When the Answer to Our Prayer Is a Much-Needed Delay

Before I let the horses out Friday morning, I walked the fence to be sure it was still intact after the storm. My frigid journey through the ice wasn't because I want a fine-looking fence, although I do, but because I want the horses safe. If they get out and on the road, an accident, with catastrophic injuries to humans and horses, is far too likely. 

I found a big cedar tree down, but it had fallen away from the fence. A large oak limb had smashed, but not broken, the wire closer to the barn. It was at least eight feet long and about as big around as a whole frozen chicken, admittedly an odd comparison.

The wire was pressed down enough that I could easily step over it, so it would be no problem for the horses. One step and they'd be out of the fence.

The limb had to go. When I went back to the barn for supplies, the horses were seriously unhappy. They were not on their best behavior. Whinnying. Pawing at the door. Stamping their feet. They wanted out of their stalls, and they didn't care why I was delayed.

I ignored them, and did what had to be done.

When the fence was repaired and the pasture was safe, I opened the stall doors. The horses raced out the barn door without so much as a nuzzle of thanks for me. I'd kept them safe, but their only concern was getting what they wanted...out of the barn.  

I wonder how often I've prayed in that same horsey way - demanding what I want with no concern for why God might have waited to answer with a yes. Was there a danger from which I was protected by the delay? Was He preparing something special for me or for those for whom I prayed?

All too often, I presume that I should receive what I want when I want it, but there was a reason Jesus told us to ask for God's will and not our own. His way is best. 

Waiting time isn't wasted time. He has a reason for the delay, every single time. God is at work, even when we don't see His hand.

Today, let's give thanks for His delay and look for the lesson in the waiting. 

"Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." Matthew 6:10 nasb 

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In case you missed it, here's the link to yesterday's post: Working from Immediately and Getting More Done

Here are a few more blog posts you might enjoy:

When You Have a Plan but God has a Better One 

When You Give Up Techniques So You Can Prayer Powerful Prayers

When What You Most Need Has Been Prepared and Waiting for Fifty Years

When What We Expect Is Not What We Get

Faith and Hope: We Do Not Wait Alone

Our pastor has been teaching a series, called "Whisper", about hearing the voice of God. Last night, he said, "Some of you have been waiting to hear the voice of God about specific concerns for a long time. I'm asking you to stand where you are and share a little about your concern. Afterward, we're going to gather around you, pray for you, and agree with you about your concern as you wait for God to move."

One person had a prodigal son. One was concerned about a new job. Another had an unsaved family member. Huge needs. 

As one after another stood and shared their concerns, my own litany of concerns played in my head and tears began to leak out. I swiped tears and saw my pastor look my way. I wondered what he thought about my tears, wondered if he had any idea of the battle raging in my head.

The battle was not whether or not God would answer my prayers. I've followed Him long enough to know He always answers prayer, including mine. 

The battle was whether or not I could stand faithfully through the waiting. 

Waiting for loved ones to come back to Jesus. Waiting for healing as I help my beloved neighbor Sam through a difficult and lonely time after the death of his wife. Waiting for complete healing of my back injury. Waiting as I finish edits on my first novel. Waiting to see what God will do with this writing He's assigned me. 

If God had clearly said, "Stand," I'd have stood. But He didn't.

Instead, He reminded me that I was a prodigal once, the most heinous of sinners, yet He drew me back to Him, forgave me, cleansed me, and made me new. 

If He can save me, He can save anyone.

He reminded me that the days I have with Sam are limited. They're hard now, but there will come a time when all the hard days are swept away by eternity.

No matter how many days we have together, I only have to walk through one at a time.

He reminded me that He is my healer, and as I wait, He's my Comforter in my discomfort. He's been as close as my next breath, and He's brought me through the worst part already. 

The minor discomfort I have now drives me to Him, and it's the sweetest place of all.

He reminded me that He honors faithfulness. He will never leave me nor forsake me. His promises are not dependent upon the quality or rapidity of my writing. 

His promises are dependent only upon the faithfulness of God Almighty, and He's the One who loves me most.

I didn't stand. I didn't share my concerns. No one gathered around me to pray or agree with me as I waited.

The One who reassured me as I waited was God Himself as, with His Still, Small, Voice, He gently reminded me that He is faithful. 

