What Does It Mean To Wait And Hope For The Lord, Psalm 33:20

Sometimes we struggle and then we call on the Lord and expect something to happen but it looks like nothing is going to happen; we wonder if something went wrong with prayer or with our faith.

"We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield." Psalm 33:20.

WAIT
It is hard to wait.  In our modern times we are conditioned to get things quickly, but it is even harder to wait when we have a crisis or difficulty.  God is not neglectful or slow but He is purposeful, His timing is directed by His love for us.   His delay may have more to do with us becoming ready for the answer than it is about Him taking time to prepare the answer

HOPE
To hope engages waiting with a purpose or an expectation.  Hope is based on understanding who God is and his purposes in our lives.  Not knowing God causes our hope to feel empty, but when you know the Lord and are growing in that knowledge then your hope is bright and full.

LORD
A lord is a governor or ruler, God is not the only creator of all things He is also the ruler who commands and controls all things; if you are going to hope in someone that is the best someone to hope in.  Not only is He the all-powerful creator and ruler of all things He is also the loving Father who sent his Son to be the sacrifice to take our sins and offer us eternal life.

HE IS OUR HELP
There is no maybe, wishful thinking, or doubt, but this is a positive affirmation statement, which states a fact that the Lord is our help.

A helper comes alongside you so the two of you can work together.  Imagine what it would be like to move a heavy load with the help of a kind Olympic weight lifter, you know he can do the bigger and harder part, so if the All-powerful One is your help He can do the harder part in your situation too.

SHIELD
This goes beyond helping for God becomes the shield- a wall of protection.  God becomes something we could not become or even help in becoming, He actually is our place of refuge.  We can hide in Him in His love and comfort.

CONTINUE
The problem with waiting is that it is not over quickly and we must resolve to continue to wait, but we can go through our trials and struggles knowing that God is beside us.  Our lives are a relationship with God and when we engage Him then the waiting is not only endurable but leads to the blessing of knowing him better.

We can hope and look forward to seeing his deliverance.

If you want to understand more about how to know God see my other post.

(c)Adron Dozat 3/15/15

Why Does God Take So Long?

Why does God take so long? We have situations and needs and we are desperate for solutions. We pray and look to God but in the back of our mind is the question, "What's taking so long?"

"I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning. O Israel, put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption." Psalm 130:5-7, NIV.

IMPATIENT
We want results immediately; like the TV shows we want all the problems are solved in half an hour. We are impatient, but to wait on the Lord is a major principle of faith, the Bible is full of it and we hurry over it.

FAITH
The Psalmist mastered this discipline; he says, "I wait... my soul waits... I put my hope... my soul waits... more than watchmen wait for morning... hope in the lord..." If you do not have Jesus this kind of waiting is impossible, because it is an act of faith. "With the Lord is unfailing Love and with him is full redemption." The author could wait in faith since he had the facts of God. He knew there was a loving and redeeming purpose in the wait.

Remember the facts about God, like the verse says, "in his word I put my hope." My life is not my own, it is his and he has a purpose in my situation. We may not understand it but he does. He has a timetable, it is not ours; we want him to hurry up but it is not for us to dictate to God.

IT IS NOT ABOUT US
Verse 7 reminds us, to put our hope in the Lord. We want to take short cuts, and hurry things along; instead we must wait for God to do what needs to be done. We must not hope in ourselves and our ways of solving situations but just focus on the Lord and wait to see Him in it. This does not mean sit back and do nothing, we must do what is right but let God be sovereign in the results.

COMFORT
It is comforting that, "with the Lord is unfailing love, and with him is full redemption." The difficulties we face are designed by God with His love right in the middle. We will be better for it. We want Him to hurry- but we must resolve to patiently wait on the Lord.

To learn more about finding God follow this link: click here.

(c)Adron Dozat

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Why Do We Have To Wait For God? Lamentations 3:26

We don't like to wait. We want God to answer our prayers right now and help us out right away. Why do we have to wait?

It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord." Lamentations 3:26, NIV*.

