WAIT ON THE LORD
Isn't it funny that when we hear the word "wait" it produces anxiety in our mind. Could our
problem be that we expect everything, on time, at the time that we expect it. Even God is to
comply with our demand.
The Bible speaks volumes on patience. As a matter of fact James 1:2-4 says that
patience/endurance is what makes us perfect, complete and lacking nothing. As we encounter
trials know that it is the trying of our faith that produces patience/endurance.
Psalms 33 tells us that we are to rejoice and
be thankful making a loud and joyful noise
with singing because the word of the Lord is
right and His work is done in faithfulness
(meaning we can count on it). His eyes are
upon those who fear him and wait for Him
and hope in His mercy and lovingkindness
(meaning He is lovingly watching over us).
The Lord is our Helper and our Shield
because we trust in His holy name (note that
the only way He can protect us is when we
trust in Him). David finishes this Psalm saying, as long as we wait and hope in the Lord His
unfailing love rests upon us.
I hope by now that the earlier anxiety you felt about waiting on the Lord has now turned into
peace and patience, knowing that we can trust God to be loving, faithful and working on our
behalf.
If the anxiety is still there then the problem is not with the word of God but with us. When we
read the Bible, it should be with such faith that the words should take hold in our hearts and our
minds should accept it as TRUTH. If you are not there yet, don't feel bad. God says "he who
lacks faith, let him ask.
God's Perspective on Suffering
It should not catch us by surprise when trouble comes, afterall was it not Jesus who said in this
world we will have trials and tribulations. But His advice was to be encouraged, be strong, be
not afraid because He had overcome the world and that we are more than conquers through Him.
He made this claim after His resurrection stating that through his ascension He had overcome the
world. But, while He was here He had to face the same disappointments and sufferings that we
face. The following thesis by Charles Stanley gives a clear illustration of how Christ responded
to suffering.
For whatever reason God chose to make man as he is--limited and suffering and subject to
sorrows and death--He had the honesty and courage to take His own medicine. Whatever game
He is playing with His creation, He has kept His own rules and played fair. He can exact nothing
from man that He has not exacted from Himself. He has Himself gone through the whole of
human experience, from the trivial irritations of family life and the cramping restrictions of hard
work and lack of money to the worst horrors of pain and humiliation, defeat, despair, and death.
When He was a man, He played the man. He was born in poverty and died in disgrace and
thought it well worthwhile.
The fact that Jesus came to earth where He suffered and died does not remove pain from our
lives. But it does show that God did not sit idly by and watch us suffer in isolation. He became
one of us. Thus, in Jesus, God gives us an up-close and personal look at His response to human
suffering. All our questions about God and suffering should, in fact, be filtered through what we
know about Jesus.
God's response to pain
When He met a person in pain, He was deeply moved with compassion. Not once did He say,
"Endure your hunger! Swallow your grief!" When Jesus' friend Lazarus died, He wept. Very
often, every time He was directly asked, He healed the pain. Sometimes He broke deep-rooted
customs to do so, as when He touched a woman with a hemorrhage of blood, or when He
touched outcasts, ignoring their cries of "Unclean!" The pattern of Jesus' response should
convince us that God is not a God who enjoys seeing us suffer. I doubt that Jesus' disciples
tormented themselves with questions like "Does God care?" They had visible evidence of his
concern every day: they simply looked at Jesus' face.
And when Jesus himself faced suffering, he reacted much like any of us would. He recoiled from
it, asking three times if there was any other way. There was no other way, and then Jesus
experienced, perhaps for the first time, that most human sense of abandonment: "My God, my
God, why have you forsaken me?" In the gospel accounts of Jesus' last night on earth, there was
a fierce struggle with fear, helplessness, and hope--the same frontiers all of us confront in our
suffering.
The record of Jesus' life on earth should forever answer the question, does God care? In reply,
God did not give us words or theories on the problem of pain. He gave us himself. A psychiatrist
may explain difficult things, but has no power to change them. The gospel, the story of Jesus'
life, promises change is inevitable.
Excerpts from Charles Stanley - slightly revised
No one suffered the way Jesus did? How about Job? Can we say our suffering does not reach
God? Not so. He loves us and sent His Son to suffer the ultimate, death and separation from
God, so that we would not have to. No matter what suffering we are experiencing, nothing can
ever separate us from God and therefore we are not without hope that the suffering will end.
