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Waiting on God
From Chaos to Calm: Day Forty-Seven
Waiting on God
Scripture Memory: “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.” Isaiah 40:31
Photo Credit: Andi Braun
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Patience. It is one of the Fruits of the Spirit. It is needed by women everywhere – everyday. Sometimes we lose patience with our children, sometimes we lose patience with our husbands. Sometimes we lose patience with family members, friends, or acquaintances. Far too often we are not patient with our own learning process. We look down on ourselves as failures just waiting for the next big goof.
Christ will provide us with a spirit of patience if we diligently ask Him. He is always quick to give us that which is His will for our lives. Bad habits are not always easily broken, as we have found this to be true throughout this study. But when you press on toward the mark, you will eventually reach your goal!
The kind of patience I want to talk about today is not the kind where you can no longer contain your frustration as your three year old throws yet another temper tantrum. The kind of patience I want to discuss with you today is “Waiting on God.”
One of the hardest lessons I have ever had to learn was how to wait on God. If I am completely honest, I am still learning this lesson. Have you ever prayed for something for days, weeks, months… years? Only to give up and decide God isn’t really listening? One of the greatest joys of my life has been watching prayers that were offered up to our Heavenly Father year after year and year and then, finally, seeing the results of my prayers as God worked to answer them in perfect detail. God’s timing is not always our timing. Sometimes when we feel something is best, God has other plans.
This is one of the reasons I love my prayer journal so much. It gives me the opportunity to go years back and re-read my prayers and see how God has answered them! I hope you are still writing daily in your prayer journal. Years from now, it will offer you hope and peace as you see first hand how God works in your life – often without you ever realizing it!
Ask God to give you patience. Ask Him to show you how to love your family and yourself the way He loves you. God has an endless amount of patience for us!
This Year Will Be Different
Glorious Day
I just love this song! The words are truth.
Christmas Really Happened
One Year to Live
What if you had only one year to live? What if you knew Jesus would come back one week from now, six months from now, one year from now? Would you live differently? You see, we don’t know how long we have. There is no guarantee for tomorrow. You could die in a tragic car accident or be diagnosed with a rare and rapid growth cancer tomorrow.
How strong is your faith? Jesus’ return will be a sudden event, unexpected. “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” 2 Peter 3:10 KJV
Jesus is waiting for us, his chosen people to stand up for what we believe and live as though we believe it!
“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light; Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation… Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king. Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.” 1 Peter 2:9-20
What in your life is holding you back from fully serving your King? What high places (idols) are you worshiping in place of God?
“And I will destroy your high places, and cut down your images, and cast your carcases upon the carcases of your idols, and my soul shall abhor you.” Leviticus 26:30
Are you willing to tear down the high places and give glory to God in preparation for His soon coming?
What is Heaven Like?
Have you ever dreamed of heaven? I love to talk about what heaven might be like. Especially with my children. We imagine what kinds of things we’ll get to do in heaven, pets we want to have, etc. I mean, have you ever really thought about heaven? A lot of people think it will be boring, that we’ll float around and play harps or lead meaningless lives. But that is far from the truth.
One of my favorite things “to do” when I get to heaven is to swim under water with the dolphins. Can you imagine? No drowning in heaven!
I love my horses here. They bring me a lot of joy. But, wow, in heaven, I won’t have to muck out stall, clean horse feet, or worry about hay, feed, blankets, and water in the winter. Joy!
The Bible tells us quite a bit about heaven, but I think the descriptions will pale in comparison to the real thing.
- God has prepared a place for us that is far greater than anything we could think of on our own! “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” 1 Corinthians 2: 9
- We won’t have to worry about violence or destruction there. “Violence shall no more be heard in your land, devastation or destruction within your borders; you shall call your walls Salvation, and your gates Praise.” Isaiah 60:18
- All the animals will be friendly! “The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them.” Isaiah 11:6
- There will be no more disabilities. “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.” Isaiah 35:5,6
- We will build houses! I will eventually have my ultimate dream home! Plus, we will enjoy working with our hands and the work will not be in vain. Things will work out right and never go wrong. And those of us with black thumbs will finally get green ones. I plan to have a big garden in heaven! “They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be, and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands.” Isaiah 65:21,22
- We will gather for worship each Sabbath. “From new moon to new moon, and from Sabbath to Sabbath, all flesh shall come to worship before me,declares the LORD.” Isaiah 66:23
- We will eat from the tree of life! “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.” Revelation 22:1,2
- We will get to see God face to face. Glory! “They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.” Revelation 22:4
- There will be no more pain, sorrow, sickness, or death!! “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:4
- We’ll get to sit down and have a chat with Adam and Eve or Abraham or even Noah and Moses! King David! Esther! Ruth! Oh, and Matthew, Mark, Luke and John! Who do you want to talk to? “I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 8:11
The Bible also tells us that the New Jerusalem will be adorned as a bride. Beautiful!
