NLT It may seem like it should be easy to wait. But it is a lesson the Christian soldier doesn’t learn without years of teaching. Marching and double-time marching are much easier to God’s warriors than standing still. There are perplexing times when the most willing spirit, anxiously desiring to serve the Lord, doesn’t know what role to play. What should that person do? Lose hope? Shrink back in cowardice, or rush forward in presumption? No—he or she should simply wait. But wait in prayer. Call on God and spread the case before Him; tell Him your difficulty and plead His promise of assistance. When the dilemma is a choice between one duty or another, it is good to be as humble as a child, waiting with simplicity of soul on the Lord. It will surely be well with us when we feel and know our own folly, and are heartily willing to be guided by God’s will. But wait in faith. Express your ironclad confidence in Him, for unfaithful, untrusting waiting is an insult to the Lord. Believe that, even if He keeps you waiting late into the night, He will come at the right time; the vision will come and will not delay (Habakkuk 2:3). Wait in quiet patience, not rebelling because you are under affliction but blessing God for it. Never murmur against the second cause, like the children of Israel did against Moses; never wish you could go back to your old world again but accept the case as it is—put it as it stands, simply and with your whole heart, without any self-will, into the hands of your covenant God. Say to Him, “Now, Lord, not my will, but yours be done. I don’t know what to do—I am brought to the breaking point, but I will wait until you divide the waters or drive back my enemies. I will wait, if you keep me here for many days, for my heart is fixed on you alone. My spirit waits for you in the full conviction that you will be my joy and my salvation, my refuge and my strong tower.” - C.H. Spurgeon Morning and Evening
Looks like today is a double header.
This devotional hits home with me due to my feelings of "what's next?" with my career.
It's not much different from what Spurgeon says to keep doing. I keep on praying and attempting to press on with whatever He puts before me. It's often making little sense but I press on.
This last week was actually the beginning of the next fiscal month. Multiple days in a row I would go in and find nothing to do. So I kept taking vacation days. Finally I just asked for the rest of the week off. At home I managed to get a great many things done. I think in this time, God was also getting me to step back from making rash decisions.
It's easy to be impatient. It's much harder to be patient. No need to explain that further. It's a fact of life.
In my past I have jumped the gun in decisions. This time I am trying harder to wait it out. It's not that my past run with job changes wasn't of God, those were. Just not totally convinced moving on is what's on His mind right now.
Who doesn't like to know even the general direction of where they are going? It certainly helps in reducing stress at times.
Waiting. A short word that can take seconds to years. But there's much to be said in Scripture about what happens for those who wait upon the Lord.
So I shall continue to pray and continue to wait. The fact that God is still blessing us is evidence enough that we are on the right track.
Be patient even when it is painful or irritating. Scripture says that Jesus began the work in us and will continue it until either we are called home or are Raptured. He began, not we began. Jesus doesn't start things He doesn't want to finish or doesn't intend to finish.
Joseph could have thought that the Lord forgot him but he didn't.
Pray in every way. Prayer is what reveals our hearts to God. Rather than losing patience, turn to prayer.
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