It would seem that the important thing in suffering is not the cause but our response to the
suffering. To respond in faith to remain committed to God no matter what happens. I never
understood the words to the song, "Don't Move my Mountain" the lyrics are: "God, don't move
my mountain, but give me the strength to climb". I often wondered why not have God move the
mountain, that would be easier. But, the idea is that if we had strength to climb one mountain
than we would be able climb the next one that was sure to face. God will not do for us what we
can do for ourselves. We have free will and common sense or else we would be robots and what
joy or fellowship would God have with robots. It pleases God to see us exercise our faith in Him
with steadfast, unshakable and unmoveable trust.
Rejoice?
Another thing I have always had trouble understanding is the concept of rejoicing in suffering.
Again Charles Stanley explains it clearly.
Rejoice!" "Be glad!" How do these suggestions differ from the insensitive hospital visitor who
brings a smile and a "Look on the bright side!" pep talk? Suffering produces something. It has
value; it changes us.
By using words like "Rejoice!" the apostles were not advocating a spirit of grin-and-bear-it or
act-tough-like-nothing-happened. No trace of those attitudes can be found in Christ's response to
suffering. If those attitudes were desirable, self-reliance would be the goal, not childlike trust in
God.
Nor is there a hint of enjoying pain. "Rejoicing in suffering" does not mean Christians should act
happy about tragedy and pain when they feel like crying. Rather, the Bible aims the spotlight on
the end result, the productive use God can make of suffering in our lives. To achieve that result,
however, He first needs our commitment of trust, and the process of giving Him that
commitment can be described as rejoicing.
Romans 5:3-5 breaks down the process into stages: "We also rejoice in our sufferings, because
we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character,
hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our
hearts by the His Spirit, whom he has given us." Quite simply, a quality like perseverance
(patience/endurance) will only develop in the midst of trying circumstances. Think about it: a
person who always gets what he or she wants has no chance to learn perseverance, or patience.
Suffering can be one of the tools to help fashion those good qualities.
Seen in this light, to "Rejoice!" makes sense. James does not say, "Rejoice in the trials you are
facing," but rather "Count it pure joy when you face trials...." which means to celebrate the
opportunity for growth introduced by pain. We rejoice not in the fact that we are suffering, but in
our confidence that the pain can be transformed. The value lies not in the pain itself, but in what
we can make of it. The pain need not be meaningless, and therefore we rejoice in the object of
our faith, a God who can effect that transformation.
A few chapters after his step-by-step analysis in Romans 5, Paul makes a grand, sweeping
statement, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love
him...." That statement is sometimes twisted and made to imply that "Only good things will
happen to those who love God." Paul meant just the opposite. The remainder of chapter 8 defines
what kind of "things" he had in mind: trouble, hardship, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger,
sword--all pages from Paul's autobiography. Yet, as the apostle's life well illustrates, God used
even those things to advance his will in and through Paul. It would be more accurate to say that
God was working in Paul through harsh circumstances than to say he was at work in the
circumstances themselves.
Does God introduce suffering into our lives so that these good results will come about?
Questions about cause lie within God's domain; we cannot expect to understand those answers.
We have no right to speculate, "Some relatives came to Christ at the funeral--that must be why
God took him home." Instead, response is our assignment. Paul and other New Testament
authors insist that if we respond with trust God will, without doubt, work in us for good. As Job
himself said so presciently, "...those who suffer he delivers in their suffering; he speaks to them
in their affliction" (Job 36:15).
The notion of suffering as productive brings a new dimension to our experience of pain. Human
beings undergo goal-directed suffering quite willingly, as athletes and pregnant women can
attest. According to the Bible, a proper Christian response to suffering gives similar hope to the
person on the hospital bed. As we rely on God, and trust his Spirit to mold us in his image, true
hope takes shape within us, "a hope that does not disappoint." We can literally become better
persons because of suffering. Pain, however meaningless it may seem at the time, can be
transformed.
Where is God when it hurts? He is in us--not in the things that hurt--helping to transform bad
into good. We can safely say that God can bring good out of evil; we cannot say that God brings
about the evil in hopes of producing good.
That is a truth I learned a long time ago and will never forget. God does not bring evil, but can
use evil to bring about good. Even in the Old Testament when God warned the Israelites
through His prophets. They were to turn from their evil ways and if not then the judgment of
God would be upon them. But they had the power to avoid that judgment by repenting and
turning to God. The evil things are not God's intention. He is not a King holding a scepter
waiting to slam it across our heads to get us to do what is right. We choose to be disobedient and
then when we suffer the consequences of that disobedience, we want to believe God is behind it.
When bad things happen, I rather believe God is working through me to accomplish His will and
not working in the bad things that happen. This is very important to understand or else you will
be discouraged and have no where to turn in trouble. The key is to know we always have God to
turn to in times of trouble. We would not be able to do this if it was God who brought the
trouble.
