Got A Minute?

Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!   (Psalm 27:14 NKJV)

What are they ordering? I sat in line at the local burger joint, having an appointment pending, as the person two cars ahead of me was talking to the little black box. Don’t they realize there are those of us in line that need to be places? Don’t they know that you should not place ten orders at the drive through? I yelled out the window, “Hey! Go inside if you are ordering for an army!” Well, no, I really didn’t do that but I wanted to. Ever been there?

Waiting is something we have been trained not to do. Microwaves and internet phones have caused us to get used to 4G speed. Seventy mile per hour speed limits seem to slow. TV commercials change scenes every 3.1 seconds. Cable news covers world events every ten minutes.

Christianity has not escaped the hurry up mode. It seems that two hour long church services are for those who don’t have a life. We have come to expect what we want in a matter of minutes. Want it, need it, get it; now. God is not into speed; He exists eternally. He does not measure time; there are no limitations in eternity. His methods reflect His character; everlasting to everlasting. Jesus told us that God knows what we need and will supply it. He did not say immediately. There is strength to be found in waiting. Imagine that. I forfeit courage and strength every time I refuse to wait upon God to answer my prayers. I ask, and then act if He does not jump at my beckon call. God is not in a hurry; I am. I measure time in seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, and years. I waited 32 years before I submitted my life to Christ. 32 years; if God had been in a hurry for me to get saved He would have given up long before then. He waited on me, now I need to learn to wait on Him. I need to be patient in worship. I need to be patient in prayer. Help me Lord!

Life: A deep creek with strong currents.

Psalm 37 (New Century Version)

²³ When people's steps follow the Lord, God is pleased with their ways. ²⁴ If they stumble, they will not fall, because the Lord holds their hand.

A thought came to me the other day while fishing. I was wading and was crossing the creek in a swift current to go around a deep hole. I have a staff I use because of my clumsiness and even with it the current was pushing so hard against my legs that I could only take one step at the time and place my foot very carefully between the slippery rocks. After making it to shallow water I let my staff go as I have it connected to me by a cord, and it floated along side while I fished. Then it came to me; that is what God meant when He said in this Psalm, “If you follow Me you might stumble, but you will not fall.”

Life is like that creek sometimes. The current pushes hard against us as we try to navigate our way across the rough times to the calmer times. The Lord is like my wading staff. I knew I would get across the stream so I took my time and prodded along. Pushing my staff ahead of me into the water to test the depth and then putting my weight on it to uphold my next step. Slowly but surely I made it over safely.

The key to walking through the hard times of life without falling is to follow the Lord Jesus. He is already at where we are going. He is not standing on the other side just motioning to us and instructing us in our journey to follow Him. That would be a very impersonal god. No, He has hold of our hand in this life and upholds us as we walk toward Him.

How about you today? In the middle of a deep creek with a strong current trying to wash your legs out from under you? Stop where you are, call upon Christ and take His hand when He extends it to you. When you reach the safety of the shallow water don’t let go but keep Him connected to you; always with you. Because before you get out of this creek of life you will wade into some more deep spots and strong currents.

Got Joy?

Psalm 51:12
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit.

Intense and especially ecstatic or exultant happiness is the definition the dictionary gives for joy. Many among us have lost theirs. Once upon a time they knew exultant happiness. They were elated and jubilant. Then something happened; something that changed their lives forever and put an end to their joyfulness. Something they had was taken away from them or something they had hoped would happen did not happen. They expected a good report from the doc. They expected a raise. They expected they would pass. They expected God to heal them. When the unexpected happened instead they were sent into a tailspin. It is like an aircraft that stalls and plummets to earth out of control heading for a crash. You may be one of “them.” As you read this message you may be experiencing exactly what God impresses upon me to write today. God impresses you to write? Brother Mike, you mean you just don’t sit down and come up with something to write? That might be your thoughts. Yes, He impresses ideas, words, and even phrases upon me as I sit with my fingers on the keys. He does that because He knows I may not even know you, or you may not know me: but He knows you. Even if you and I are acquainted I still may not know what you are going through or facing at this moment: but He does! He wants you to know that. He had you mind for this message.

If our joy is founded upon our well being then it can be lost. David had lost his joy and in the moment of crisis it came to him why. David remembered the one thing that brought him joy to begin with. That was the salvation that comes from God. His earthly trials had overtaken him and then he remembered that his earthly life was only temporary. We might say it this way in our language, “Remind me again Lord what You did for me on the Cross. Bring back to my remembrance the fact that I have not lost my salvation. Pick up the broken pieces of my life and put them back together that I may feel whole once again.” Job found out the hard way that earthly trials are not the result of God giving up on someone.

Let David’s prayer be yours today if you are one of “them.” Jesus has petitioned God on your behalf: But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. (John 17:13).