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.” Revelation 21:1-3
- The city of God is about the size of the state of Colorado. It is the shape of a cube: about 350 miles wide, 350 miles long, and 350 miles high! Plenty of room for everyone who wants to go! ” The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia. Its length and width and height are equal.” Revelation 21:16
- The foundation are named after the twelve apostles. “And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.” Revelation 21:14
- Its gates are made of giant pearls and the streets are made of pure gold like transparent glass!“And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, transparent as glass.” Revelation 21:21
I hope you are as excited about seeing heaven and living there with Jesus forever as I am! I hope you’ll be there!
A Woman Who Reflects the Heart of Jesus: Book Review and Birthday Giveaway
Hi Ladies!
Yesterday was my birthday! Yes. I am now 36 years old. Last week my washing machine went out. I am soooo excited! My new washer and dryer was supposed to be delivered on my birthday, but there was a delay so I get it on Tuesday. My husband bought me a Samsung HE front loading, stainless steel set. I’ve been waiting for that washer to die forever, seems like!
Did you know that 2011 is A Virtuous Woman’s 10th year anniversary? I’ve been meaning to celebrate somehow all year long, but just never seemed to get around to it. So, I thought that since it’s my birthday we could celebrate AVW’s birthday, too with a giveaway!
A Woman Who Reflects the Heart of Jesus by Elizabeth George
30 Days to Christlike Character
Want an easy way to get to know Christ better and become more like Him? This book is just that. Each day’s devotion is short enough that even a busy, over worked, mom-on-the-go can find the time to fit it into her schedule.
Topics range from Approachable to Worshipful, 30 ways you can reflect the character of Christ. Elizabeth George offers practical, insightful ideas that are easy to apply to your life.
This book is our November/ December selection in the P31 Sisters Book Club. This brand new version of our book club has just opened, so be sure to join!
If you would like to win a copy of A Woman Who Reflects the Heart of Jesus, all you need to do is leave a comment below!
The winner will be announced on Monday, November 21, 2011!
UPDATE: Gina Toothe is the winner! Congratulations! Please email me with your information so we can mail this book out to you!
Scripture Memory – Chapters of the Bible
My girls and I decided recently to work on memorizing entire chapters of the Bible together. We are currently working on Psalm 91. This is a beautiful psalm. I printed out the chapter – one sheet for each of us and as we work on each verse, I am highlighting the current verses in yellow. We are learning one and then adding the next and so on. We practice the verses during morning worship as well as throughout the day.
What is your family doing for Family Worship this week?
God’s Chisel
This video was played at our Women’s Retreat this year. What do you think?
Q & A: Door to Door Witnessing
Photo Credit: Jamie Harris
Q: Hey Melissa,
You go door to door as a family? I am curious about this. Would love to see an article about what you do and any tips you have some time!
A: Michelle, witnessing as a family can really instill a love for others in your children. As you may know, my husband is a pastor and we are always working to spread the good news! Evangelism is a big deal in our household. I love it when my little ones say, “Mom, we should go pass out literature today.”
Now, my youngest two children are really, really shy, but they love being involved in the door to door process: carrying magazines, books, etc. and just being present while the love of Christ is shared. They don’t want to be the ones to talk, but that is okay.
Sometimes, since there are six of us (my son is in college now) we will split up into groups (we have teenagers now, too) and do every other house. We take invitations to seminars or evangelistic meetings (if we have some starting). We’ll take books or magazines out to give away.
Always pray before starting out. Ask for the Holy Spirit and the angels to be with you. Ask for the words to say.
It’s also a good idea to decide what you are going to say before you get to the door. If it’s your first time out, or your kids first time out, knowing what to say before you go out really helps.
For instance:
Hi, my name is Melissa and this is Hannah and Laura. We’re out in the neighborhood today sharing the love of Jesus with folks. Would you like a magazine? It talks about… (open up magazine and show them a pretty picture, etc.)
You can ask them if they have anything they would like you to pray with them about. Once you get started talking conversation naturally flows. Sometimes people are rude. I have had people say, “I already have a church.” and shut the door in my face or something to that effect. That’s okay. It’s not me they are rejecting. I happen to believe that loving Christians should treat those who come to their door spreading the gospel a little kinder.
“And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two… And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them. Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!’ So they went out and preached that people should repent.” Mark 6:7-12 NKJV
I think it would be fun to make miniature loaves of bread and take door to door in your neighborhood along with a good book or magazine or tract. You could decorate the loaves with a Bible verse like, “I am the bread of life.” John 6:48. You could also bake cookies, make cards, make bookmarks with Bible verses, etc.
There are lots of way you and your children can share the Good News with those in your community who are starving for the bread of life! In Harlan County where we live, statistically 1 out of every 3 people are unchurched (or have no church home). So in Harlan County, where there are roughly 30,000 people living, 10,000 people don’t go to church! And we live in an area that is religious! That is a lot of people who need to be touched.
“And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.” Matthew 28:18-20 NKJV
We are all called to witness to a dying world in His name. Teaching your children to do so in love will be a blessing to your entire family.