I do believe God allows the consequences of our disobedience to bring about His perfect will. In
most cases, His will is to transform us to the image of His Son, to develop Christian character
and maturity, produce the fruit of the Spirit in our lives and increase our knowledge of Him and
reinforce our faith and trust in Him. Struggles are opportunities to grow in Christ. Knowing
this, we can count it joy and rejoice in the end results of suffering and not the suffering itself.
Once I read that there is light at the end of the tunnel and it is not an oncoming train.
Following are Scriptures concerning God's will for our lives:
....that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing
fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all
power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience,
and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance
of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness
and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the
forgiveness of sins.
Colossians 1: 1-14
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the
renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his
good, pleasing and perfect will.
Romans 12:2
Whatever is has already been;
What will be has been before;
and God will call the past into account.
Ecclesiastes 3:15
For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we
fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to
demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension (high thing) that sets
itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it
obedient to Christ.
2 Corinthians 10:3-5
A Book Note
I am reading a book called "As Silver Refined" by Kay Arthur, it is about learning to embrace
life's disappointments. I have only read a few chapters so far and it has changed my life
tremendously. She explains that by changing the "D" and replacing it with an "H" and a space,
we can change life's disappointments into His appointments. She and Charles Stanley point to
scripture to prove that it is our response to the disappointments that will make the difference.
Your response is an act of pure obedience and faith believing God no matter what you feel or
what you think--no matter what your circumstances.
Kay Arthur goes on to explain that "the "space" is important. The moment your disappointment
is overwhelming, shattering, the pain so overpowering that you cannot imagine how anything
good could ever come out of it, for there's nothing good in it. God doesn't say the situation is
good, but He does promise that because He's your God and you're His child, He will bring good
from it." Does that sound familiar? She concludes by saying that this is "where gut-level faith
comes in. Faith being the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. It takes
time to see what God's appointment really is, to begin glimpsing and understanding His good
plan and purpose behind a particular disappointment He has allowed. But that time will come, it
has to for God cannot lie." She also gives us a wonderful suggestion, something that I do all the
time, and that is find a scripture that speaks to my problem and stand on it believing God to
perform His word in my life. Kay Arthur suggests memorizing James 1:2-4 (on page 1 of the
Newsletter).
Editor's Note
I have explained to some of you the process I go through before preparing the Newsletters each
month. I pray for guidance from the Holy Spirit of God to reveal to me what it is He wants
written for the month. And not some time, but every single month I am led to a subject and then
He makes resources, information, Bible study, times of prayer and personal experiences available
to me and I am certain that I have heard from God and know exactly what He wants me to write
about.
I know this to be true because, times when I decide what I want to write about, I'll get writers'
block and cannot find scriptures or information. So then I stop and say, "OK God have Your
way" and then boom the subject comes and along with everything I need to write about it. This
is one of the most thrilling things in my life. I have never experienced anything close to being in
the will of God and never will experience anything that can compare with knowing that God is
working through me. I read once that anyone who handles the word of God should pray: "Here I
am God, a ready pen in Your hands." And this is how I feel. Not because I am so good, but that
God is good. As He minister to you through me, He is ministering to me at the same time. For
Hebrews 4:14 says His word is like a double-edge sword. James says His word is like a mirror
and that says to me that when one looks in it he should see himself and not someone else.
This month God led me to write about suffering. Could it be that at this very time, I am going
through a major challenge and need His guidance on how to respond. Or could it be that you are
"going through" right now and need guidance on how to respond. I believe it is both.
Aside from all that is written above, I have learned 2 things in my time of trouble. One is that I
am genuinely upset when I am attacked for no reason, an especially when I know I have done
nothing to initiate it. This is a stumbling block for me. I go into the why, why, why's and the
unfairness of it all. But God in His wonderful way helped me to understand that the trouble is
not the problem, it is my response to it. Surely, I will get hurt for things I do, things I do not
deserve and so on and so on. But I am to respond and not react. There is a difference, to react is
to take your own action instead of responding in faith and trusting God. But if trials come to test
my faith and my faith will be strengthen by the trials and God is in charge of all that happens and
I know He loves me more than I can know and His one purpose for my life is Christlikeness and
Fruitfulness, then I say, "Lord Thine will be done not mine. I try to look to the end result of the
situation and not the situation itself. I often think about Peter walking on the water. He was
actually walking on water until he looked around (at his circumstances) and took his eyes off
Christ and began to sink. So I try to remember, to keep my eyes on God and walk on the water
instead of looking at the circumstances and sinking into them.
