Don’t you hate to wait? It makes me feel like I am wasting my time. Although we don’t like to, we are often forced to wait. Waiting does several things within us.
Value assessment – It helps us to assess the true value of what we are waiting for. Maybe it’s not much of value. Or, it’s not worth the time, and we may get up and explore other options. But you may also come to the conclusion that it is really worth the wait.
Self assessment – We get to asses our need for that which we are waiting for. Is the reason prompted by selfishness? Maybe we want to look significant before others. Or we may want it because others have it. It’s also possible that we think we can’t live without it. But you may decide this is something that will add value to your life and you are willing to wait patiently for God to answer your prayers.
Yes I hate waiting. But waiting is not wasting.
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I remember the exciting days on the Debate Team in High School. One by one we took the various issues of the day and chose which side we wanted to take. We chose the side not because of any personal conviction. It was an arbitrary choice.
Words can be formed to support anything or to oppose anything. It all depends on how you form the words. When Job’s friends were taking turns accusing him of wrongdoing, Job responded:
“I also could speak as you do, if you were in my place; I could join words together against you and shake my head at you. I could strengthen you with my mouth, and the solace of my lips would assuage your pain” (Job 16:4-5).
The choice is in your hands. You could accuse and find fault in everyone. Or you could strengthen people with your words. Choose the latter. Strengthen those around you.
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With the incarnation of God, there was an emptying of some divine aspects. It’s not clearly defined what was emptied from the Son Jesus as he took on humanity.
That emptying might have been some kind of trade-off as he took on humanity. Some human limitations would require him to let go of certain divine attributes.
One particular human limitation that he did not take on was the propensity to sin. This is the one aspect of humanness that could not co-exist with divinity.
But he was tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin. If sinfulness was a part of Jesus’ nature, he would not qualify to be the perfect “lamb of God” who would be sacrificed for your sins.
He was bombarded with temptations all around him just as we are. But he stayed separate from sin. So was it unfair that he faced temptations without the sinful nature? Now now that’s an interesting thought. But remember, Adam and Eve were in that same predicament.
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Knowledge is usually “weighty” and highly regarded. It’s value is beyond measure. People are willing to pay large sums of money to acquire knowledge.
But there is a point where knowledge becomes “windy.” Life defies knowledge and tragedy pushes understanding to the side. Knowledge, understanding, and logic are sorely insufficient to make sense of life.
But those who face the tragedies of life with an open heart toward God get to listen in on the “council of God” (Job 15:8). There, you find wisdom beyond the mundane aspects of life. Perspectives stretch broader than those with a closed heart.
We know that God’s ways are beyond our ways. But his knowledge and wisdom are much beyond ours. So if life doesn’t make sense, keep your eyes on God. He has things figured out. Our knowledge is too “windy to carry us anywhere.
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Mistakes are unavoidable. There is no other way to be human than to make mistakes. It seems to be part of what it means to be human.
But for some people, their mistakes become part of their identity. Their failures in various parts of their life become the central theme of their identity.
This identity becomes the point of reference for their decision making process. They conclude that since they failed in the past, they’ll fail in the future. Since they’ve been in debt in the past, they’ll always be in debt.
But if they could re-formulate their identity, things would be different. If they could take on their identity as a child of God, their focus would be different. The failure identity would be a thing of the pst and the child of God identity would become prominent. Future decisions would be based on this Godly identity.
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We believe that God raised the dead back to life. We’ve read the numerous resurrection accounts throughout the Bible.
But what about a person whose life is completely shattered? How can you hope when it seems like there is no way forward? Maybe it seems like death is the only thing left to look forward to.
Even if you are in such an extreme and helpless situation, Job says there is still hope.
“For there is hope in a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that its’ shoots will not cease. Though its roots grow old in the earth, and its stump die in the soil, yet at the scent of water it will bud and put out branches like a young plant” (Job 14:8-9).
Then he said:
“If a man dies, shall he live again? All the days of my service I would wait, till my renewal should come” (Job 14:14).
With God, there is always a second chance!
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The Father wants to give you the Kingdom. That’s what Jesus said. In fact, he said it’s already yours. You are the heir of everything that belongs to God since you are his son. Now that the kingdom is yours, it’s time to refocus your investment strategy.
This new strategy is intended to convert wealth from one monetary system to another:
“Sell your possessions and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys” (Luke 12:33).
Finding ways to minister to the needy is vital to investing in the kingdom. Jesus’ life was an example of such investing. The sick, troubled, downtrodden, and the hungry came to him. As he helped them he invested into the Kingdom.
This investment is everlasting. It can’t be stolen. It won’t lose value. Demonetization, corruption, swindling, market crash, or any other monetary calamity won’t affect the Kingdom of God. It is secure, never to be hacked.
Now, there is a final reason to refocus your wealth. “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Luke 12:34).
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How bad can it get before you throw in the towel? Giving up is the easier option, especially when the going gets tough. Can’t imagine continuing with such a stormy, painful relationship.
God and Job were inseparable friends in a stormy relationship. God tested Job’s love and dedication to him with trials unimaginable. The intensity of the testing was too severe for Job to bear. But Job held on to the relationship with a vengeance. This is what he said:
“Though he slay me, I will hope in him; yet I will argue my ways to his face (Job 13:1-5)
Job held onto the relationship even in the face of impending death. What else could Job look forward to but death? Yet it is clear that Job had a life long relationship of love and trust in God. Now, during this painful phase of life, Job held onto his relationship. It’s just too valuable to give up.
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“Although my memory is fading, I remember two things very clearly: I am a great sinner and Christ is a great Savior.”
John NewtonMuch before John Newton spoke those words, the Bible records the words of Paul the Apostle:
“The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.”
(1 Timothy 1:15)What more can I say?
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Just the thought of the wicked prospering is certainly beyond us. We’d like to think that they all die in misery, but that’s not reality. Many of them die in prosperity and abundance.
What troubles us more is when the righteous suffer. Why doesn’t God respond to their pain and misery? We believe that God will respond and hope he does it during our lifetime.
We know about the day of judgement, that all people will be judged according to their deeds. But what about now? We want to see God’s judgement on them now so we can say: “See, I told you so.” But no, God waits.
This discomfort is too much to bear. But it’s time to learn to accept God’s ways because they are higher than ours. Rest in his plan for us. Let’s learn to be comfortable with the discomfort of the uncertain.
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