Showing posts with label Waiting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Waiting. Show all posts
Seasons Change: Hold on, God is coming!
Stacy Lee

Seasons Change

So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. ~Galatians 6:9

Aren't you glad that the tide will eventually turn? God is constantly reminding me that He is the Author of the seasons and determines the tides in our lives. We can trust Him that those who sow in tears for a season will eventually reap in joy in a new season (Psalm 126:5). The other good news is that God is faith to His Word. His Name is Faithful and True. While the seasons change in our lives, God's character and Word never changes, so we can stand on Him with certainty while our circumstances rise and fall.

The essence of "Seasons Change" is to bring hope. Sorrow may last for the night, but joy comes in the morning (Psalm 30:5). Just hold on. God is coming! He may not come when you want Him too but God is never late-- He is always on time. Just keep holding on... when God shows up, a harvest always comes with Him. The important thing to remember is that He is faithful and He is faithful in showing us how to be faithful to Him! As we honor Him, blessings always eventually follow obedience. So be at peace while you wait.

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God Alone Can Satisfy Our Deepest Desires
Stacy Lee

Delight yourself also in the LORD,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart. ~Psalm 37:4

So this is what the Sovereign LORD says:
“See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone,
a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation;
the one who relies on it
will never be stricken with panic." Isaiah 28:16

Every valley shall be raised up,
every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
the rugged places a plain. ~Isaiah 40:4

Who or what is the cornerstone of your life (Isaiah 28:16)? If it's not Jesus, then you are on shaky ground. Sure, circumstances can make us happy for a while, but if they are our foundation, then we are sure to fall as soon as one thing goes wrong (and it's only a matter of time before it does). If our whole world rises and falls based on our circumstances or another person (maybe a friend, spouse, parent, etc) then have idolized that circumstance or person. God wants to remove all the high places in our lives to allow us to make Him our solid foundation so we can live on an even plain (Isaiah 40:4). If Jesus is our cornerstone and foundation, we can live out of the JOY of a relationship with Him. Only Jesus is the abundant supply of living water. We must have this living water to have abundant life. Thus, if you want abundant life you must have Jesus as your foundation. Once He is the cornerstone of our lives, we cannot be moved by any circumstance or person. Think about how powerful that is!!! No human or circumstance has the ability to move you or me! We can live on a constant, even plain of worshiping God and being in a state of joy that only knowing and pursuing Him can bring. People will let us down eventually. They also will never fully live up to our expectations. However, God never fails and He never stops loving us. We can live in 100% security based on His love for us and His character.

Do you want to be fully satisfied? I believe only Jesus Christ can satisfy the deepest longings of our heart. Is your cup empty? Do you know that as a believer you can take your empty come to Jesus Christ and He will fill it overflowing with the Living Water? Do you realize that your empty cup can be filled this way no matter how terrible or great your circumstances are? You see, our cup never runs over because of our circumstances, but because of our relationship with Jesus Christ. That's why we can have life and have it abundantly no matter how deep and dark the valley is that we are walking through.

Are you waiting for God to give you a desire He has placed on your heart? Do you realize that God can fulfill that desire completely with Himself while you wait for it to come to fruition in your life? God let Abraham understand this:

After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.”
~Genesis 15:1

While Abraham was waiting for God's promise for a heir, God assured Abraham that He was enough and He alone was His "exceedingly great reward." God did keep His promise to Abraham and gave him the desires of his heart with Isaac, but I believe Abraham learned to let God be enough for him in the process. Will you? Will you let God show you that He is enough? I believe waiting teaching us that God alone is enough, while it also stretches our faith.

God bless you on your journey. I pray that you will allow God to show you that He, alone, is enough. With Jesus as your cornerstone, your joy will be complete on solid ground.
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Surrendering to God's Time for Everything: A Waiting Heart
Stacy Lee

Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit. James 5:17-18

It is a privilege and a pleasure to wait on the Lord. He alone can satisfy our deepest desires and needs. I think life is oftentimes a journey to learn how to wait and prepare. We have to surrender our clocks and our time over to the Lord and let Him decide what is the best timing for all things and seasons in our lives. He alone knows all things so it is best just to seek His wisdom and trust Him with every season He does or doesn't bring into our lives. His ways are higher than ours, and it is best if we surrender to His sovereignty sooner rather than later.

I think God answered Elijah's prayer because he was willing to wait for the Lord. He knew what God wanted, prayed for Him to do it, trusted Him to do it and then waited for Him to do it. His whole life and time table was surrendered to God's hands.

Is there an area in your life that you will not sacrifice your time for? Have you been unwilling to give God your watch? If we are to be fully surrendered to our Master, we must obey His clock and not our own. This is part of the process of denying ourselves and our own imperfect wisdom by surrendering to His Master plan. God always knows best. Are you willing to surrender your time to Him today?

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Abraham's Promise: God is Faithful to His Promises
Stacy Lee

Abraham's Promise

Then the LORD took Abram outside and said to him, “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!” ~Genesis 15:5

I've been in a season of my life (and I still am) where I've had to rely on God for everything. I realize God has done this to build up my faith in Him and His sovereignty. I've learned that the waiting kind of faith is the hardest. It's easier to do, do, do and have faith than it is to sit on the sidelines of life and wait and have faith that God will move. Sometimes God puts us in circumstances where we cannot do what He has called us to do until He moves and provides us with what we need for our calling (these are seasons of preparation for what is to come). God promised Abraham a promised heir so that his descendants would be many and he would be the father of many nations. Abraham waited for 25 years until God fulfilled the promise. However, Abraham's faith became so great after Isaac was born that when God told him to go sacrifice his only son Abraham turns and says "We'll be back!" on his way with Isaac up to the altar. Abraham had such faith in God after he waited 25 years for God to deliver, that he knew he would be returning with his son one way or another because he relied on God's faithful character which he had already witnessed. God would not take away what He had promised to give Abraham so that he would become the father of many nations.

Look around today at all the Christians in the world. We are all Abraham's descendants. God is still faithful to Abraham today. In fact, as every day that goes by before the return of Christ, God is increasing his promise to Abraham! Abraham's blessing keeps getting bigger and bigger every time a new person accepts Christ as their Lord and Savior! I am amazed by God's fierce loyalty and faithfulness to His children. What has God promised you today? Are you trusting in Him and waiting for Him to fulfill His promise? Or are you giving in to doubt and despair? Perhaps this devotional by Oswald Chambers will lift your spirits: IS YOUR HOPE IN GOD FAINT AND DYING?

Many Blessings!
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Contemporary Christian Art: Habakkuk's Watchtower
Stacy Lee

Habakkuk's Watchtower

“I will stand my watch
And set myself on the rampart,
And watch to see what He will say to me,
And what I will answer when I am corrected.”
~Habakkuk 2:1

This is obviously a very contemporary, modern take on this particular scripture. God formulated this piece to show the issue of prayer, the heart (which is on the line literally and symbolically) and time. Wait. Watch. God reminds me time and time again, if we really love Him, we will be willing to wait for Him. Waiting on God sends the message that "No, I won't take matters into my own hands, I will wait on the Lord because I trust Him. He is always good and will always take care of His children no matter what." The reality is, we CAN wait on the Lord when He tells us to wait because we can trust a God who is always good.

Scriptures to go along with this:

 Be still before the LORD
and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes. ~Psalm 37:7

Cease from anger, and forsake wrath;
Do not fret—it only causes harm.
For evildoers shall be cut off;
But those who wait on the LORD,
They shall inherit the earth. ~Psalm 37: 8&9

Trust in the LORD, and do good;
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
Delight yourself also in the LORD,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart. ~Psalm 37: 3-4

Waiting and trust go hand in hand. If I trust God, it is no problem for me to wait for Him when He says wait. In fact, it is a delight to do the will of a God who is personally available to us and who loves us unconditionally. I don't think we have any idea the wonderful things that God has planned for all of us:

Since ancient times no one has heard,
no ear has perceived,
no eye has seen any God besides you,
who acts on behalf of those who wait for him. ~Isaiah 64:4

God has such amazing plans for us that we can't really even imagine them--they are THAT amazing! Remember this when you are in the valley and when you are in a season of waiting. Go on the watchtower--watch and wait there like Habakkuk. He will answer you. But we all have to be willing to wait.

You have given me greater joy
than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine. ~Psalm 4:7

If we wait, one day we can sing this with David:
I've thrown myself headlong into your arms— I'm celebrating your rescue. I'm singing at the top of my lungs, I'm so full of answered prayers. Psalm 13:5-6 The Message



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Seasons of Waiting Are Difficult
Stacy Lee

His Highest Joy

May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth
if I do not remember you,
if I do not consider Jerusalem
my highest joy. ~Psalm 137:6

Seasons of waiting are difficult. Whether it is a test of time, love, patience, etc, they are hard. I believe God uses these times to really stretch us and see if doubt or faith is in our hearts. During seasons of waiting, I like to reflect on who God is. Particularly His goodness. Our God is Jehovah Jireh--the One who Sees or the Lord Who Will See Too It or the Lord Who Provides. Our God is Provider. There is no other provider outside of Him. When we reflect on God's character and who He is our doubt begins to fade, and we begin to see the sun again. Let us rest in His presence. We don't have to worry, stress, freak out, or doubt. We can begin to trust Him and rest in His promises and grace. He is a good God, and He will give us the strength and faith to wait.

