"The LORD is near to the brokenhearted
And saves those who are crushed in spirit." [Psalm 34:18, NASB]
Walk with Him and know that you are never alone.
Stephanie
Text: Psalm 34:18
Copyright 2010-2011 Stephanie Whitley All Rights Reserved
Friday, February 11, 2011
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Waiting- An Exercise in Faith
So, as I mentioned in the last entry, God’s been teaching me that “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.” [Isaiah 40:31] And what a lesson it’s been. Here’s what I mean.
You ever watch one of those movies where right in the middle of the action scene, the cinematography slows down to super slow motion? Like Keanu Reeve’s trendsetting scene in the movie “The Matrix”? Or have you ever had one of those dreams in which you really need and want to run faster, yet the faster you try to go, the slower you seem to be moving? Very frustrating isn’t it? What’s even more frustrating is when this scene becomes your life.
When you’ve gone through deep emotional hurt or loss, and you begin to try and pick up the pieces of your life, it can seem like your life is moving in slow motion. The pain and baggage seem to be dragging you down everyday. All you really want is for things to be better, to move on with your life, but every move is belabored, every task takes extra effort to complete. Maybe you have legal processes to work through, decisions to make, or papers to sign. Maybe it’s just that the pain is always there, when you wake up in the morning or go to bed at night. Maybe you’ve had to put your life dreams on hold because of it, or your life dreams are now within reach, but they’re just not coming fast enough. You anxiously await the day your big change will come and feverishly work towards it, but nothing works it seems.
It certainly rang true for me. My life seemed to be going in slow motion. No matter how badly I wanted things to be better right away, the healing process dragged on one day at a time. (And still does). But you know what, I began to learn why the prophet Isaiah says- “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength...” It's because waiting is an exercise of faith. And the exercise of faith yields strength. You see, when you’re in the thick of your circumstances, waiting for God to come through for you, you find that time after time you come to the end of your own strength and have to call upon Him. And when you call upon Him for strength, he gives it. Isaiah 40:29, just a few lines before verse:31, says that “He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.” Even the Apostle Paul testifies of it in II Corinthians 12: 9, 10 when he says that “...when I am weak, I am strong,” (v10) for God’s “...strength is made perfect in weakness.” (v9). Many times on this journey, while waiting for things to get better, I have certainly come to the end of myself and have had to pray, “Lord, renew my strength.” And he does everytime. And each time I get stronger than I was the time before. It is His strength that makes us strong and we find His strength when we come to the end of ours.
Waiting is an exercise of faith. Everytime you wait and watch Him handle things that only He can handle your faith is strengthened until finally your faith is built up so strong that nothing can shake you, not even death itself. It is then that you soar upon wings as eagles, above your pain, problems and situations. It is then that you will run and not be weary, walk and not faint, because you know for sure that your Sovereign Lord will take care of you. That's not to say you'll never hurt again, no. But it is to say that you never have to be dismayed again. You can rise above in faith, because you know and trust in the Sovereign Lord.
Those that wait upon the Lord in patient surrender shall find the faithfulness of God to renew and increase their strength for their journey. They shall reach a point of trust in God that they will want to run on to see what the ends gonna be, knowing that the God who gives them a hope and a future will surely bring it to pass.
It doesn't mean you should sit around twittling your fingers doing nothing. No, follow God's leading everyday as He directs, just don't run ahead of God. The NIV puts it this way "but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength..." [Isaiah 40:31, NIV]. The Amplified Bible as this- "But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power..." [Isaiah 40:31, Amplified bible] and I really encourage you to read the passage from verse 27-31 in The Message Bible, it will really encourage your heart!
So, like the Psalmist, I say- “Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.” [Psalm 27:14]
Texts: Isaiah 40:27-31; II Corinthians 12:9,10; Psalm 27:14
Songs: "Wait On The Lord" by, Donnie McClurkin and Karen Clark Sheard
"I Will Wait" by, Jason Upton
Copyright 2010-2011 Stephanie Whitley All Rights Reserved
You ever watch one of those movies where right in the middle of the action scene, the cinematography slows down to super slow motion? Like Keanu Reeve’s trendsetting scene in the movie “The Matrix”? Or have you ever had one of those dreams in which you really need and want to run faster, yet the faster you try to go, the slower you seem to be moving? Very frustrating isn’t it? What’s even more frustrating is when this scene becomes your life.
When you’ve gone through deep emotional hurt or loss, and you begin to try and pick up the pieces of your life, it can seem like your life is moving in slow motion. The pain and baggage seem to be dragging you down everyday. All you really want is for things to be better, to move on with your life, but every move is belabored, every task takes extra effort to complete. Maybe you have legal processes to work through, decisions to make, or papers to sign. Maybe it’s just that the pain is always there, when you wake up in the morning or go to bed at night. Maybe you’ve had to put your life dreams on hold because of it, or your life dreams are now within reach, but they’re just not coming fast enough. You anxiously await the day your big change will come and feverishly work towards it, but nothing works it seems.
It certainly rang true for me. My life seemed to be going in slow motion. No matter how badly I wanted things to be better right away, the healing process dragged on one day at a time. (And still does). But you know what, I began to learn why the prophet Isaiah says- “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength...” It's because waiting is an exercise of faith. And the exercise of faith yields strength. You see, when you’re in the thick of your circumstances, waiting for God to come through for you, you find that time after time you come to the end of your own strength and have to call upon Him. And when you call upon Him for strength, he gives it. Isaiah 40:29, just a few lines before verse:31, says that “He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.” Even the Apostle Paul testifies of it in II Corinthians 12: 9, 10 when he says that “...when I am weak, I am strong,” (v10) for God’s “...strength is made perfect in weakness.” (v9). Many times on this journey, while waiting for things to get better, I have certainly come to the end of myself and have had to pray, “Lord, renew my strength.” And he does everytime. And each time I get stronger than I was the time before. It is His strength that makes us strong and we find His strength when we come to the end of ours.
Waiting is an exercise of faith. Everytime you wait and watch Him handle things that only He can handle your faith is strengthened until finally your faith is built up so strong that nothing can shake you, not even death itself. It is then that you soar upon wings as eagles, above your pain, problems and situations. It is then that you will run and not be weary, walk and not faint, because you know for sure that your Sovereign Lord will take care of you. That's not to say you'll never hurt again, no. But it is to say that you never have to be dismayed again. You can rise above in faith, because you know and trust in the Sovereign Lord.
Those that wait upon the Lord in patient surrender shall find the faithfulness of God to renew and increase their strength for their journey. They shall reach a point of trust in God that they will want to run on to see what the ends gonna be, knowing that the God who gives them a hope and a future will surely bring it to pass.
It doesn't mean you should sit around twittling your fingers doing nothing. No, follow God's leading everyday as He directs, just don't run ahead of God. The NIV puts it this way "but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength..." [Isaiah 40:31, NIV]. The Amplified Bible as this- "But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power..." [Isaiah 40:31, Amplified bible] and I really encourage you to read the passage from verse 27-31 in The Message Bible, it will really encourage your heart!
So, like the Psalmist, I say- “Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.” [Psalm 27:14]
Texts: Isaiah 40:27-31; II Corinthians 12:9,10; Psalm 27:14
Songs: "Wait On The Lord" by, Donnie McClurkin and Karen Clark Sheard
"I Will Wait" by, Jason Upton
Copyright 2010-2011 Stephanie Whitley All Rights Reserved
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)