The other thing God has taught me is that being a Christian is not something I do, it is who I am.
Sounds like common sense to you, huh. Well it is one thing to say I am a Christian and an entire
horse of another color to live the Christian life. See I find myself making statements like, "I am
tired of doing the Christian thing" and "I am always the one who tries to do what is right." Ever
feel that way? Well this is what God revealed to me, "being a Christian is not doing the right
thing it is about being right with Me." A Christian isn't something I can do, I can't do it. But the
Spirit of God living within me does it for me. He leads, guides, empowers and strengthens me to
do the will of God. It isn't something that I am doing. So how can I be tired of doing it or expect
something back because of it. To God (not you and me) be the Glory and Honor FOREVER.
The lesson learned from both these revelations is that I need to change my perspective. I have
heard thousands of times and read many times in the Bible that we are to see things through the
heart and eyes of God. Everything that happens in my life is to bring me into submission to God
while He works to mold me into the image of His Son. After all it was God who said, He will
complete the work He started in us until the day of Christ. So until Christ returns, I will continue
to be worked on, molded, shaped and refined. Interestingly, all of that work doesn't sound like it
will always be pleasant but it will end pleasantly, that's a promise of God (Romans 8:28).
A Word of Prayer
Let us pray: Dear Lord, our hearts are challenged at this time, things are not what we think they
should be, wives acting out, husbands showing off, children wearing on us, finances threatened.
Lord I do not know all that is going on, but I know that You know. You are our Father, a loving
Father, our Shield, our Helper. You are all powerful, all knowing and always present. Father
God what more could Your children need then to have the
most powerful and wise Counselor forever present with us.
Father we thank You for just being who You are. There is
none like You. Power and might are in Your Hands, who
can withstand You. Knowing this Father God and
believing this Father God we entrust every circumstance
regardless of what it is, why it is so and who is the blame,
we leave it in Your Hands. We give it to the One who has
full control over all things. The One who is able to bring
good out of evil. Father, Your Word tells us You have a
purpose for our lives, one to prosper us and not to harm us,
one to give us a hope and a future. So help us Father to
respond to these times in our lives with childlike faith in
You, trusting You in all things. Remaining joyful and
thankful for the end result of Your will to be done in our
lives. For in nothing will we be anxious, but in all things, Father God, by prayer and
supplication with thanksgiving, making our requests known to You. So that Your Peace that
surpasses all understanding will guard and keep our hearts in Jesus Christ. Father God help us to
keep our minds on Christ for in Him is our hope and peace. Help us Father God to remain
faithful and true to Your word, hiding it in our hearts so that we may not sin against You. And
then Father God, so that our prayer is not hindered, we offer sacrifice of confession and
repentance, asking Your forgiveness for any and all sins we have committed, knowingly and
unknowingly. Forgive us Lord for doubting Your word. We know Father God that You have
forgiven us because You said if we confess our sins that You are faithful and just to forgive us
our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We make this prayer in the perfect and holy
name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Salvation Call
If you have not accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior and have not given your life to Him, here
is your chance. The promises of God are available to His people. His people are called by His
name and accordance to His purpose. Only those who have accepted Christ as Lord and Savior
can stand on His promises. The Bible says, "Let him who thinks he stands take heed, lest he
fall." First Corinthians 10:12.
You are not living if you are not living for Christ. But Christ offers a chance for life to you. He
is willing to accept you as you are, He died for sinners. He is willing to save you, He came to
seek and save those who are lost. He is able to save you, He sits at the right hand of the Father
to intercede on your behalf if you would just put your faith in Him. A, admit you are a sinner, all
have sinned and fallen short of the God's holiness. B, believe that Christ died for your sins, you
are the one who deserved death because of your sins but Christ died instead. C, confess with
your mouth that God rose Him from the dead and believe it with your heart and you will be
saved. If you know your ABC's then all that is left is to pray and ask Christ into your life, find a
Bible believing and teaching Church and things will never be the same again. Let us pray:
Dear Lord: Thank You, Lord Jesus, for dying for my sins on the cross, enduring sin's penalty
- death - on my behalf. With my mind, will, and emotion, I accept Christ as my living Savior
and ask Him to make His home in my heart. I receive Your forgiveness for my sin and the gift
of eternal life. I am no longer separated from You by sin, but now live in personal fellowship
with you forever. Amen
If you prayed this prayer, write me a note and let me know, we want to rejoice with you that you
are now saved and have eternal life.
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