The Timing of God

My son, Josh, made the following observation on Facebook yesterday and I told him I was going to borrow it for today's blog post.

"You can be the best hunter in the world, but if there are no deer where you are then it doesn't matter.  You can be the best hunter in the world, but if you arrive in the field at the wrong time then it doesn't matter.  You may feel your God-given talents are pointless and wasted. Remember that you may be waiting to be in the right place and season." (Joshua Ellis)

When I read this, I thought of Joseph, being given dreams of ruling over his brothers, only to find himself in a prison cell in Egypt.  All the promises of God seemed to be made null and void. He was not in a position to even imagine all God still had in store for him.  He had to wait for the right season.

I thought of David, being anointed to be king over Israel, running for his life as he fled from King Saul.  Did he question the truth of Samuel the prophet's words over him as a young boy as he faced all the adversity? In God's timing, he took his rightful place.

There are some seasons in our lives that are extremely frustrating.  Sometimes we wonder where God is in the middle of our troubles.  There was a period of about four years in my life when we were under extreme financial stress.  We had just moved to Virginia and my husband was only able to find temporary work.  Within a few months, he developed some health issues that kept him from working at all.   We were paying a mortgage payment on the house in West Virginia that we were trying to sell as well as a rent payment in our new home.  There were times when our grocery budget was less than $25 a week.  From a spiritual standpoint, we were doing all we knew how to do, but month after month, things grew more difficult.  During that time, through all the ups and downs, my faith in God grew in a way that it never had before.  It's easy to trust God when life is going well - a real challenge when circumstances are burdensome.  I wouldn't want to go through that series of events ever again in my life, but I wouldn't go back and change a single thing about that time because God became even sweeter to me in the middle of all of it.  I learned to trust and I watched as He provided my needs in ways that even today, I don't fully understand.

I wrote on my church's Facebook page one day in the worst of the financial mess that I was in:

"I have learned so much in the last year about faith and patience, about waiting on God, about trusting His timing.  There are situations that I wanted Him to handle differently, but now I can see the "why" of the way things have played out - the other people He wanted to bless in a situation that I thought was mine alone.  Everything we need God to do in our lives also touches the lives of others.  Only He sees the big picture.  Thank God that He IS God."

The seven years of waiting to sell that West Virginia house ended up being a blessing to the family who purchased it while it taught me to wait and trust.  A car that we wanted to sell when it became too difficult to maintain two vehicles finally sold to someone in our church who needed it at just the right time for him - weeks after I thought it should have already been sold.  God's timing is perfect though we may not always agree with how it unfolds.  It's not all about us - it's about Him.

Psalm 27:14 says, "Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!"

Whether you are waiting for a financial breakthrough, a ministry opportunity, a restored relationship, a healed body or for an outlet for all your gifts and talents to be used or noticed, waiting on the timing of the Lord is the sure way to know that all is being done His way and for His glory.


Photo by Jim Fawns from Pexels

Practice What You Preach

This summer our family rented a house on the Chesapeake Bay for our vacation.  On the street leading to the house was a set of speed bumps.  Our granddaughter loved going over them and started raising her hands every time we approached one.  Before long, everyone in the car was raising their hands and a tradition was created.  It wasn't long before she had us raising our hands as we crossed railroad tracks, went through tunnels, and even turned into our street, where there is a rough section of pavement.  It's become such a family ritual that my husband and I do it when she's not even in the van.  (I know - we're weird....) 

If we ever forget to do it, Bella reminds all of us as we approach the landmark.  "Put your hands up, Mommy.  Put your hands up, Daddy. Mawmaw, Papaw - put your hands up!"

Today in the van, we went through an area behind a store where there were ten speed bumps and later in the trip three railroad tracks and the street to our house. Bella was so busy telling all of us to put our hands up that most of the time she forgot to raise her own.

I think we can be like that sometimes in our spiritual lives.  We give advice or encouragement to others, but sometimes we don't do the very thing we've just told them to do. It's easy to just say what we think is the right thing based on our own experience or biblical knowledge.  We can reduce navigating our journey to a formula of a verse or two of scripture and a pre-packaged prayer when what needs to happen is that we follow the leading of the Holy Spirit both in our own lives and as we minister to others.

Even in the life of a Spirit-filled believer, ritual and tradition can overtake the fresh, living, direction of the Spirit of God if we are not careful to maintain that connection.

I'm glad Bella finds such joy in very simple things, but I hope that she'll remember to focus on her own behavior and not on that of others as she grows and matures. The old adage "practice what you preach" is still good advice. Examine yourself with me and make sure that's exactly what you are doing.

Does Your Heart Have a Boo-Boo?