This morning, I received two emails that seemed to confirm His words to me. One of the members of my writing group sent a verse from Habakkuk. I don't know what translation this is, but I loved the way it expressed truth.

"If it seems slow, do not despair, 

for these things will surely come to pass.

Just be patient!

They will not be overdue a single day!"

                   Habakkuk 2:3 

Another friend had written a devotional about waiting for God as we pray. "Faith is the evidence of things not seen; if we saw all, no faith would be needed... If God is silent, then we must cling to one truth: Ultimately we will see God's faithfulness." (Aletha Hinthorn 3/10/16)

"Faith that is seen is no faith at all." Romans 8:24

If we're honest, we're all waiting for something. We all have concerns that have not yet been resolved. It's easy to grow weary in the waiting, but there's one truth that will help us through.

We do not wait alone.

Our Lord sees. He knows. He hears. At just the right time, He will answer. Until then, as we wait, He waits with us. 

We are not alone. 

"...We exult in hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit 

who was given to us..."

Romans 5:2-5 nasb

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Be sure to check the updated Prayer List 

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In case you missed one of the past week's posts, here are the links: Grumbling with the Rabble and Getting What We Want, Honoring Our Heroes, #writerslife and the power of words,  The King with the Plan That Wasn't God's, Numbers Don't Lie: The Price of Rebellion, Numbers Don't Lie: The Grumble-Free Zone, The Broken Wing That Was Not: The Killdeer and Jesus.

#waiting #faithandhope  #JesusChrist #linesfromleanna #leannahollis

Flashback Friday: Getting Centered

“Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith…”   Hebrews 12:2

“Getting the clay centered is the most important step,” he cautioned.  “It determines everything else that happens to the clay.  Don’t try to form anything until you have it centered.”  

I, of course, found it hard to wait until the clay was set just right.  

Repeatedly, the potter wrapped his big hands around mine and centered the clay.  He wanted me to feel the difference in centered and not-centered clay.  

Repeatedly, I thought the lump was ready when it wasn’t. Over and over, I would call to the potter.  

“Check it now,” I’d say.  “I think I have it.”  

Every time, he’d just smile as he looked at the clay and say, “Not yet.  You’re close, but not quite there.  Keep trying.”  

His experienced eye could see the wobble without even touching the clay.

I learned quite a bit about what happens when the clay is not centered, because I found it so hard to slow down and wait until I had it right.  

It is tough, if not impossible, to make a bowl when the clay is off-center, and it is extremely frustrating.  Most of the time, my efforts just became “wibbly-wobbly” and collapsed into a little lump before I was through.  

Occasionally, the entire lump of clay flew right off the wheel, hitting the student at the next station.  She was gracious about the first few slimy lumps of clay that landed on her arm or in her lap, but it didn’t take long for her to be almost as frustrated with my efforts as I was.  

“Don’t you feel the difference?” the potter asked as he used my hands to center the clay once more.  

Of course, I felt the difference!  I simply was not willing to wait, so I struggled with the clay instead.  

“When the clay is centered and the wheel speed is right, all you will need is a light, firm touch to make what you want,” he promised.

Having a life that is properly centered is sometimes difficult, too, isn’t it?  There is a tendency to want our dreams fulfilled NOW.  It’s as hard to wait for what we want in life as it was for me to wait until the clay was centered.  

Teenagers find it hard to wait until marriage for sexual fulfillment, hard to wait until adulthood for independence.  Young couples find it hard to wait to have the home and furnishings they’ve dreamed about.  Even middle-aged adults find it hard to wait for the level of financial security they desire.  

Unwillingness to wait often causes us to rush ahead, to take risks, to make choices that are unwise.

Are you struggling with waiting?  

Are you focusing on what you want rather than the things that truly matter in life?  

Slow down and examine your priorities, as well as your methods for obtaining them.  Begin to focus on Jesus Christ and all those “things” will look less important. Before long, you will find that everything else in life will begin to come together.  

As the potter said, getting centered really IS the most important step in determining the quality of what you make – with clay and with life.

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In case you missed one of this week's posts, here are the links:  The Monarch Migration Badge,  The Sermon Without Words,  A Matter of Perspective, Living in Goshen: God's Best, Embracing Our Personal Gethsemane, What is the Point of Suffering: Extracting the Precious, and Mamie and the Ink Stain.

