Remembering His Goodness..

We had a church retreat this weekend and if I could give it a name.. it would be the title of this post..”Remembering His Goodness.” That is the theme that I kept hearing in the stories the speakers shared with us. They were actually speaking on the hard times in life and how we need to learn to accept them as normal and be able to reach out to those around us when they reveal their struggles to us. A great topic in these times where there is so much fear and anxiety in everyday life.

The key for me was hearing this theme as we read through the psalms and discussed the issues they presented. Our Creator God is good, He is faithful and available in all circumstances. He is larger than our circumstances.. bigger than our fears..sovereign over everything that happens to us in this life. He is our refuge and our rock.. We are always able to cry out to Him… to rely on Him and lean into Him. Although His ways are not our ways.. we can trust Him to bring deliverance when we need it and to rescue us before it is too late!

Our part is to remember this and to act on it.. to nurture the relationship.. to remember Him and His promises… to dwell on His faithfulness and to count on Him when the darkness comes. We are in a battle and our faith is constantly being challenged by the trials and tests that we face..but He is there with us.. We are not alone. This is our road.. we signed up for it when we committed to follow Him and He will carry us when we cannot walk another step.

“I remain confident of this:
    I will see the goodness of the Lord
    in the land of the living.
    Wait for the Lord;
    be strong and take heart
    and wait for the Lord.”   (psalm 27:13-14)

 

Life is a marathon..

I ran into an old friend today and we began to talk about what is happening in our lives. We have very different circumstances but one big thing in common. We are both waiting. She is waiting for something to be over and I am waiting for some things that have not yet happened. Our conversation was a good reminder that life on earth is a marathon.. not a sprint.

One way that God works with us so that we can continue to run the race is through seasons of waiting. During these times He is working on us to strengthen us and to build our character so that we will be able to finish well. That is one of my goals as a believer..I want to finish well. Looking around.. I see many who have dropped out..they are no longer on the path and they don’t seem able to find their way again. They are lost and He is their only answer, yet they choose their own road instead of the one He has prepared for them.

Our culture breeds impatience. Just look at technology and how it has enabled us to do things so quickly..it is as though waiting is the worst thing we could ever endure. I find this ironic.. since waiting is so essential in the kingdom of God. God waits for us continually. He is the patient Father who longs for us to understand the great love He has for us. We are the impatient children who want what we want now!

So .. if you are waiting.. honestly I believe we all are waiting for something..remember that this is from God. That He is calling you to a deeper, closer walk with Him. He is asking you to trust in His goodness and to remember His faithfulness. He is working in the waiting to build your faith and to prepare you for whatever lies ahead.

“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)

The Waiting Room is Full

If  you have been reading my blog for any length of time, then you know that I like to write about waiting. Not because I enjoy waiting..in fact the opposite is true..but because so much of life is made up of waiting. Sometimes we don’t even know what we are waiting for..but we are unsettled and we know we are waiting. Those are the most difficult seasons.

Life with God is all about waiting. We wait for Him and I suppose He waits for us..it only seems fair that it goes both ways. We pray and wait and lose faith..we pray and wait and hope is restored. He waits for us to trust Him.. we do and then we don’t..still He waits patiently. I can only imagine what He is thinking as we are struggling to believe that He is doing something that we cannot see.

The waiting room is filled with people on all legs of the journey. Some are at peace knowing that He is working. Some are fearful and anxious convinced that they are forgotten. Some are clamoring after answers..trying to solve their own problems. Some have given up. I can relate with all of the above.. I’ve been there.

I want to wait in faith..trusting the Eternal God who created the universe to do exactly what He needs to do at exactly the right time. Could someone turn on the lights in the waiting room?..it is so hard waiting in the dark.

“Wait for the Lord; Be strong, and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord”