There are times in life when God calls on us to do the hardest thing possible.
And often, that hardest thing is…nothing.
Just wait.
Stand still. Be ready. Have your armor on. Grasp your Sword in readiness.
And do nothing.
Just wait.
See what God will show you.
And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. ~Exodus 14:13
It’s hard to do. We want to grasp the problem by its horns and wrestle it to the ground.
But often, God says, “Wait. I will do the work for you. I will get the glory. Your strength cannot do this work. Only Mine.”
I encourage you, today, friend. Be ready to do whatever God asks of you…gird your loins, put on your breastplate, have the Sword ready. But if God says “Wait,” then do that to the best of your ability.
In times of uncertainty, wait. Always, if you have any doubt, wait. Do not force yourself to any action. If you have a restraint in your spirit, wait until all is clear, and do not go against it. ~excerpt Streams in the Desert
Praying you will see a mighty victory as you stand still and see what God will do today.
“Wherefore glorify ye the LORD in the fires…” Isaiah 24:15
The Lord told the Israelites to glorify Him IN the fires. Not afterwards, when the pain had been removed. Not when they realized the stench of the smoke didn’t even permeate their clothes. Not even when they secured greater blessings after the fire.
But IN the fire. Right in the midst of the heat and pain and soul-searing agony of burning under the raging fire of tribulation.
There. Right there. Before deliverance comes.
Praise Him.
Glorify Him.
God-Kept Wonder
Let the world see the God-kept Wonder that He is molding you to be!
We may feel like we’re drowning, just like those who don’t know Christ. But we must remember…our Deliverer walks on those waves!
Just a-wearying for you,
Jesus, Lord, beloved and true;
Wishing for you, wondering when
You’ll be coming back again,
Under all I say and do,
Just a-wearying for you.
Some glad day, all watching past,
You will come for me at last;
Then I’ll see you, hear your voice,
Be with you, with you rejoice;
How the sweet hope thrills me through,
Sets me wearying for you. ~ excerpt Streams in the Desert
Some days, we just miss Jesus, wish we could see Him, have Him hug us, make everything all better. On those days, the blessed Hope of His soon return keeps us going.
Until that day, though, I think it must please the Lord for our heart to yearn for Him. I think it’s ok to miss Him a bit.
I believe the missing Him just makes the hope of Heaven so much sweeter to us. And every loved one who leaves us here makes us long to go even more. Heaven becomes a reality to us. A real place. A real future. And something for which we long.
And of course, the Person of that Place, the Redeemer of our souls, the Prince of our Peace will be there, and He will be what makes it “Heaven” to us.
My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the LORD: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God. ~Psalm 84:2
And one day, our faith will be made sight:
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. ~ Revelation 21:1-6
Until that great day, let’s keep our eyes fixed on the One we long to meet,
I want to encourage us this week to not be negligent in meditating on the truths of Resurrection Sunday.
He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. Matthew 28:6
We should spend time thinking about the week that Jesus had prior to Calvary, the things He said, the people He spent time with, the false accusations and betrayals He went through.
Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me…For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial.” Matthew 26:10,12
…Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. Matthew 26:21
It is so important to teach our children about Jesus this week. Not just a few sentences while we’re dying Easter eggs, but all week long, we would be wise to prepare them to truly celebrate on Sunday, by explaining what the whole week looked like from Jesus’ perspective.
O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. Matthew 26:39
We must allow yourself to be moved to tears over what the Lord Jesus did to purchase our salvation.
And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him…And they spit upon him, and took the reed and smote him on the head. Matthew 27: 28-30
We should be mindful this week of Christ’s sacrifice and pardon, of His horrible death, and His ultimate victory over death, Hell and the grave!
It should fill us with shame that He had to pay for our sins, but then that shame should quickly be replaced with a deep and reverent gratitude, a spirit of awe and worship of our great Saviour.
I encourage you to not “neglect so great salvation” but spend the week remembering and praising Him for His great love for us.
And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was. Exodus 20:21
(Excerpt from Streams in the Desert)
“Do not be afraid to enter the cloud that is settling down on your life. God is in it. The other side is radiant with His glory.
Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. I Peter 4:12-13
When you seem loneliest and most forsaken, God is nigh. He is in the dark cloud. Plunge into the blackness of its darkness without flinching; under the shrouding curtain of His pavilion you will find God awaiting you.”
I know that being comfortable in darkness is not normal. We always seek a light when things around us begin to grow dim. But we do not have to be fearful of the darkness. We can find a great comfort remembering that God is there. Just like He is in the light. His promise to never leave us holds true in the dark as well as the light.
As we grow still and silent and begin to truly listen, we will hear His still, small voice in that dark place. And that is where our growth begins, as we come to know Him better while fellow-shipping with Him in the darkness.
In due time, the sun will rise. You will feel the warmth of light on your face again. You will feel joy, and laughter will bubble up from the depths of your soul…as you walk forward in the light, guided by the truths you learned in the dark with God.
Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. Mark 9:23
When we go to the Lord in prayer, and tell Him all the burdens of our heart, we must leave the burdens there at His feet. Just walk away, knowing that He is going to take care of it!
He may not answer how we want or when we want, but He is working all of it for our good and for His glory.
We can trust Him.
He is good.
All. The. Time.
You take your burdens to Him.
He undertakes the answering of your need.
Leave your prayer closet with a heart that is resting in His promises, trusting Him to work it all out for you, and live a life of joy and peace knowing He’s got it all under His control.
Obtaining Mercy 