Thank you, God, for your provision. Amen.


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Walking Through Refining Fires
Stacy Lee

Refined As Gold

“Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver;
I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.”
~Isaiah 48:10

“I will bring the one-third through the fire,
Will refine them as silver is refined,
And test them as gold is tested.
They will call on My name,
And I will answer them.
I will say, ‘This is My people’;
And each one will say, ‘The LORD is my God.’”
~Zechariah 13:9

He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the LORD will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness.
~Malachi 3:3

God allows certain trials and tribulations in our lives so we can refined for His Glory. The more He cuts away, molds, and shapes us, the more we become like Christ. I've learned that God wants me to have a Holy attitude when tribulations come. Will I trust Him and lean on faith that He is using this for my good? Or will I have another meltdown?

One of the biggest way God uses circumstances in my life to refine me is in seasons of waiting. Especially when I'm waiting for deliverance. Am I going to complain or trust His timing? Am I going to be patient and believe God knows what He is doing or freak out?

I've found that for each level of blessing comes new levels of challenges and trials. I'm willing to bet that what God is using to refine you now is the very thing that is going to build up your faith so you are ready for the next major work He is going to do in your life. Let us not grow weary in persevering in the refining fires, but let us look at it as a major season of preparation for what is ahead. God knows what is before us, and He knows the end that He wants to bring us to. He also knows what we need to endure now before we get there to that end. He is a good God-- let's remember that, too.


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Meditations on God's Love: He calls me Beloved
Stacy Lee

He calls me Beloved


I am my beloved’s,
And my beloved is mine.
~Song of Songs 6:3

He calls me beloved.... He calls me daughter.... He calls me friend

I've been meditating on God's love lately. He's made it clear that the love He pours into us we give back to Him in the greatest commandment: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." ~Mark 12:30

He's made it clear to me that He hears every prayer that we pray and He always answers every prayer at the very best time. He reminded me of prayers I prayed for as a child that still have not been answered. He told me He does not forget like humans do. He will answer our childhood prayers at the perfect time. It may be 20 years later but God is always on time for what is best for us.

He has also reminded me that His commandments are for our own protection. If God says "no" then it is for your own benefit and for His Glory to stop. He loves us so much that He directs our decisions in life so we can make wise choices. If God says, "wait" then it is for your own benefit to wait.

We give back thanks and love through praise. Perhaps the girl in the art above is praising God and giving thanks for all the love and care He has shown her over the years. That is what my heart is telling me.

Lord, help us to love and care for others in the same way you have done for us. In Jesus Name, Amen.


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Patience: Finding Joy in Waiting on the Lord
Stacy Lee

Patience

Patience conveys the idea of someone who is tremendously strong and able to withstand all assaults. -Oswald Chambers

The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride. ~Ecclesiastes 7:8

This can hurt sometimes, doesn't it? We want to be all settled in, move to the next thing, aim for the next target, but God tells us to wait. We are in a go-go-go society that keeps moving so when God tells us to wait we go, "huh?" Maybe we think we are being irresponsible by waiting and not taking action. But really we allow God to set ourselves up for a blessing when we respond in obedience by waiting. We allow Him to move and act on our behalf:

Since ancient times no one has heard,
no ear has perceived,
no eye has seen any God besides you,
who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.
~Isaiah 64:4

What a joy it is to see God come through for us! So many times He wants to do something for us but we rush ahead of Him! We have forgotten to rest and "sit still" before the Lord when He tells us too:

Then she said, “Sit still, my daughter, until you know how the matter will turn out; for the man will not rest until he has concluded the matter this day.” ~Ruth 3:18

I'm in a season of resting and sitting still before the Lord. It's been difficult for me to understand that I don't have to act because God is acting for me in ways that I don't see or understand. It is really a trust factor that comes into play here. But during this time of being patient, I've learned to find joy in waiting on the Lord. He is so sweet to us that He gives us rest when He knows we need it. He knows what our abilities are and are not so He will act when we cannot. He is our provider and takes care of all of our needs. He is working on providing for our needs long before we even have them! He really, really loves us! I've found so much joy in mediating on God's goodness, graciousness, and love for us while I sit still before Him. He never ceases to amaze me with His Glory!

So I pray for all of us that are in seasons of sitting still to be patient. To wait in Joy. After all, the Joy of the Lord is our strength and it is an honor and privilege to wait on the God who loves us in a way that is far beyond what we can even comprehend.

Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength. ~Nehemiah 8:10
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Am I so far off the mark?
Stacy Lee

Had I Not Believed

I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
That I would see the goodness of the LORD
In the land of the living.
~Psalm 27:13

I was having a rough day-- spiritually-- when I was creating this. I decided to get it all out in the artwork. The Lord honored my requested and this came out. It's confirmation in a way. I think some times we get so on edge about different circumstances in our lives that we can start to feel we are off track. After this was created, I knew I wasn't off the mark but right on it instead. What peace came over me to know I'm where He wants me to be. It's a waiting game most of the time (it seems) but this valley, too, shall pass until the Lord gives me clarity on the next great thing He has up His sleeve.

