Working on a towel for our precious child who lives with us in the summer from Belarus.......
Do you ever feel like your relationship with God is one-sided? I talk and He listens. Do you ever feel like your circumstances of life are starting to close in on you, and you keep praying with no response? Would it amaze you to know that God is speaking and moving on your behalf even when He is silent?
"If we come to him doubting His ability to speak, we will have a difficult time listening. So we must come expectantly" (Charles Stanley)
We, God's children, are supposed to approach the throne boldly and in expectancy!
I have battled this exact thing with God these last few days. In fact months. I have been praying and praying for confirmation on which bible study to do next. For the past several years God has burned a hole in my heart for every bible study, and I have immediately known which study to choose. But this time I took my eyes off of Him. I was looking from one side to another. I was looking up and down. I was looking everywhere except to Jesus, everywhere except in His eyes. Christian friends kept telling me, "Be Still" and "Be Patient." I kept saying "I am, I am" while spending time praying. I even started having anxiety over it. I thought "Has He left me? Have I done something wrong? Is He mad at me?". I started praying more and more about all of my ugly sins. Even the ones I had already asked for forgiveness for, thinking maybe they were the problem. It was almost like I was having to start over again back at square one. Then I had these thoughts that maybe I just couldn't do this anymore. I was tired, drained and pulled in so many directions. Then I thought that just maybe I had not been called by God for any of this. But the entire time God was taking His hands and grabbing my face and whispering"Look at me Robbie. Look at me. I am right here above all of your anxiety, above all of your fears. Look at me Robbie. I am up here on higher ground."
Sometimes you have to get to higher ground and away from your circumstances. You sometimes need a better view! That's when you remove yourself and take your focus off of you.
My eyes were actually focused on everything in this world except....yes, you guessed it, God. The amazing thing now looking back is that He kept whispering. And here I was with my crazy schedule, three demanding daughters, attempting to be the wife God has called me to be, the ministry classes I am in, the monogramming I do on the side, the long 14 hour days of nursing in a critical care setting...I could go on and on AND I couldn't focus on the one thing that matters the most, BUT yet God was still moving, still speaking, still whispering.
I had carefully picked out an alternative, instead of WAITING on God and not moving until I received what it was FROM HIM. Satan may not be creative, but he can be very effective......if we allow him to be.
My eyes were totally focused on my circumstances, and I had stopped looking for God's answer. If we truly value God's word and believe it, then we should not MOVE until we receive divine direction. We live in a world where it is instant gratification! We want God's plan ASAP! I know I do. I was actually depending on myself to pick out the study, even as I was asking for God's opinion the entire time and knowing I was going to pick out what I felt was the right one.
Praise His precious name that God never grows tired. He showed me today that we must remove ourselves from the craziness of our lives. Get away with Him on higher ground so that we can FOCUS our eyes on Him. Take our eyes off of our own circumstances, so we can BE STILL. Then be obedient.
So why is it so hard to wait on God? Our eyes are focused on our own circumstances. His hands are holding your face in His hands. Stop looking all around at you and your life. Look at Him and you just might hear him whisper "I Love You. I have the answer to your prayer."
The Hebrew word for Stand is AMAD which means "To Endure". Be determined to Stand and wait until you hear from God and ENDURE!
WAIT FOR THE LORD
BE STRONG, AND
LET YOUR HEART
TAKE COURAGE
YES, WAIT FOR THE LORD....Psalm 27:14
all is grace,
Robbie
(a quiet repost; packing for the beach for a week with 4 girls and 3 dogs! The car ride is going to be fun!)
