Waiting Well

One of my most favorite quotes is from Oswald Chambers,

"God gives us a vision, and then He takes us down to the valley to batter us into the shape of the vision... So, that He might trust us with the reality of the vision."

(My Upmost for His Highest - July 6)

I cannot be certain, but I am pretty sure the following Biblical heroes would agree with Oswald’s idea of being given a vision and then waiting out a valley experience for the Vision to Become Reality.

Noah: was asked to build an ark *(when he had never seen rain), and then WAITED IN THE MIDST OF MOCKERY 120 years for the great flood to occur.

Abraham & Sarah: received a promise that the number of stars in the heavens would represent the number of their descendants, and then WAITED AGAINST ALL LOGICAL HOPE until Abraham was 100 before their 1st child was born.

Joseph: was given a vision of influence and then WAITED AFTER BEING BETRAYED BY THOSE CLOSEST TO HIM throughout his youth, slavery, and imprisonment before he was promoted to a position of prestige.

Moses: felt called to rescue Israel from bondage, and then WAITED in the desert 40 years FOR THE DIRECTION AND CALL OF GOD.

Moses: felt called to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land, and then WAITED 40 years UNTIL THE HEARTS OF THE PEOPLE WERE PREPARED.

Esther: was married off to an older man, from another culture, and given a death sentence... then WAITED FOR GOD'S TIMING AND ANOINTING to be called into the King's presence to request the life of her people be spared.

David: was anointed as king of Israel, and then WAITED through exile and persecution FOR HIS APPOINTED TIME to rule.

Post Resurrection Church: went through the heinous crucifixion of Christ, rumored resurrection of the Messiah, and then WAITED FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT to descend and impart Christ's anointing power.

New Testament Church: AWAITS THE PROMISE & final return of Christ.

Waiting appears to be a theme in the vision becoming reality, right? So, how do we wait well in the midst of the valley experiences? September 5th's exert from My Utmost for His Highest had an interesting viewpoint on WAITING WELL - I know it is long, but it is worth it, so keep readingJ.

Watching with Jesus
"Stay hear and watch with Me." ~ Matthew 26:38

Watch with Me. Jesus was saying in effect, "Watch with no private point of view at all, but watch solely and entirely with Me." In the early stage of our Christian life, we do not watch with Jesus, we watch for Him. We do not watch with Him through the revealed truth of the Bible even in the circumstance of our own lives. Our Lord is trying to introduce us to identification with Himself through a particular "Gethsemane" experience of our own. But we refuse to go, saying "No, Lord, I can't see the meaning of this, and besides, it's very painful." And how can we possibly watch with Someone who is so incomprehensibly? How are we going to understand Jesus sufficiently to watch with Him in His Gethsemane, when we don't even know why He is suffering? We don't know how to watch with Him - we are only used to the idea of Jesus watching with us.

The disciples loved Jesus Christ to the limit of their natural capacity, but they did not fully understand His purpose. In the Garden of Gethsemane they slept as a result of their own sorrow, and at the end of three years of the closest and most intimate relationship of their lives they "all... forsook Him and fled" (26:56)

"They were all filled with the Holy Spirit..." (Acts 2:4). "They" refers to the same people, but something wonderful has happened between these two events - our Lord's death, Resurrection, and Ascension - and the disciples have now been invaded and "filled with the Holy Spirit." Our Lord had said, "You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you..." (Acts 1:8). This meant that they learned to watch with Him the rest of their lives.

Here is what I am thinking… if my learning to wait WITH God is how the vision becomes reality IN ME? I am wondering if waiting beside the Lord, resting in His presence, and learning to see what He sees is apart of the "becoming process.” I am wondering if when I stop chasing the transformation, so that I might look the part, and simply sit beside Him, if that is when the transformation of who I am takes place.

I once heard a teacher say, "whatever you see in public, that you admire and respect, was learned in private through struggle and turmoil.” Personally, I long for moments like the day David gallantly fought and killed Goliath with one stone. The catch is that I am often unwilling to WAIT and LEARN in the field with the sheep, instead choosing to perform for an applauding audience! I am finding, however, that only after the loneliness and heartache of the valley, am I able to:

• Know God is able to slay my Goliath.
• Walk out onto the battlefield.
• Give God the glory after The Vision Becomes Reality!!!

Today’s Focus:

1. Stay put...
“Stay here and watch with Me.” Matthew 26:38

2. Watch with Jesus and see what He sees.

“Stay here and watch with Me.” Matthew 26:38

What? instead of Why?

Since my last post, I have not been able to get this picture out of my mind. Seeing it reminds me… this is not the first time my sister and I have encountered joy and sorrow, within the same moment.

Several years ago, my sister received a shocking diagnosis which resulted in multiple surgeries, extreme pain, and required a dynamic life change. My wedding day was AMAZING, truly everything I would have wanted it to be, but my day of rejoicing was also physically painful for my sister. Isn’t it weird how when we are hurting or experience loss, we forget that joy and sorrow have come in the same moment before? It was just that the last time, I was standing on the other side of the pain.

My sister is one of the most amazing women I know, and I am blessed beyond measure to have her as my sister, I am also challenged by the way she has walked through her own personal journey. One thing I have noticed is that over time she stopped asking the Lord “why” and began to ask “what.” What was/is the Lord saying, doing, leading, etc? This transition may seem insignificant, but in practice it has and I believe will change everything.

~ Asking “Why” ~

• Often has no answer or an answer which does not remove the sting of pain.
• Often leads to feeling sorry for ourselves or to play the role of a victim.
• Often means our focus is more inward than outward, making it difficult to fully see and appreciate the entire picture.

~ Asking “What” ~

• Offers an openness to hear, as opposed to a position of demanding justification.
• Offers hope and a possibility for the future.
• Opens our eyes and our hearts to see outside ourselves & our current situation, making it possible for joy to enter our sorrow.

Recently, I was reading through a Bible study entitled “Believing God.” An illustration was given which I love. The author describes how she often goes hunting with her husband (crazy I know, but follow me for the sake of the story). I imagine she is not an experienced hunter, so when she cannot see the prey, her husband will stand behind her with one hand on one of her shoulders and with the other arm in front of her, he will point toward the prey. Then he will say, “Elizabeth, follow my arm all the way to the tip of my finger and you will see what I see.” The author references this story in relation to how God sees what we cannot, and how there is always a bigger picture in view, if you can just see further down the line.

Is that not a beautiful picture? Can you imagine God standing behind us right now, with one hand on our shoulder, and one finger pointed forward, gently whispering in our ear, “follow my arm all the way to the point of My finger and you will see… a promise, a hope for the future. Sometimes, I forget there is something further down the line than the moment I am currently standing in. Sometimes, I forget He is weaving a tapestry together for my sanctification and for His ultimate glory. And in the midst of this, I am wondering if it might help to ask “what” God is saying, doing, and leading me to, instead of “why” He has allowed this to happen.

Today’s Focus:

1. Ask “What” instead of “Why.”

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him and who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28

2. Spend time with the Lord, and listen for what He may be saying.
“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for He is with me; His rod and His staff, they comfort me.” Psalm 23:1-4

3. Trust there is hope and a future beyond this moment.

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11