#centered #Christian #wait #theclaypapers

Living in Goshen: God's best

Jim Elliot was a Christian missionary to the Auca (or Huaorani) Indians of Ecuador. He and four other missionaries were killed by the Indians they had gone to serve on January 8, 1956. His wife, Elisabeth, continued his work with the Aucas after his death, and many people turned to Christ because of their ministry.   

His life was short, but not without a lasting impact. Three of his quotes have significant meaning for me. I think you'll appreciate them, as well. 

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." (from his journal)

"Wherever you are, be all there. 

Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God."

"God always gives His best to those who leave the choice to Him."

The last Elliot quote is my personal favorite. I was reminded of it today as I read about Jacob/Israel and his family's move to Egypt. They were shepherds, with large herds of goats, sheep, camels, cows, and donkeys. (Gen. 32:14,15)

 There was one problem with their move to Egypt. The Egyptians didn't like shepherds. They considered shepherds "loathsome". (Gen. 46:34) 

I freely admit that I'm not as nice as God. If seventy people I thought were "loathsome" decided to move to my town, I would not have given them my best land. 

I'm also not as bold as God. If I'd taken my flocks into a place that hated people like me, I'd have asked for their worst land, just hoping they'd let me stay. 

Fear would have given me less than God's best.

But God. God is not like us. 

Jim Elliot was right. "God gives His best to those who leave the choice to Him," as Israel soon found. 

When Israel met with Pharaoh, he told him that he and his family and flocks had come to sojourn in Egypt. "Please let us live in the land of Goshen." 

It surprises me every time I read it, but the Pharaoh said, "Sure. That's the best land we have. Of course you can have it. Even though you are loathsome in my sight." (That's the Leanna paraphrase, but you get the idea.) There was no reason to give the best land to these "loathsome" people, except for the orchestration of God. 

In our culture, aggressively pursuing what we want is valued, but that's not what Jim Elliot did. He was "all there" where God placed him. He gave his life for Christ, and that sacrifice helped trigger a modern mission movement. God's best wasn't what we'd have chosen, but Jim Elliot's life had more impact in a few short years than most of us will have in twice that time. He left the choice to God.

So, too, Israel followed the direction of God to Egypt and left the choice to God, who gave him the best land in the only place with food. 

It's not easy to wait for God's best. Sometimes, fear has convinced me to accept second best, thinking God's best will never come. Sometimes, I've been unwilling to wait. In both situations, I've ended up with what was clearly less than God's best. Looking back, waiting would have been so much better.

Relax. God is still on His throne. He is still active in the lives of His people, including yours and mine. 

Leave the choice to God. Allow Him to work in His way and His time. It's the only way to be sure we have His best, His timing every time.

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My Amazon Author page is now live. Be sure to check it out and follow me.
www.amazon.com/author/leannahollis"
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In case you missed one of this week's posts, here are the links: How to Live Longer, Is Longer Life Worth the Cost of Obedience?, The Changing of Our Culture: Physician Assisted Suicide, The Opportunity in Trials,  The Monarch Migration Badge,  The Sermon Without Words, and A Matter of Perspective.
#JimElliot #Godsbest #waitonGod #wait #Goshen #Israel

Teach us to pray, part 54: those who knock

"So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened. (Luke 11:9-10 NASB)

There is an amazing fact about knocking that I need to remember. I am not the only one knocking. Christ Himself is knocking, too. 

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me." (Revelation 3:20) 

Imagine that! Christ longs to visit with me and knocks on the door of my heart while He waits for me to invite Him in. "I will dine with him and he with Me" is just one more example of the relationship for which I was created, for which you were created. 

This verse is generally held to be a verse related to salvation. Certainly, that first opening of the door of our heart when Christ knocks is our salvation moment, but that is not the only time He knocks at the door of our hearts. Our Lord longs to have times of intimacy with us on a daily basis, just as God walked and talked daily with Adam and Eve in the garden. 

Knocking with unbridled enthusiasm as we ask repeatedly that our requests be granted is one of the prayer-actions Christ has granted to us. In our determination to achieve the desire of our heart, however, let us not overlook the quiet, persistent knocking of our Lord Jesus, who longs for us to swing wide the door of our heart so that we might spend time with Him.

