Waiting...

Psalm 27:14 “Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!”

How good are you at waiting? Whether it be waiting on a traffic light to change to green, or waiting for the tea-kettle to boil, or standing in the check out line at the grocery store, or waiting for quitting time on Friday…whatever the situation, if you’re human, you most likely don’t enjoy waiting! Perhaps I should just stick to speaking for myself…Okay, I am not the most patient person!

But now we are talking about waiting on the Lord. The Psalmist encourages us to “wait on the Lord, be of good courage”, and He shall strengthen our hearts. So, how do I go about doing that? For the past several years (I won’t say exactly how many years) I have been waiting on the Lord for direction and encouragement for my personal life’s goals. My heart was saying, “I want to write a book for Pastor’s wives and women in general…a book of encouragement and inspiration.” But my mind was saying, “What could YOU possibly have to say to other women that would be meaningful and encouraging? You can’t even get your own act together emotionally or spiritually long enough to make any sense! And the old author of doubts and discouragement was whispering in my ear, “You write a book? Ha! Who do you think YOU are?” Yet, in my heart I believed that this was what the Lord wanted me to do, but I just couldn’t get me out of the way! Besides, now we aren’t even in a pastoral ministry anymore, so really, what could I possibly have to say to other pastor’s wives and women?

In recent months I was challenged by a friend to consider speaking at a Women’s Retreat. Again I recoiled at the thought, saying to myself “What do I have to say that anyone else would want to hear?” “What qualifies me to speak, or write, or say anything to anybody?” Then one day I heard a song on the radio sung by Matthew West entitled “Something to Say”, and the part that was shouting out at me from the radio that day was:

“You’ve got something to say, if you’re living, if you’re breathing, you’ve got something to say…you know if you’re heart is beating; you’ve got something to say…And no one can say it like you do…God is love and love speaks through…you got it, you got it, you’ve got something to say!”

I had to turn up my radio and listen a little closer to the verses:

“Wake up, 7:32 a.m…. Can’t believe it’s time to do it over again

Yesterday, it took all that you had…and you’re wondering if you’ll ever get it back.

But the whole wide world is waiting for…waiting for you to step out that door!

Come on, and let your life be heard today…”

(Chorus…You’ve got something to say!)

“Listen up, I got a question here…would anybody miss you if you disappeared?

Well your life is the song that you sing and the whole wide world is listening

Well the answer to the question is: You were created; your life is a gift 

And the lights are shining on you today…” (Chorus…You’ve got something to say!)   (Matthew West ~ “Something to Say”, Word Music Publishing)

“Wait on the Lord, be of good courage…” But Lord, my courage has failed. I’ve listened too long to the voice of discouragement and failure and it has become a part of my thinking. So how do I get back to where the Lord can speak to me and through me without my hindering Him?

Hebrews 10: 19-24 helps provide an answer:

“Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works…”

I can only enter back into His presence when I have allowed Him to cleanse my heart from an “evil conscience”, and have also allowed Him to wash my body with pure water. I must examine my own heart and ask God’s forgiveness for my sin of doubt, fear, and faithlessness, and for allowing my mind to listen to the evil whisperings of the enemy of my soul. When I have accomplished this, I can then “wait on the Lord” and “be of good courage”…and know that He will hear my petitions and that He will respond according to His will and loving-kindness.

So, Here I am again, Lord. I’m sorry it has taken me so long to get back to You. You gave me a job to do… to “consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,” and that is what this writing is all about. Lord, I want to dedicate this writing to You, that You may use it to encourage my sisters (and maybe a few brothers?) in Christ. I fear that I have not been waiting very patiently on You, Lord, and I allowed myself to become discouraged along the way. Please forgive me. If it pleases You, cleanse me from my doubts and fears, and help me to be of good courage. Teach me, Lord, to wait on You for the right words to say and the inspiration that can come only from your Holy Spirit to make this instrument a pure vessel and channel for Your love and instruction. Thank You; Lord, for your patience with me. Amen.

“You’ve got something to say! So just say it!”

(This post is an excerpt from the introduction to the book I am writing...watch for more details soon!)