Our family has been experiencing a time of testing for many months.  My amazing daughter-in-law, Brittney, after having many medical tests and going to many specialists, has been diagnosed with a heart issue at the age of 30.  There are several other conditions that are contributing to and complicating the treatment of the issue, so it's been a time of financial hardship and frustration with the medical system for her and my son, as well as a physically exhausting and painful time for her.  She's bearing it with grace and faith that God has a plan and that her testimony will be for His glory.  I'm believing for her full restoration to health and energy, both for her and for her daughter, Bella who is a busy almost-three-year-old who really needs her mama.

Brittney's been in the hospital all weekend and Bella has spent a lot of time with me.  When we were praying for her mother last night I asked Bella, "What's wrong with your mommy?" to see what level of understanding she had at this young age.  She told me, "Mommy's heart has a boo-boo and she is at the doctor".

There are a lot of hearts with "boo-boos" in this world.  Some are physical heart conditions, but there are many, many more spiritual heart issues than physical.  The physical issues can be treated.  There are medicines, therapies, and surgeries that can improve a person's quality of life and restore their health, but a spiritual heart condition can only be cured by one specialist - the Great Physician - Jesus.

Just as we seek out medical attention from the doctor who has the right expertise to know what to do in our situation, we must seek the Lord for the healing of our spiritual wounds.  If we don't consult the medical experts, our condition may worsen and it certainly won't improve.  In the same way, ignoring God and just expecting our spiritual heartsickness to disappear can cause it to worsen.

Psalm 34:18 says, "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."

In this difficult time for all of us, I'm leaning on God to deal with all the things I am powerless to change.  Philippians 4:6-7 says, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Is there a spiritual heart issue which is exhausting you and causing you pain?  Have you tried everything else to soothe that discomfort and found that nothing is helping?  Consult the right specialist for the job.  He created your heart in the first place.  He knows what you need and He has the power to heal every issue in your life.  

I Wish I Was OR I Wish I Were?

There are so many customs humans have when they want to wish for something - blowing dandelion fluff, blowing out birthday candles, pulling the turkey wishbone, crossing their fingers, or finding four-leaf clovers.  You could probably add something else to this list.

The other day I indulged myself in watching the musical version of Cinderella that was often on television when I was a child.  In the story, all the girls in the kingdom are hoping to become the chosen bride of the prince and they are wishing they were older, or younger, or sweeter, or bolder, or any of the other traits they don't have that cause them to be disqualified from having their dream fulfilled.

That's been the story of my life for quite some time now.  It's not that I want to marry a prince.  I married mine over 32 years ago and I thank God for him.  My wishes are of the self-improvement kind.  I wish I was a person who kept better track of my checking account or flossed every day or could lose weight AND keep it off.  As a Christian, I wish I were a person who studied the Word more or prayed more or reached out to people more naturally.

I started thinking about the was vs were and just could not remember my high school English teachers addressing that subject when it comes to these types of phrases.   So, like any modern person, I did an internet search.  I found a variety of opinions on which is correct, but one of the most interesting things I found is this:  One should say, "I wish I were" when the thing they are hoping for is impossible or highly improbable.  This would be like me saying, "I wish I were 21 years old and five feet and eight inches tall." Those of you who know me are aware that I'll never see 21 again and I have never even glimpsed five feet and one inch. It's just not going to happen.

The phrase "I wish I was" is reserved for those things that are approachable.  In my case, most of the things I truly wish for are possible, but most of them require some action on my part.  How do I get to become a person who does all those things?  Well, the people that do those things are the people who make a decision to do them and then follow through. On a daily basis, I do the things I have to do, like go to work, but in my free time I end up doing what I want to do instead of the things I should.

I am one decision away from everything I want to change in my life.  I can't do any of it on my own, but with God's help, I can be successful. However, God won't force me or do it for me.  His Word says that God's divine power has"given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness".  (1 Peter 1:3)  There's nothing for which I have to wait to begin making those changes in my life.  It's one of those "one foot in front of the other" kinds of beginnings.  What are you wishing of yourself?  Let's take some first steps and the sooner, the better!

And God Loves Loopy!

It's been a while since I told a "Bella" story, but this one had to be told.  Our granddaughter is 2 years and 9 months old this month.  She talks a blue streak, as they say, and teaches me things every time I see her.  Sometimes, the lessons are sobering, but this one was a real laugh - at least for a while.

She was spending time in the master bedroom with her Papaw yesterday.  She knows if she goes back there she can usually get him to play one of the shows she likes on his television, even if her daddy is monopolizing the one in the living room.

Most of the programs she likes we can tolerate, but there are a few that are so silly or repetitive or boring that we groan as soon as she asks for them. One of those she used to call "Loopy" because she got confused about the character's real name.  I'll leave it at that so I don't publicly criticize the show.  I'm sure he's a perfectly lovely person, but the goofiness of the show grates on the nerves of all the adults in the house.

Anyway, yesterday she was sitting on the floor, watching one of her shows, when she suddenly said to her Papaw, "I like God.  God loves me.  God loves Loopy."  How can you argue with that logic? So with a groan, he turned to that crazy show and she got to watch.