You may be thinking, "Why does Christ knock if His Spirit in already residing within me?" Perhaps the metaphor of a house will be helpful. When a guest wants to enter my house, they usually knock on my outside door. Once inside, they have free reign to make themselves at home in the open rooms. 

It is when I go into a room, wishing for a bit of privacy, that I close the door. Before entering that private place, the one in which I have cloistered myself, those who wish to enter usually knock. 

In that same way, I can withdraw from Christ, metaphorically shutting the door of an area of my heart, and stepping away from closeness with Him. I can "hide" by distancing myself from Him. It is in those times that He gently and quietly knocks with the same persistence as at the start, for He longs to share my hurts, my sorrows, my confusion. He longs to turn my isolation into companionship, my sorrow into joy.  

It is all too easy to drown out the sound of His knocking with busyness or the clamor of sin. When I allow myself to be still and silence the clamor, I can hear that gentle knocking. It is then that I face a beautiful decision and a divine opportunity. Will I allow Christ access to more of me or not? 

Only in eternity, when we are made perfect in the presence of God, will we fully abandon ourselves to His presence. Only then will the knocking end, for our communion with Him will be made complete. 

For now, He knocks and we must answer, so let our answer be "more of Christ in me". Let us swing wide the doors of our heart in utter abandon to the One who longs to fill every empty place with the sweetest presence imaginable, heal every hurt, and fill our lives with the love, joy and peace that only He can give. 

He is knocking. What will be our answer? 

Teach us to pray, part 53: Knocking

"So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened. (Luke 11:9-10 NASB)

When I read "knock and it will be opened to you", for some reason, it makes me think of that song from my growing up years. "If I had a hammer, I'd hammer in the morning, I'd hammer in the evening, all over this land." The idea of hammering so enthusiastically is exactly the idea behind the knocking of Luke 11. The word translated as knock is not a polite little tapping at the door. This is "knocking with a heavy blow". It is pounding that leaves no doubt, inside or out, that you mean for the door to be opened.

We have it from the very mouth of Christ ("so I say to you") that we are to be so importunate in the things for which Christ has instructed us to ask, that we "must never hold our peace day or night, we must not keep silence, nor give God any rest." (Matthew Henry) We are to be pounding on the doors of heaven. What things has He instructed us to ask? That his name be sanctified, that his kingdom come, His will be done.

When I present my concerns to God in prayer, it behooves me to judge those concerns by the standard Christ has given us. Does my request sanctify His name, does it advance His kingdom, is it His will? I have to admit that I have besieged heaven, hammering on the door night and day to have something that was neither God's will nor likely to advance His kingdom. I thank God He did not grant my request. How miserable I would have been if He had given me that for which I foolishly asked! I praise God for those "no" answers that I desperately needed, but did not want, to the prayers for that which I desperately wanted, but did not need.

It is when I am willing to pray for God's will, and for events in my life to unfold in a way that glorifies Him and not myself, that I begin to pray in a way that pleases God. It is when I pray in this way that my hammering on the door of heaven has an amazing effect. The door of heaven is opened to me and I am ushered into the presence of God. Oh, if there were words to convey the joy that comes with this kind of prayer! 

Prayer, conversation with God, is an important part of having a relationship with Him, and, sometimes, importunate prayer, hammering away without stopping, is what it takes to gain our desire. That continued hammering is important, at least in part, because the persevering demonstrates our commitment to the need for which we ask. 

In the persistent knocking, however, we also gain an unexpected benefit. Change. There are times when I pray persistently over months, and even over years, for something. My prayer toward the end of that journey of persistence is often quite different from the one at the beginning, because God has changed my heart along the way. He has allowed me to see the need from a different perspective, to recognize what He has been doing in me as I waited. The desire I was so desperate to obtain at the beginning has been molded and changed by God in the interim. If we are to obtain the perfect will of God in our asking, this process of molding is critical, and (at least with my stubborn heart) it takes time. 

Let us take our needs, our desires, our hopes and dreams to the One who loves us most, and let us do it with persistence, hammering away at the door of heaven. In our hammering, though, let us not forget that the waiting, as we hammer and pray, is an important part of the process, for it is in the waiting that God fine-tunes us and our prayers to become exactly what He intended. It is only then that our prayers can be the kind of requests that line up with the will of God so that answers, glorious will-of-God answers, can come.

