Last week I posted this blog. Today (Monday) I open up my Google Reader to this post by Scott. While Scott’s approach was different than mine, he hit the nail on the head as to why we sometimes have trials, i.e. our own disobedience. As I stated in my post, thoughts are churning inside me (spinning if you see my blog header). 🙂 I had a thought sent to me by an old college friend who read my post about the church I pastor moving to our own building/property. I have had this sitting in my Moleskine so that I see it every morning when I open it to my prayer list. It is the following quote by the 18th century English pastor, Matthew Henry:
Cast not away your confidence because God defers His performances. That which does not come in your time, will be hastened in His time, which is always the more convenient season. He is not bound to keep our time, but He will perform His word, honor our faith, and reward them that diligently seek Him.
It goes without saying that sometimes it seems God doesn’t show up when we want Him to. But maybe He was there all the time but just deferred doing anything at that moment. Let me reword that: not “maybe” but “was” there. Could it be that God’s desire for us is not for us to stop serving Him while we are waiting but literally seek His face in a greater way?
What do you think? This is another one of those “all skate” posts. If you have any thoughts to share please feel free to do so. In the meantime, wait actively.
Waiting is a part of life and definitely a part of trusting in God. I use the example of waiting on someone to pick you up for dinner. For whatever reason, they aren’t there when you thought they’d be so you look out the window, you make a call, keep looking… There’s activity there. When you go on and leave or take up something else, you aren’t waiting any more. You gave up.
Waiting is definitely active!
I am totally a fan of seeking God’s face in and out of season. In those times that God has not answered my ‘big’ prayer, I am challenged to see the ‘smaller’ opportunities and make the best of them. Who knows? The smaller opportunities might be written in His book for that particular point in time, and sometimes they are in preparation of the bigger thing to come.
“Cast not away your confidence because God defers His performances. That which does not come in your time, will be hastened in His time..” Geez, this quote just blew my mind.
Thanks for this post 😀
My, brother! I needed to pray that myself today. Thanks for sharing that prayer.
Jason: Great illustration. (Wish I had thought of it) 😛 Thanks for helping to clarify it some more.
Jaycee: “preparation for bigger things to come.” I couldn’t agree more! How much we have missed because we decided to do it in our time. Thanks for the comment.
Herb: you’re welcome.
The quote is very timely. I love how Jason stated that waiting is active. I think that many times we think (I have thought) that God is not moving because I am not seeing anything…Then something happens and makes me realize that He had to be moving all along.
Michael: Glad the quote worked for you. It was meaningful to me as well, especially when I received it. And your observations are correct.
I’ve found out that He makes you wait because He is busy with you. Once I had to wait to leave my last job. There was no project anymore and every time I asked the Lord if I could leave He was clear: Wait and trust in me. Two years I’ve done that. In those two years there was one moment after 18 months I was so broken I couldn’t go on anymore. I wanted Him to tell me to leave or that He would do something. When I asked Him why it had to hurt so much and take so long He reminded me of my prayer that I wanted to bear 100-fold fruit. And that was what He was doing. All of a sudden I had the strength to go on. By the way in those two years God did beautiful things in the company I didn’t know. I heard of it after I left. People asking about the Lord to a christian colleague of mine. A manager buying the Bible. For me there are times I think I know when He has to move, what He has to do and how He has to do it.
Aha! 🙂
Dangerous prayers continue!! Much love to you/yours!!
Bill, I hate to wait. I do. But your post just added a brand new dimension to the concept:
“But maybe He was there all the time but just deferred doing anything at that moment. Let me reword that: not “maybe” but “was” there. Could it be that God’s desire for us is not for us to stop serving Him while we are waiting but literally seek His face in a greater way?”
Man, this almost makes we WANT to wait (did I say that?)
In my life, I’ve noticed there there were times when I was whining to God “when will it finally happen?” and then, once He would say “rather soon” I would be shocked into saying “Why so soon? I am not ready!”… Thank God for His infinite patience.
