Ready, Set — Wait

Nov 14, 2014 Ready, Set — Wait by Rick Warren “The Lord is good to everyone who trusts in him, so it is best for us to wait in patience — to wait for him to save us.” (Lamentations 3:25-26 GNT) When life seems to be falling apart, your most “spiritual” decision may be a surprise: Get alone with God, and wait. The Bible tells us this in Lamentations 3:28, “When life is heavy and hard to take, go off by yourself. Enter the silence. Bow in prayer. Don’t ask questions: Wait for hope to appear. Don’t run from trouble. Take it full-face. The ‘worst’ is never the worst” (Lamentations 3:28 MSG). Most of us don’t know how to “enter the silence.” We’re always anxious. We don’t like to wait on God because it stresses us out. We like to be in control. What does it mean to wait on God? You sit down, close your mouth, and just listen to God. You may read your Bible. You may pray. But most all, you’re quiet in front of God. Anxiety comes when we’re not “waiting for hope to appear,” as Jeremiah tells us. God wants to talk to us. He wants to give us the hope we crave. But we’re way too busy. All of our circuits are busy! When he calls, we’re on a different line. If we want to listen to God and experience the hope he has for us, we have to get alone with him. We must “enter the silence” and be ready to hear him. Jesus also said this in Matthew 6:6: “Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace” (MSG). Get honest with God, and your focus will shift from just seeing your problems — no matter how overwhelming they seem — to the grace of God. Lamentations 3:25-26 says, “The Lord is good to everyone who trusts in him, so it is best for us to wait in patience — to wait for him to save us” (GNT). Before you go out and try to solve your problem on your own, let God save you. It’s like in those war movies when the enemy is marching toward the hero’s army — which is usually an inferior, ragtag group. The hero tells his men to wait until he gives the order to shoot. Then, at the last possible moment, he yells, “Shoot!” Firing at the right moment means success. The same is true for us. No matter what obstacle you’re facing, you’ve got to wait for God’s timing. He’ll time your next move perfectly. So wait and listen. Talk It Over Can you think of a time in your life when acting too quickly led to a disastrous outcome? Why is it difficult to wait for God when you’re struggling through difficult times?  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSRwdLPFSd8 Fix Your Gaze TODAY’S SCRIPTURE “Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you.” (Proverbs 4:25, NIV) TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria What are you looking at today? Not in the natural, but with your spiritual eyes. In other words, what is in the forefront of your mind and heart? Are you constantly dwelling on your problems or things that have happened in your past? In the natural, you will move in the direction that your eyes are looking. In the spiritual, it works the same way. Whatever you focus your mind and heart on, you will move toward. That’s why the Bible tells us to look straight ahead. If you are constantly dwelling on your past, wondering “what if,” then you will stay right where you are. But if you choose to release the past through forgiveness, then you can focus on what is ahead of you. Today, make the decision to meditate on God’s goodness and focus on His promises. Forget the past, good and bad, and fix your gaze straight ahead so you can move forward into the blessing and victory He has for you! A PRAYER FOR TODAY Father, today I set my focus on You. I choose to forget the past by forgiving others so that I can fix my gaze on Your promises. Keep me close to You always and lead me in Your path of life in Jesus’ name! Amen.