Pray without ceasing and wait with expectation to see the mighty Hand of God in response to your prayers.

Sending the Seventy, part 30: Waiting to See

Turning to the disciples, He said privately, "Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see, for I say to you, that many prophets and kings wished to see the things which you see, and did not see them, and to hear the things which you hear, and did not hear them. " (Luke 10:23-24 NASB)

This is a continuation of  part 29 of this series. You can read that post in a separate window here.) 

We saw in the previous post that, for those who see the mighty works of God, the blessing is "long and lengthy".  It sticks with us, changes us, and leaves us different (better) than before. In the verses above, Jesus said those who see the works of Christ were especially blessed because so many prophets and kings had longed to see the Messiah, had longed to hear the Messiah, had waited for the Messiah, but never saw or heard. The time was not right. (Eventually, of course, they did see and hear the Messiah, but only in eternity.)

That waiting, that hoping, that longing for the Messiah was not pointless. It was not just a fantasy. It was waiting based on fact, the fact that the Messiah was coming. The problem is that God's perspective on time is different from ours, eternal rather than temporal. In fact, everything about His timing is different from ours, isn't it? He waits until the time is right to move, in contrast to our desire for immediate action. 

There is a tendency to think that only the ones who saw and heard Jesus were blessed. The ones who waited for Him, however, were also blessed. Their blessing was not of seeing and hearing, but of believing in what they had not seen and heard. Theirs was a blessing of faith that gave them a relationship with their God that was filled with hope, longing, and anticipation. They were constantly watching for the fulfillment of the promises of God. 

In our society, we have been molded by the fast-food culture to expect instant results and that has extended to our prayer life. We expect God to move and to move right this minute, as if the Omnipotent God would consult us for His timetable! Because of our inherent impatience, we have lost some of the joy in waiting that the prophets and kings of old enjoyed, we've forgotten that God still moves in the midst of the waiting. The delay is never wasted. There is a constant sense of anticipation and joy that comes from believing before seeing and waiting until God moves, if we are willing to persevere in the delay. 

Are you waiting for God to move? Have you become impatient and weary in His delay? Take heart! The delay is not wasted. The waiting is not without point. Delay is not synonymous with denial. Perhaps God is using the time to mold you (and me) into the people He wants us to be... before He moves to answer our prayers. In the meantime, thank Him for the blessings you do see and wait with anticipation for the ones you don't.

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We often want a "fast food" answer to our prayers when what we need is the "crock pot" solution that allows God to do His work completely, both in us and our situation. If you are weary in waiting for the answer to your prayer, here's something that can help. The Waiting: When the Answer to Your Prayer is Delayed and Your Hope is Gone, is available here. Also available in Tupelo at Joyful Creations and Park Place Salon.

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Here's the link to last night's post, Learning From Experience. 

Waiting for Jesus, part 2: waiting and expecting

And as Jesus returned, the people welcomed Him, for they had all been waiting for Him. (Luke 8:40 NASB)

The people had been waiting for Jesus. That sounds a little like a bored crowd just milling about. The original language makes it sound a little different, though. The word translated as "waiting" is prosdokaō and it can also be translated as "expecting".  The crowd was not just milling aimlessly about. They were waiting with expectation because they knew without doubt that, when Jesus arrived, He would do something. 

They were not waiting for nothing. They were waiting for the Son of God who always "did something".  The crowd knew that He had the words of life that could help them face the trials of life, but they also knew that He had the power to intervene in those trials. Jesus could make a difference, and that was what they were expecting as they waited. 

Is that the way we wait?  Do we take the trials of life to our Lord with the expectation that He will move? Do we pray with the firm assurance that our Lord will move in our situation or just hope that "maybe he might"?  There is a vast difference, and the difference is a question of faith. Do we believe that Jesus will "do something" or not?  The answer to that question is critical and reveals much about our relationship with God. 

If we believe what we say we do, then we must also believe that God can intervene in miraculous ways. We must also believe that He who knows the number of hairs on our head cares about more than our hair. He cares about us, and about what affects us. Dear ones, take the burdens, the fears, the trials of life to Jesus, and leave them there with prosdokaō, trusting that He can help and He will help. 

Wait for Jesus, and do it with great anticipation!