She did a lot of that this weekend.  In fact, on the way to church this morning she asked if our pastor, Michael, would be at church.  I told her he would and she said, "I like Michael.  Michael loves me."  I think she is beginning to connect that love goes both ways and that God's love encompasses all of us.

I laughed over the "God loves Loopy" comment until this afternoon it hit me that I was sometimes forgetting just how much God loves all of us and how we are commanded to love one another.  I was venting on the telephone to an old friend of mine about a situation in my extended family and how a particular person has caused a great deal of resentment and alienation in a situation and I realized that I've spent more time talking about the pain she has caused than I have spent in praying for her and asking God to intervene in the situation.  After all, if God loves Loopy, He surely loves her too.  Who am I to vent instead of pray?  Yes, she is in the wrong.  Yes, sins have been committed, relationships harmed, lies have been told, but God loved me when I had the same list of strikes on my record.

I'm teaching this little girl many things as she grows, but thank God that He is using her to teach me too.

Can You Hear Me Now?

I just saw the Christian movie, Overcomer, with a group of friends from my church.  We met in a room at the theater after the movie was over to discuss the thoughts we had about what we had seen. Without giving away the plot, one of the main characters was a girl who was a cross-country runner.  In a crucial race, she is able to listen to some pre-recorded coaching using an earbud in one ear. As she runs, she receives encouragement, direction, affirmation, and strategies to help her run the best race she possibly can.

I remarked to the group that I wished that I could hear the Holy Spirit that directly and clearly as I try to run this race of life.  Wouldn't it be wonderful if in each and every situation of your life you could hear the audible voice of God guiding you?  Of course, that kind of constant, tangible guidance wouldn't take much faith and it's not the way that God chooses to direct most people.  Yet, we desperately need His influence along the way.

Yet at any point in the movie race, the runner could have chosen to switch off the device and run the race her own way.  I think sometimes that's what I do.  God uses all kinds of things to speak to us.  His main avenue to get the message across is His Word, but how often do we let other things distract us and neglect reading the remarkable love story He has given us in the Bible?  He uses the words of our brothers and sisters in Christ, but do we discredit their loving correction because it's just coming from another human being?  If you've read much of my writing, you'll know that He uses simple, everyday occurrences to teach lessons, if I'm listening.  He'll do that for you as well.

I guess I'm saying that if we don't already make use of the ways God has already used to communicate to us, why should He give us more?  Sometimes, I haven't obeyed the last direction I heard from Him, so He can't trust me with another yet.  We must walk in the direction of what we have already received in order to have the next steps outlined for us.

Luke 11:28 says in part, "...... blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!"

Fingers on the Right Keys - Starting from a Position of Truth

I was typing some sermon notes earlier tonight and I glanced away from the screen for a few seconds.  When I looked again at what I had written, it seemed as if I'd stopped typing in English and begun recording notes in some very foreign language! Evidently, my hands had moved one place to the left and had carried on typing in the correct pattern, but with absolutely the wrong letters, causing an incomprehensible jumble of unpronounceable syllables on the screen.

When you start from the wrong position in life, it has a profound effect on the things that you think, the opinions you hold, the principles on which you base your life choices.  You may have very strong convictions about things and you think you can justify them. You just keep on churning out ideas in the way you speak and the way you live, but unless those things are rooted in the only real truth that exists, all your rhetoric is just as foolish and nonsensical as my typed gibberish.

Our world today is full of many opinions. It seems that everyone is constantly arguing about politics and religion, morals and values, judgment and mercy.  Even in the church world, there is great compromise and a rejection of the very Word of God by people who think they are being more loving and compassionate by changing the gospel to fit the culture instead of letting the Jesus of the gospel transform the culture. There is one constant in all the changing landscape of our civilization and it's not pop culture, the media, or anyone's personal opinion.  It's the authority of an Almighty God who doesn't need to "get with the times" or update His Word to fit modern sensibilities.  When we start thinking that we know better than our Creator, we've got our fingers on the wrong keys and everything that we say or do beginning in that position is flawed.

The thing that everyone seems to be missing is this - it's not that God set down some arbitrary rules just so He could be in charge and make everyone toe the line or else.  It's the fact that He designed us and He knows what will bring us the greatest fulfillment in our lives and what will cause our lives to be a blessing to others and not a heartache.  He's a loving Father who could control every aspect of our lives but allows us the choice to accept or reject His plan. 

No matter how intelligent someone is by the world's way of measuring intelligence, he or she is no match for God. The best-laid arguments that begin by setting man in a position as more "with it" than the God who created him are just so much babble and nonsense.

1 Timothy 2:4, in talking about the people of God praying for all men, expresses God's heart on the subject of truth and how He views it.  It says, .... who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth."  Please notice that the scripture says the truth, not "one of the many truths" or "your truth" as the world says these days.  He loves us and He knows that only His truth will really set us free.