in God; for I shall praise Him
For the salvation of His face.
Psalm 42:5MKJV

Anyone who’s been through even a moment of depression understands the heart who wrote those words. 

No one knows for sure who wrote this psalm, but I find it interesting that the phrase “cast down” is used to describe the deep depression of his soul.

It’s a term used by shepherds to describe a sheep that, for whatever reason, has fallen upside down, all four legs in the air, helpless and unable to right itself.  If the shepherd doesn’t watch carefully and come to help the sheep, it can suffocate in a short period of time. 

If David was the author, he knows from experience that a good shepherd watches his flock carefully, and comes quickly at the first sign of trouble.

So, he encourages himself to hope. That word hope means to wait, to be patient, to trust.

And of course our hope is only as good as the one we put our hope in. 

The psalmist knows he has a perfect Shepherd who constantly watches His flock. He knows his salvation is coming.  He knows he will be delivered again, and again, and again, as many times as it takes. 

Our hope is a sure hope.  Not an “I hope…”  But a hope that knows God is faithful. His rescue is coming, and we must simply wait for it. A hope that knows God sees us, He hears us, and He’s working on our behalf…

A hope that knows a day is coming soon when we will look back and praise our Good Shepherd for all He’s done. 

I know God’s in the midst of us, doing great things.  And the day will come when all of us who have put our hope in Him will share story after story of His goodness and grace and mercy. 

Keep hoping. 

 

 

 

 

Sunday Praise and a Prayer for Dependence

Posted on by Dorci

“During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven…”  Daniel 2:19

 

Dear Heavenly Father, we praise you.  We praise you for who you are, for your unending love and wisdom which you have freely shared with us through your Word, and that you continue to give us as we seek you with all of our heart.  Lord, no matter what we’re going through right now, whether it’s a matter of life or death, or simply getting through another day, may we never be so arrogant and prideful to think to ourselves, “I’ve got this.”  May we continually lean you on, depend on you for wisdom and direction every moment of every day. You are our God, our Lord, and you’ve been so gracious to fill us with your Holy Spirit to continually minister to us, lead us, teach us, and comfort us. Help us turn down the sound of our world and of our own voices.  Anoint the ears of our hearts so that we may be attuned to Him, and grow accustomed to the sound of His voice speaking to us in that still, small way.  Give us the courage and strength to turn left when He says to turn left, to be still when he says to be still. May we obey you in all things, our Lord and Savior.   In the mighty and precious name of Jesus Christ we pray, amen.