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Link to last night's post is here: http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/08/lessons-from-battlefield-young-hezekiah.html

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Please continue to pray about the atrocities being committed around the world by radical jihadists and for those who face persecution and death on a daily basis. Pray for those who will be forced to recant their faith or die today. Pray, too, that, when that same persecution comes to our country, (and it will) we will be as brave and faithful as our brothers and sisters around the world. 

Waiting for Jesus, part 1: The Happy Crowd

And as Jesus returned, the people welcomed Him, for they had all been waiting for Him. (Luke 8:40 NASB)

In the preceding passage, Jesus had taken an exciting boat ride with His disciples, had encountered a terrifying and near-deadly storm, which He had quieted with a word, and had set the Gerasene demoniac free. Along the way, it appears, the disciples had quietly left Jesus to His work and headed back home. 

At last, He returned from his journey to find a crowd of people who had been waiting and watching for Him. We will soon see that some of those people were in desperate straits. A father was waiting for a miracle for his daughter, who was near death. A woman was gravely ill, and she too was quietly but desperately waiting for a miracle. What is clear is that both the father and the sick woman, despite their great need, were waiting for Jesus. They were not running around the countryside seeking any possible solution. They were waiting for the only One who could help. 

What faith they must have had! In the midst of their need, they recognized the One who could help, understood that there was no point at which their situation would become too difficult for Jesus, and they ceased striving and waited for God to move. The approach of the boat in which Jesus was traveling must have been a joyous sight! Jesus was almost there!

How easy it is to recognize our need for divine intervention but how difficult to wait for that intervention to come!  Our natural tendency is to take some kind of action, to "do something". In our fast-food, instant gratification culture, a willingness to wait has become rare, but it is a precious virtue. 

Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary. (Isaiah 40:31 NASB)

It is the ones who are willing to wait who gain new strength, not those who rush about with despair. 

What about you? Do you have a need that only God can meet? Give it to the only One who can help and wait for His answer. Wait patiently for Him. 

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Link to last night's post: http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/08/lessons-from-battlefield-failed-father.html

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The intent was to have a different terrorist group for which to pray this week, however the ongoing atrocities from ISIS/ISIL/IS demand that we continue to pray for divine intervention. There is not only an urgent need for transformation for them, but also an urgent need to pray for protection of those targeted by these radical jihadists and an end to their reign of terror.

 Their leader is Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. To learn more about them and their goal of spreading radical jihad and sharia rule throughout the world, click here: http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/08/radical-obedience-abu-bakr-al-baghdadi.html

Waiting That's Worth It

Seeing their faith, He said, "Friend, your sins are forgiven you." (Luke 5:20 NASB)

Let's put ourselves in the place of these four men for a moment. They had watched the man on the stretcher from the time his paralysis began, hoping he would improve. They were clearly trying to help, so they had likely helped him throughout his illness. When they heard about Jesus, a little seed of hope had begun to grow. When they heard he would be teaching in Capernaum, hope emerged full grown. I don't suppose they were worried about his sins being forgiven. They had sacrifices for that. What they were hoping for was physical healing. 

Their hoping became action when they gathered up that stretcher-bed and carried him to Jesus. After the near-miss of the crowded doorway and the excitement of the rooftop entrance, their expectation must have been astronomical. They were looking to Jesus to see what He would do.  

Jesus did they last thing they were expecting. He forgave the man's sin, then got into a heated discussion with the Pharisees. They must have been thinking, "Wait a minute!! What about his paralysis? He still can't move!"  Just for a moment, they must have grumbled, "A lot of good it did to bring him to Jesus!"

They grumbled because all they knew of their story was the events of verses 19 and 20. They could not see what would happen by the time verses 24 and 25 rolled around. They only saw part of the story.  The part they were seeking was just around the corner. 

What if they had said, "If that's all you are going to do, Jesus, we are out of here!"?  It's likely there would have been no healing for their friend that day. It may have been surprise or some experience with the ways of Jesus, but for whatever reason, they all held still and waited. As they waited, it became clear that Jesus had never lost sight of the paralyzed man. Jesus had planned to heal all along, but He would use the healing to demonstrate His authority and the power of God within Him to all those gathered. 

Imagine the joy of those men as their disappointment proved temporary! Jesus did heal! They would not be carrying  a stretcher back home that day. Their friend was jumping and laughing with great joy. They all were!

