I Want Patience and I Want it Now

Psalm 40:1-8

 

Patience is a virtue. Did your mom ever tell you that? I know we did to our daughter, and now to our grandchildren. However, patience doesn’t seem to be a natural human trait. Driving on the highway will show you exactly what I mean. Our world seems to be less and less patient as we want everything faster and faster.

    

Even characters in the Bible had trouble with being impatient. Esau sold his birthright for stew because he couldn’t wait to eat. The people of Israel formed an idol out of gold because they couldn’t wait for Moses to return from the mountain. Peter cut off the ear of the servant in the Garden of Gethsemane because he couldn’t wait for Jesus.

 

But in today’s passage we read that David learned to wait patiently on the Lord. The Message puts it like this: “I waited and waited and waited for God. At last he looked; finally he listened.”  Consider how David learned patience.

 

After he was anointed to be the King of Israel and then defeated Goliath, it looked like he was on the fast track to the top. But Saul had a different idea, and as a result, David ran for his life. Hiding and waiting; that’s how David learned to be patient.

 

What could the benefits have been for David learning patience in this way? Again, we turn to The Message to glean some insight into this question: “Being religious, acting pious— that’s not what you’re asking for. You’ve opened my ears so I can listen.”  

 

The Lord uses the circumstances in our lives to help open our ears so that we can hear Him. By being patient, David learned to trust God, not religious rituals or himself. Just like Elijah, we need to listen for His “still, small voice”. It’s not an easy task to do in our impatient world, but we need to slow down. We need to turn the radio or TV or iphone6 off so that we can be still; so that we can listen for the Lord’s voice.

 

What was the outcome for David in waiting patiently?

“Then I said, “Here I am, I have come—
    it is written about me in the scroll.
I desire to do your will, my God;
    your law is within my heart.”

 

The Lord wants our heart. He wants our mind. He wants our soul. If we are willing to learn to wait patiently on Him, we just might be able to experience intimacy with the Lord that has no rivals.

 

Passion

Acts 21:27-36

 

 

Braveheart is one of my favorite movies. William Wallace was passionate about gaining freedom for Scotland. In fact, he was so passionate that he was willing to die for what he believed in. Paul had that same kind of passion.

 

In today’s passage, Paul has returned to Jerusalem after completing his third missionary trip. During those trips, he has seen many people come to faith in Christ. He has witnessed miracles. He has preached to thousands. But he has also been beaten, arrested and run out of town. The Jerusalem elders are proactive and try to avoid any problems, but their efforts fail.

 

As a result, Paul is falsely accused of “teaching everyone everywhere against our people our law and this place”. He is dragged out of the temple and the gates are closed behind him blocking any possible retreat. It is only when the Roman troops arrive that the frenzied crowd stops their attempt to kill Paul. Then, as if he was the offender rather than the victim, he is hand cuffed and dragged off while the crowd continues in its violent rage.

 

Most likely, neither you nor I will ever face a situation like this. Most likely, we will never be beaten, arrested or driven out of town for our faith. But think about how Paul could have felt during those times when he was persecuted. He may have gone through periods of feeling lonely, afraid, anger and self-pity.

 

These are feelings that we can relate to; feelings that can result from the struggles of daily living. Maybe it is stress at work, problems at home, frustrations at church; or possibly a devastating illness or unexpected death of a loved one, a child or spouse who is in the throes of an addiction or a divorce. Any of these life experiences could cause us to stumble in our faith.

 

Following today’s passage, we read that Paul is resilient in his faith in Jesus. He asks, and is granted, to speak to the very people who had just tried to kill him. Like William Wallace in the scene where he is on the rack and cries out “freedom” with his last breath, Paul is passionate about sharing the hope that is within him.

 

People can be passionate about many things. What are you passionate about? Does your faith in Christ carry you through the hard times?

 

 

You Are a Fierce Lion and a Mighty Warrior

Luke 19:20-27

 

 

 

“The way we perceive ourselves in relation to the rest of the world plays an important role in our choices, behaviors and beliefs. Conversely, the opinions of others also impact our behavior and the way we view ourselves.”

 

This is one of the main tenants of social psychology. Basically, it is saying that we see ourselves based on our perception of how we think others see us.

 

Gideon was hiding in a winepress when the angel of the Lord came to him and said, “The Lord is with you Mighty Warrior”. Obviously, Gideon viewed himself as anything but a mighty warrior. He didn’t see himself the same way that the Lord saw him. So he hid.

 

How did the servant in today’s story see himself? Did he see himself as someone who was a capable risk taker, ready to invest his master’s money? No. He saw himself as someone meek and mild, who feared his master and who knew that if he failed it would be his ruin. So he hid.

