As a culture we are completely overstimulated and consumed with instant gratification. Wouldn’t you agree? Think about this for a minute: When we’re hungry, we can just grab cheap, greasy food to fill us instead of building a hunger for something that will satisfy us more in the long run (many people around the world don’t even have this option). What about in conversations? (I am so guilty of this) Instead of stopping and really listening to someone in conversation, we feel the URGE to interject at every pause and lull. When we shop, most of us feel the need to buy something right away if it catches our eyes instead of going home and making a conscious decision about whether it is a need versus a want. Interesting right? I don’t know if this is just an American thing or just a product of our human condition, but waiting is such a hard thing for us to do. Slowly but surely, I coming to see waiting as a really good thing. It refines us, it builds patience, it shows us to not take things for granted, and it helps us to really treasure and enjoy blessings as God fulfills the longings of our hearts. One of the great little blessings in my life right now is a daily devotional book called My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers. I received it last September when I was baptized, but it was only until a few days ago that I started to read it. One passage from yesterdays devotional inspired me to write this blog and I think it’s brilliant! I’ve never been much into devotionals but sometimes another’s revelation from God is all that you need to get some good internal dialogue going.
“ There are times when you cannot understand why you cannot do what you want to do. When God brings the blank space, see that you do not fill it in, but wait. The blank space may come in order to teach you what sanctification means, or it may come after sanctification to teach you what service means. Never run before God’s guidance. If there is the slightest doubt, then he is not guiding. Whenever there is doubt-dont.”
Hmm… isn’t that so true?!? The blank space isn’t God trying to torture us, even though at time it may feel like it. The blank space is God’s time of testing our faith so that it can be proved of more worth than gold. We may stamp our feet and look at our watches thinking “I don’t have all of eternity here, Lord” but when it comes down to it, we stink at filling in the blank. When we choose to fill in the blank before God, we fail EVERY time. I know that some of you can attest to that, I know that I sure can. Whenever we go before God’s timing we end up bruised, broken and trampled on, but if we wait for God to fill in that blank we can be assured of blessing and fruitfulness in our lives. One other thing to mention is that God knows our needs. We don’t have a high priest that cannot sympathize with our needs. Jesus was tried in every way. Jesus knows what it’s like to long for something. He so desperately longed for us to be reconciled to him that he died for us. WOAH! He also knows that longings can make us sick if they are not fulfilled. Proverbs 13:12 says that “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. I hope that my words have not bored you or made you roll your eyes, but I think this is a truth that we all should come to understand, even if it takes a lifetime.
Hello today!
You have put this into words very well!
mmm..the idea of leaving spaces created by God open, until He fills them in His timing flows well with a thought I read about today…that we should give to God the first fruits of our thinking.
So the way I am looking at this- when we are in any way emotional, take it as an opportunity to gain deeper friendship with the Lord, who will be so happy that we placed Him first on our contact list!
Happy? Go to God to share first! Listen and let Him respond to you….
Sad? Don’t call a friend before you talk to the Lord. Let Him be your best friend. Let Him respond to you…
Just like the other day, your blog puts in my mind another friend that I feel would benefit from hearing your thoughts in this blog!
God is so good all the time!
Pamela
I think that is so true with our society now and days and we do r eally need to be PATIENT. It’s hard but it’s a good to think about…to slow down and wait on God, and we’ll get what we want from him or what he wants for us!:)