Ultimately, I’m amazed that God still moves through me even in times I don’t feel at all on the mark. Maybe I’m closer than I appear to be. Maybe you also feel the same?

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Say Good Bye 2009
Stacy Lee
The past several years of my life have been... interesting. At least, that's the most positive way I can put it. I'm amazed at how God has transformed me through the devastation and the pain. I suppose the biggest thing I've learned is how God has His hand in *everything.* The steps of the righteous ARE ordered by the Lord. I know now that He is in fact the author and the finisher of our faith. God has been building up a solid rock of faith in my life during the last few years. Perhaps He has done the same with you. I learned that faith is not built on the mountaintop of Glory but in the valley of destruction. God is a hurricane. A loving one. Fierce--but loving.

So with a new decade upon us, I leave us with two images (perhaps the last 2 that will be created this year-- depending on how my week goes). I know for me, the first one represents the last few years of my life and the second one represents what is to come in His perfect timing. I pray the Lord will speak to you through these images-- wherever you are in your walk with Him.

Double for all Her Sins

Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and proclaim to her
that her hard service has been completed,
that her sin has been paid for,
that she has received from the LORD’s hand
double for all her sins.
~Isaiah 40:2


Pursued by Glory

And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God. ~Deuteronomy 28:2


All the GLORY goes to God. May He get the glory out of our lives in 2010! Amen.

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Jehovah Jireh: The Lord Who Provides
Stacy Lee

Jehovah Jireh

And Abraham called the name of the place, The-LORD-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the LORD it shall be provided.” ~Genesis 22:14

2 Kings 4:1-7

This passage of scripture is about Elisha and the Widow's Oil. The widow has no way to pay off her debt so her sons are about to be sold into slavery. However, God provides for the widow's needs by filling up may jars full of oil for her to sell. She ends up with enough to pay off her debt and provide for the needs of her family.

The term "Jehovah Jireh" means "The Lord Who Provides" or "The Lord Who Will See To It." The term originates from the story of Abraham who almost sacrificed his only son Isaac out of obedience to the Lord. But the Lord provided a ram to sacrifice instead of Isaac. Abraham called this very place "Jehovah Jireh."

Just as God saw the widow and Abraham, He sees us. He is the One Who knows our needs because He sees us. He will meet our needs at just the right time as He did for Abraham and the widow. He will meet our needs in full-- not just half-way. Are you in a season right now where you are in need? Remember that God sees you. Will you let Him prove to you that He is your Jehovah Jireh? Bring out your jugs as the widow did as ask the Lord to fill them. As you are obedient to His Will He will make sure that everything you need is provided for.

I am so thankful that we have a Lord who will see to it. There is a rest in that. Thank you Lord for your peaceful rest!
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New Modern Christian Art: "Harvest" and Waiting on the Lord
Stacy Lee

Harvest

For since the beginning of the world
Men have not heard nor perceived by the ear,
Nor has the eye seen any God besides You,
Who acts for the one who waits for Him.

~Isaiah 64:4


But as it is written:
“ Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

~1 Corinthians 2:9


Paul quotes Isaiah 64:4, but he changes the word “wait” to the word “love.” God convicted me some time ago in a difficult season of waiting in my life that His people were not willing to wait for Him. When I saw how Paul changes the wording in this verse, I was confronted with the question: “Do I really love God if I’m not willing to wait for Him?” I think God is making a point in this change from “wait” to “love.” Does His church really love Him when she is constantly going off without Him?


I read a touching story about a man who was convicted to wait for God in his closet every day. Thus, for most of the day, he sat in his closet and just waited for the Lord. Finally, on day twelve, he said, “Lord, I’ve been waiting for you everyday now for almost two weeks. You have yet to show up. What is your point in making me wait for you?” All of a sudden he felt a hand on his shoulder and water on his back. God spoke to him and said, “I am weeping because my people do not wait for me.”


I think we hurt God when we aren’t willing to wait for Him. When God says, “Go!” we must be obedient and go. When God says, “No” we must be obedient and stop or not start. When God says, “Wait” we must patiently endure the time knowing we are acting out of love for the One we are called to love the most. There was a time in my life when I was not willing to wait for Him. I learned the hard way, and I hurt the One I do love most in this world. Now I know that if I truly love God, I will gladly wait for Him—no matter the cost. Because I love Him that much. Let us rejoice, therefore, as we wait for the Lord. Surely, the harvest will come if we do not lose heart.


And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. ~ Galatians 6:9

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