Perhaps you have waited for God to move for such a long time. Maybe it seems He has done everything except what you have asked Him to do for your loved one. It could be that you have "a few more verses to go".  Maybe He wants to accomplish a greater purpose and a more complete victory. Don't give up hope, dear ones. Hold firm until all the healing is done. 

Pray today that we will persevere until every one of our loved ones has experienced the healing only Jesus can bring.  

The new Waiting Thankfully Season

     Somehow, I seem to have my holidays upside down.  In August, I wrote a series on the birth of Christ.  Today, I've been formatting that series as a little Advent book.  In the midst of all this formatting, I've been cooking for Thanksgiving.  We aren't even through October yet!!  For the people who are coming to my house for Thanksgiving, I might as well tell you that I have the menu a little mixed up.  I started out to make traditional cornbread dressing, got distracted, and ended up with Taco Soup and Chili. I'm not sure how that happened, so don't ask. I did make gluten-free cornbread, but I still don't have the dressing.  Today, I got distracted again and made watermelon sorbet.  How that's going over at Thanksgiving is anybody's guess.  I still don't have dressing.  Oh well.  Since I've started so early, there is still time for dressing and turkey!

     After I got the little book formatted, I realized you couldn't tell clearly when one day's devotional stopped and the next day's devotional started, so I went back to number them.  This is clearly not a well-planned project, because it has FORTY THREE days of Advent.  I have checked with that modern authority on all things, Wikipedia, and Advent starts on the fourth Sunday before December 25th.  It's always the Sunday between November 27th and December 3rd. That sounds as confusing as my forty-three day Advent, so I guess I'm good to go.  I have decided to start Advent on November 13th or maybe November 23rd, which means t hat, either way, I will be combining Thanksgiving and Advent this year.

     Since Advent is "a time of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity" (thanks, Wikipedia) and Thanksgiving is a day of giving thanks for the harvest and the blessings of the preceding year, I've decided to celebrate a new season this year.  It's the Waiting Thankfully Season. Isn't that perfect?  While we wait for the celebration of the Nativity, we can ponder it, and as we ponder, we can consider just how grateful we are (or how grateful we should be). The best way to celebrate the Waiting Thankfully Season will be to give thanks every day for that wonderful event for which we wait... the Nativity.

That gives Advent a whole new meaning doesn't it?  It spices up Thanksgiving a bit, too, if you ask me. Waiting Thankfully Season. With grateful hearts for decorations and bended knees for the main activity, I think it might be one of the best seasons of all.  Who's joining me this year?

Battle in the Wilderness: Stone vs. Bread (Luke 4:3)

The Devil, playing on his hunger, gave the first test: “Since you’re God’s Son, command this stone to turn into a loaf of bread.”  (Luke 4:3 MSG)

Jesus had just completed a forty day fast and was hungry. His days of divine solitude were coming to an end, and the Tempter was ready for the attack. Seeing His vulnerable point of hunger, he struck by tempting Jesus to turn a stone to bread. Instant gratification.

We love instant gratification, don't we? I'd have been tempted to do it, and Jesus must have been too, because these temptations were tailor-made for Him. There is a difference, however, between waiting for God's provision and trying to make a provision for yourself. Remember how well her attempt turned out for Sarah? We are still dealing with the mess between Isaac and Ishmael today.

Could Jesus turn a stone to bread? Of course. It would not have been a temptation if it were not possible. The interesting thing here is that, as God's Son, present at the foundation of the world, the Holy Trinity had spoken the stone into existence. He had created the stone, and it belonged  to Him, to do with as He would. So what is the problem here?

Jesus's ministry required absolute selflessness and the enemy was tempting Him to selfishness. The temptation was to misuse His power for selfish gain. It was a temptation to worship self rather than God the Father.

For the One coming to sacrifice Himself for a perishing world, absolute submission to the Father's will was critical. There was no room for pleasing self. His only job, His only purpose on earth was pleasing the Father. Waiting for God's timing, even in meeting the most basic of human needs, was essential.

Wow! That is one tall order. Absolute submission to God's will and total selflessness are tall orders for frail humanity. Is it possible? Yes. Is it easy? Not always.

Today, pray for the grace to wait for God's timing in every aspect of life. Pray, too, that we, and our loved ones, would be more interested in pleasing our heavenly Father than in pleasing ourselves.