 

When I was growing up I was afraid to try new things. I didn’t have the confidence, in large part, because my Mom, as much as she loved all of us kids, was very over-protective. What that told me was that I couldn’t do things on my own. And if I tried, I would fail. So I hid.

 

What about you? How do you perceive yourself? Is it through the eyes of others? Is it through the circumstances around you? Is it through an authority figure in your life? Do you hide or do you blossom?

 

“Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’”

 

This verse in Matthew is from the parallel passage from today’s story. The master makes this statement to two of the three servants. How affirming it would have been for those servants to hear their master say this to them. They would be ready to run through a brick wall for him, because they would know that he loved them and had confidence in them and believed in them enough to trust them.

 

That’s how God sees you. Not like the servant in today’s passage, but like the kitty in the picture. And as you internalize His love for you into your heart and soul, be ready to accomplish great things for the Lord - because He sees you as a fierce lion and a Mighty Warrior.

 

 

 

You Can't Be Justs a Little Bit Pregnant

Psalm 116:12-19

 

 

In 2001, Kevin Kline starred in a movie called, “Life as a House”. After being diagnosed with terminal cancer, he decides to focus on repairing his relationships with his ex-wife and disenfranchised teenage son. He does so by recruiting them to help him rebuild his dilapidated house which sits in the middle of an upscale neighborhood. In the end, he admits that he always thought of his life as a house.

 

What are you building with your life?

 

Ray Boltz is a contemporary Christian musician. One of his songs is titled, “Thank you for Giving to the Lord”. It’s about a dream of two people visiting Heaven where person after person came up to them saying, “Thank you” for investing your life into mine. The things that this person had done were small, seemingly insignificant details of life that made a huge impact on them for eternity.

 

Who are you investing your life into?

 

Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church, is quoted as follows: “God has given you unique abilities, talents and gifts. At Saddleback Church, we say they represent a person’s SHARE – Spiritual gifts, Heart, Abilities, Personality and Experiences. This bundle of talents is the thing God has given you that makes you who you are and sets you apart from other people.”          

 

How are you using your SHARE to build the kingdom?

 

The psalmist asks us this question: “What shall I return to the Lord for all his goodness to me?”  The answer is simple – all of you, everything that you have and are. He wants you to be fully committed. It’s like a woman who is pregnant. She’s not just a little bit pregnant, she is fully pregnant. She is fully committed to the child within her. It’s all or nothing.

 

In the same way, the Lord, our Father, is fully committed to us as His children. Even to the point of sacrificing His one and only son so that we might be reconciled to Him. By doing this, He has blessed us so that we might be a blessing to others.

 

 

Letting Go

Deuteronomy 6:1-9

 

 

There is a TV commercial about a daughter heading off to college that makes me cry every time I watch it. Maybe because it reminds me of our only child, a daughter, who we sent off to college. As parents, we spend all of our time preparing our children to leave. Then when it happens they’re ready, but we’re not. It’s hard to let them go.

 

The children of Israel took forty years in the wilderness to prepare for freedom. Their Father provided for them with manna and quail. He taught them life lessons. He disciplined them. He loved them. And when the time came, Moses gave them His final instructions.

 

These verses in Deuteronomy are at the heart of those instructions. Before and after them, Moses has reminded them about their history and God’s faithfulness. He has reminded them of the promises of God, and His faithfulness in keeping them. He has reminded them about God’s laws, commands and decrees, and God’s faithfulness.

 

Here is a link for the commercial. http://www.values.com/inspirational-stories-tv-spots/120-college Take 30 seconds to watch it.

 

Moses is like the Father in the commercial who has done everything he can to prepare his daughter for college so all he can think to do is remind her to buckle her seat belt, drive carefully and call when she gets there. Then he says what is most important as he lets her go, “I love you”.

 

Isn’t that how our Heavenly Father treats us? He prepares us, disciplines us, teaches us and loves us. He is constantly drawing us to Him. He is always with us and faithful to His Word and promises - regardless of whether we are or not. Then he says, “I love you”, and gives us the freedom to follow Him or not. 

 

When I went to college my Dad told me that he expected one letter a week from me. Today, kids would look at you like you have three eyes if you said that. But back then, I did what he asked. For my Dad, it all boiled down to one letter a week. For our Heavenly Father it boils down to, “Love me with all your heart and soul and strength”. If nothing else, do this. Then He lets us go.

 

(This devotional is devoted to my daughter Tara, my Grandchildren, my Dad and my Heavenly Father who has loved me, drawn me to Him and always been there for me, even when I haven’t noticed.)