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“I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from him.” Psalms 62:1
One of the hardest things we learn to do is wait. It was the first lesson many of us had to learn in kindergarten! We had to learn to wait in line and stay in our place! It was brutal brutal cruel punishment for some of us. But it was an important lesson for us to learn.
For some of us however, we never really learn. Much, if not all credit card debt is because of our inability to wait. All this to the tune of an estimated 13.8 trillion dollars! (2020)
One reason waiting is hard is because we yearn to be fulfilled, to find contentment in the midst of turmoil. Whether it be material possessions or relational desires or anything else we long for, when we fully trust God for our needs it makes it easier to wait for his moving.
Waiting on God means that we have learned that his timing is best in every aspect of our lives. Our ultimate victory comes from him and not from our own efforts.
“Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises.” James 5:13
God is good all the time, all the time God is good.
You may have heard that said, or you may have even said it yourself. James pens this verse to remind us that when life is unbearable we need to cry out to God. On the other hand, during the good times we need to praise God. In one sense, James is saying the same thing twice. The prayers we offer up when life is hard are prayers of petition. The praise we offer up when life is good are prayers of gratitude . Either way, regardless of the way life is, James teaches us that we should always go to God.
God is good all the time, when The raise you were hoping for finally comes through. All the time God is good, when downsizing forces you to lose a career of 30 years.
God is good all the time, when the doctors report comes back encouraging. All the time God is good, when the test results are scary.
God is good all the time, when that relationship you hoped for is better than expected. All the time God is good, when the person you loved and trusted leaves you.
God is good all the time, when the person you voted for wins the election. All the time God is good, when the future looks dismal because the election didn’t go as hoped.
God is good all the time, when those investments paid off. All the time God is good, when you’ve lost everything you had.
Life can deal hard blows. The only thing that we can really count on, is the fact that in the good and the bad, God is good. When you approach the father, the father who loves you more than anything else, praise him in the good times and rest in his arms in the bad times. Because God is good all the time and all the time God is good.
If I could summarize this verse in three words I would use these words, DO YOUR BEST! The writer to the Hebrews reminds them and us of the many people that have gone before us that have been victorious in their faith. These bastions of the faith were by no means perfect. They were murderers, they were adulterers, they were thieves, they were liars, they were guilty of every imaginable sin possible. They are honored not because they are perfect, but because they knew where to go for forgiveness and for strength to carry-on in spite of their faults. We have Jesus and the Holy Spirit to help cleanse us and help us move forward. The word picture the writer uses is out of the ancient Greek games in which athletes would strip and be completely naked when they ran races in order that nothing will hold them back that is what we are to do with God. Get rid of everything so that we can be pure before Jesus. God never promised us that we will win every race we run. But he will help us to get back up and try again when we falter! Run hard! Run with endurance! Trust him for the results. Just do your best with his help and his Spirit within you.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 