In this light, I agree with JasonS that waiting is active – waiting is preparations for whatever we are waiting for.
Good quote, btw – thanks for sharing.
Ani: thanks for sharing that personal story. As you now see God was there all the time. You just weren’t privy to see.
Camey: there you are! Good to hear from you my old friend. (By old I don’t mean in age). 😛
Scott: I’m with you. I hate waiting. I want the answer now! But, as we know, God is not on my timetable but if it does make me seek His face more then reckon it is good. Thanks for the comment.
Zee: You’re welcome. Good insight also. Thanks.
hmmm… I didn’t even read this until this morning- sort of goes along with my post- seek and find, seek and find- yep definitely think that should be my “theme” for the year.
You mean I didn’t copy from you? Whew! I was afraid people would think so.
Maybe God is waiting on us to do something.
Jeff: No problem with that thought. Active waiting could include doing and then seeing what God has planned. thanks for dropping by.
What does ‘privy’ mean?
Great thoughts bro’ I like this in the Psalms.
(1) “I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.
(2) He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.” Psalm 40: 1-2
Patience gives us a firm place to stand while calling on Father God. Once we are standing we can get our bearing and God shows us the way. The path is a patient one but certainty not a passive one. It’s a prayerful pressing into His presence while expecting His favor.
Thanks for sharing bro’
Bill, You will always be older than me. 😉
Waiting? Oh, how this makes me think of a couple of years ago. My family & I had been so incredibly hurt. Truthfully, I wanted to run away as fast as we could. But instead.. we had to wait. Had we jumped at a few of the different ministry opportunities that were being thrown at us – we would have missed out on today’s blessings. Blessings like a better than ever relationship with the individual who had hurt us. Blessings like being where we’ve been for almost a year now. Funny enough? 18 years ago a friendship started that God would use 17 years later in ways that we would have never imagined. We’re now in the childhood hometown of one our oldest and dearest friends. A town we had been hearing about all those years not knowing we would end up here.
In the waiting, God brought about changes and growth that would have simply been missed out on. Man, I am so thankful we had to wait. Just like I remain thankful in that physical healing waited for 5 years.
Each reader/commenter is being prayed for!
It means that you are aware of something others may not know.
Ani: I’m sorry. I forgot that sometimes the English language has lots of idioms and weird words to others. “privy” in this case means “able to see what was hidden.” In other words, God was always there you just were not able to see Him at the time. Again, sorry for the confusion. 🙂
There is a wait without hope and a wait with hope. I’ve known both. I’ve been through enough trials now to know that my God is good and loving and is FOR me. When I wait now ( it is where I am) I wait as one having hope because I’ve seen the goodness of God.
Thank you Bill..btw..I’ve learned to no longer pray for patience..lol
Thanks Jay. I appreciate your Scriptures and their contribution to this discussion. Always love to hear what you have to say. 🙂
Thanks Herb. That is far better than my explanation. Hope that helps Ani.
Camey:Always good to hear from you and to hear your perspective. I know we shouldn’t be but isn’t it amazing how God does things? who would have known about that friendship bearing fruit? and to have that hurt healed/ We do serve a truly amazing God!
Julie: love what you said about hope. great thought! Did someone say something to you about praying for patience? 😛
Don’t need to apologize. I just learned a new word I never heard before. I did check it in my dictionary but I couldn’t find it.
Thanks Bill and Herb.
Whenever I am waiting on God I’ve been told to pray for patience…unless you want your patience tested by waiting even more do not pray for patience! ha!
Just because you are waiting does not mean you are not active. I think I used this before – While I wait for my wife I read a book normally. I am waiting but still being active. I used to think waiting was always doing nothing – I think that sometimes waiting doing nothing and sometimes it is doing something.
Just my two pennies on all this.
Ani: glad we could help.
Julie: So true. I have told the churches I have preached at that unless they want difficulty don’t pray for patience. That is the way it is developed. 🙂
Jim: Absolutely agree with your .02 worth. I believe Jason was saying that same thing and Jeff was hinting at it. Appreciate your contribution.