WAIT WELL

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

we must keep trusting God for something that hasn’t happened yet, it teaches us to wait patiently and confidently. – Romans 8:25 (LB)

Yesterday I got a text from a dear friend who was really struggling “with the wait”. 

GOD had granted her a VISION and had begun to assemble her team, but the starting line was starting drift farther and farther away.  All around her was the “need” for what the LORD had inspired her to do, but WHERE was the provision, WHERE were the workers, WHERE was the FACILITY?

She was anxious and confused.

It was then I gave her that little passage from Paul because I can really relate. 

Especially of late.

GOD keeps intersecting me with amazing people who I can quickly see as part of the VISION for a complete continuum of care for the addicted; part of a holistic, networked model that GOD planted in my heart and spirit in 2011.  

But I am waiting.

Case in point:

Just yesterday after being asked by the Attorney General’s team to provide some ideas about how the FAITH-BASED community can help with TRAFFICKING VICTIMS and TRAUMA, I meet with an amazing Australia fire-cracker named Danielle who by the way is a TRAUMA INFORMED, Faith-Based credentialed leader of a non-profit called REACH.  (how about that Natalie J?). 

Her team is ready, in fact deeply anxious, to take their place in the continuum, in the model of holistic faith-centric recovery and if I JUST HAD the PLACE, the PROVISION and the PROCESS in place we could go.

But we don’t yet.  

The LORD hasn’t opened all the doors yet.

And yet the need rages on.

That is why passages like Romans 8:25 that encourage “waiting well” are so important.  GOD wants us to stay FOCUSED on HIM (we keep TRUSTING) while He brings things together. 

But it sure is easy to “get impatient”.

Even though we KNOW for a fact that WAITING on the LORD renews strength and lifts us to places we couldn’t rise to on our own, patience and waiting at times seems counter intuitive when compared with perceived severity of the need and the need for ACTION!

Yet it is crucial that when impatience starts to swell up to remember to allow GOD to continue to direct the path; to not lose patience with GOD’s progress.

(Read about Abraham and Hagar if you need a little Biblical context).

We must stay steady.

Remember, pursuing our plan apart from God leads directly to a path outside of His will and that is NEVER good. Impatience causes us to run ahead of Him and the result is that we will get off track again.

So stay with GOD’S PLAN!

Stay with God…Don’t quit. I’ll say it again: Stay with God.

Psalm 27:14

And stay focused.

Other people will start to question why you are so calm, why you are not “pressing the issues” or pushing for answers. Don’t let them influence you. They may even start to question your judgment. Don’t forget it is GOD you are leaning on, not them. Remember HIS STRENGTH comes in seeking and waiting on HIM. So process the pressures from others and put them in perspective.

Does this mean we are not to take godly counsel from others? No.

But resolve to not move forward until the Lord says move forward or opens the door. You may even start to feel guilty or confused by the inability act, but it is then that patiently TRUSTING God and waiting on Him is the only sound solution.

Remember friends:

…patience…forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!  - Romans 5:4 (MSG)

Have a wonderful and blessed weekend!

Love you all…

Opportunities for Hope