Waiting...and Persisting...Godly Stubbornness

Waiting...and Persisting...Godly Stubbornness
by David Brenneman

"Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.  For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Peter 1:5-8.

Active Waiting
My soul, wait in silence for God only, for my hope is from Him
PSALM 62:5

    When you wait on the Lord for some request or opportunity, it may feel like you are wasting your time.  Indeed, it may feel as if your whole life is on hold. Like David, you may find yourself crying out, "How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever?" (Psalm 13:1). But just as God had not abandoned David, He has not deserted you either. The Lord did a great deal of important
work in David's life and character during the waiting times, and He does so in you as well.
    Therefore, understand that your life is not on pause. On the contrary, you must actively position yourself for God's continuing instruction. To wait on the Lord requires strength and courage-it is not a time to be passive, irresponsible, or slothful. Rather, you must choose minute-by-minute to be obedient to the Father and His schedule regardless of how long long your your request takes. Do not
become impatient or rush into a solution of your own own making
you'll only hinder God's plan and prolong the delay.  Instead, trust
the Lord's awesome timing and allow Him to do His esential work
in you and your circumstances. He will certainly do beyond all you
imagine.

Jesus, You are my hope. I'll seek You with everything in me and wait on You. Amen.
- Trusting God with Today. Dr. Charles Stanley.

We are much for patiently waiting in this world.  We have generations after generations being taught to want it, go after it, pursue it, take it.  To not be patient about it. 

Those who wait upon the Lord are those whom the Lord will bless.  Yet while we wait upon the Lord we will always have something to be doing in Christ.  Therefore we are to persist in our growing in Christ.  We are to exercise Godly stubbornness in this.  We are given everything, every day, for a life in Godliness.  That's what the Bible says to each of us.

None of us is forgotten before the Throne of Grace.  I was reminded of a different aspect of this passage yesterday: "Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows." Matthew 10:29-31.  A short video that showed seals who were threatened with a break in the ice and 1 almost didn't get caught up with the rest.  God made a way and it rejoined them.  Even had not it been caught on video it was noticed by our Father in Heaven who made provision for even the least of these seals.

We aren't ever forgotten before our Lord Jesus Christ.  We are His, sealed in the Spirit, forever more. 

We indeed are to be running His race not our own as the earlier post written was talking about.  If you've watched the movie Overcomer you will catch the big race at the end.  Her Dad was coaching her through every hill and valley.  Every place to attack and when to reserve strength.  She listened to her Dad's coaching to win the race.  We too need to realize we oftentimes fail in our attempts at this race we are in because we get to thinking we know better.  That we have enough understanding.  We stop listening to how Jesus says it should be done.  We don't rest when He says to rest. We don't meet Him when He says it's time for a meeting.  We can get too involved with too many things of our own making that we push out our ability to take the race at His pace and timing. 

Our lives are in His hands.

Even when we think we are alone and nobody sees our plight.

Even when it appears that we aren't running at all. 

Even when we have gotten off course He is there to get us back on track. 

Reminds me of the back story of the Mercy Me song "Even if".  Bart Millard has a son who has to have shots every day in order to live.  It's incredibly hard on him to have to do that to his son.  But even in this he understands that God is with him and his son.  No shred of understanding in why they're going through it but he knows that Jesus is in it with them.

My life of the past many months has been a huge question mark.  Jesus allowed my job to be terminated and put me on this path of rediscovery of a sort.  I have stayed the course in my morning's and evening's reading with Him.  In ways we never saw coming He has provided.  I know my new job is coming soon.  My prayers about getting things done around here from long ago are being answered.  I try to persist in doing whatever He puts before me to be doing. 

Our lives are about us following Jesus in whatever He puts before us to be doing.  It's His race.  His rules.  His coaching.  His direction.  He knows everything about the race course set before us.  We can't trust in ourselves to get through it on our own.  Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.  Proverbs 3:5-6.

Stop where you are.  Breathe.  Ask Jesus to make sure you are running this race of life His way and under His direction.  To search your heart and see if there be any wicked way in you and to remove it.  To lead you in the way that glorifies Him the most.

All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.
New American Standard Bible
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