Waiting to soar

and what it means.  Really and truly what waiting for God's time and allowing for Him to work in our lives means.  What it doesn't mean, and all that in between stuff.

My favorite verse, even before I really understood what being a Christian meant, remains Isaiah 40:31 which reads, "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." 

This is something I really struggle with.  I know in my heart that God will provide for our every need, but I still want to keep my finger in the pie until the Father yanks it out and gives me a stern, "Let me provide." 

"But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus," 

Philippians 4:19. 

He says He will give us all our needs, not all our wants--although He does give many of those as well--in His timing.  This, I think, is where so many falter.  I know there are people reading this that might be mumbling under their breath about this being another post about just turning it over to God.  There are even more that stopped reading after they seen it had a reference to God, and I know there are those that are smirking at me.  I know because I was once there. I have had to learn that He gives strength to us when we are heavy and overburdened, when we ALLOW him to work (Isa. 40:29).  I know in my heart, my most inner being, and within the recesses of my soul, that without Him, I can do nothing.  It maybe OK for a season, but if I allow God to guide and trust in Him to do whats best for me it just works out better.  This includes when I follow what He wants in my family life.  It really goes hand in hand with my desire for a simpler life, relying more on the Father.

Bear has been in Vacation Bible School this past week.  Sometimes we need to go back and revisit the fundamentals to strengthen up the foundations.  The theme of all the lessons for the week was trusting God in all things.  Not just in good things, not just for some things, but ALL things.  Meaning, waiting upon the Lord.

But they that wait upon the Lord 
shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings as eagles;
 they shall run, and not be weary;
and they shall walk, and not faint

Yes, I admit, I worry and falter in my trusting and waiting upon Him; God often has to yank back the pie into the safety of his pie safe, as if to tell me, "Kim, why do you insist on poking your finger into the pie?  I will let you know when it's done and ready to eat.  I love you.  You are my child, I sent my Son for you, so that you might be given the gift of salvation. So trust me in this."  He might reprimand, but it's always with a loving hand. I don't need to do anything more but make my requests known to Him, and if it be His will, and in His time, He will answer all my wants as well as my needs.   If He provided for my eternal salvation why would He neglect my earthly needs?  No, He is just and right; full of grace and mercy.  He will not neglect me.  I just have to learn to soar with eagles.  Easy Peasy.... Right????  Well OK, not so easy.  It should be, but we being who we are, or I being who I am, have a really hard time turning it all over to Him and waiting.  I guess I have a problem with patience.  Am I alone in this?

God has a way of putting me in situations where I am taught to wait upon Him.  It's once I completely give it over to Him that He can then work His wonders.  Becoming a mother was a perfect example of this.  It was in His time, not ours, but that is another story for another time.  God has recently been putting a lot of things upon my heart that I need to focus on, including trusting in Him, for His timing, waiting upon Him.  He will provide.

Now before you go quit your job, stop paying your mortgage, or neglect to cook dinner for the family tonight, I am not saying that you can stop doing all those things.  God has given your job, or you should view it as something He has given you, He has given you a home to live in (So many don't have that), and He has given you the means with which to provide food.  Sometimes He works through these things.  God provides; the key is to remember that those things which we think we need and what God KNOWS we need, may not be the same.   Sometimes we think luxuries are needs.  When things look dismal, we need to realize that God sees tomorrow.  He sees next week and next year.  Our finite minds can't comprehend this.  Commit all that you do to God (Proverbs 16.3). 

We need to look heavenward.  To borrow an illustration from a pastor, we need to look up and forget the chickens in the barnyard.  Even though we are among earthly things, among sin that is rampant, we need to not act like the world. It's kind of like my when my daddy use to say to me, "Kim, if all the kids were eating cow pies, would you eat them too?"  He knew the answer of course.  He was trying to tell me with daddy wisdom that the path less traveled might be the better one and to not just do something because everyone else was doing it.  I guess I've been takin' my smart pills, it's starting to sink in. 

Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?  Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? For your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. Matthew 6:25-34

 

So what was my point?  Waiting of course.  Waiting on God, or rather allowing God to act.  

I am not sitting here saying it will be easy.  He might put it upon my heart to say a kind word to you that gives you relief, or He might inspire you to bake a meal for a young family, and through you God is taking care of His children.  We just have to learn the art of listening.  I am still a student myself, far from an expert and I fall down.  I worry and get upset; I guess I am saying it's hard.  I know its hard.  Its OK to cry unto God and beg for His help in this.  It doesn't come easy for most of us.  Its very humbling in fact. 

I will stop for now, and leave you with a gentle reminder to tend your gardens well, and to take it one day at a time, giving God a chance.