WAIT
Waiting is not something many of us do easily in our fast-paced world, we want results now.  The Bible is full of encouragement to wait and gives many examples of those who did. We need to leave the culture of hurry up for the culture of God's time. God has a purpose for the time of waiting that we have to go through. It may seem hard at the time but it is good in the end because we learn things, we grow as people, and we experience God afresh, just to name a few.

QUIETLY
Quietly is an attitude that some of us do not know. We are noisy and we complain, or get full of business, and feel a need to do something about our problems with panic. The quiet the Bible speaks of here is to be able to wait in silence.

To wait quietly for God to rescue us is a tremendous act of faith. It is a living statement of belief that God is good and in his goodness he has control, therefore the best outcome is assured.

Many times we may abstain from speaking our complaint out loud but inwardly simmer with worry and anxiously review scenarios of doom. This causes us to miss out on the blessing of God working on our behalf, we miss knowing God in the hour of our distress.

SALVATION
Our salvation comes from the Lord. Salvation is something we cannot do for ourselves. In our lives, we are at God's mercy and receive his grace day by day and hour by hour, but we do not recognize God working in all the little things. Then the big crisis comes and we are not in the habit of looking to God since we have not practiced it in the little ways.

We already experience deliverance in our daily lives from his hand as much as the eternal salvation we receive by faith in the death of Christ on the cross in payment for our sins. When we think about how he has delivered us in the past and in little ways today it is easy to wait quietly for the deliverance in the big crisis we face.

Truly it is good to wait because then we will be blessed and we will see the salvation the Lord has for us.

To learn more about the salvation of the Lord follow this link: Click Here.
*To read this verse in other translations follow this link: Lamentations 3:26

(c) Adron Dozat 12/15/12

What Does The Bible Say About Revenge Proverbs 20:22

What should you do when you want to get revenge?

There are times in our life when others do some really mean hateful thing to us and we are deeply hurt. We would like to get back and settle the score.  The feelings that drive us to revenge are powerful and strong, their destructive nature is like cancer that consumes us and their bile can destroy those around us. Is there a better way?

"Do not say, 'I'll pay you back for this wrong!' Wait for the Lord and he will deliver you."Proverbs 20:22 NIV.

A COMMAND

The Bible responds with a "Do not..." statement, not just a word of teaching or advice but this verse is worded with the strength of a command.

HOW TO START

We need to stifle the thoughts of revenge early and quickly; we should not even speak about it.  When thoughts of revenge come we should redirect them to thoughts of waiting on the Lord.

WAIT
The teaching to wait comes up often in scripture.  There are many reasons why:
     * To wait without giving in or compromise is a statement of faith.
     * To wait reaffirms the lordship of God over us and our situation.
     * To wait is a testimony seen by men and angels that we believe in the promises of God and His commitment to us.

We wait, not for time to heal, or for some opportunity, or wait for the sake of waiting, we are to wait for The Lord. We wait on purpose for the one who created all things by His mighty power and who has the power to change all things, the one who rules the universe and will judge the hearts of all men. We wait with a focus on the Lord and not our grievances.

GOD'S PROMISE
This verse ends with a conditional promise.  The condition is not to act on our desire for revenge but to wait for the Lord instead.  The promise is that he will deliver.  That the Lord will make things right, it may be that the Lord delivers us from our enemies, or the situation or from ourselves and our bitterness.

DELIVERANCE
As much as we need to be delivered from our enemies we also need deliverance from our desire for revenge. Though God is a just God He may be more interested in changing our natures than balancing justice.  He allows circumstances in our lives to give us the challenges we need to grow. He may deliver us from ourselves and not our oppressors, that may be the greater deliverance.

A prayer:
Lord, I feel wronged and victimized.
I feel I do not deserve this.
I have an idea of justice,
Forgive me my anger
And my bitterness.
Waiting is hard Lord.
I want to see action now,
And change right away.
Please fill me with your Spirit
That we may be in accord
And accept your deliverance.
Let your divine will be done;
If it is to make right this wrong
Then I thank you,
If it is to make me a better person
May it be one in the image of Jesus
Who knew no sin
Died in the place of sinners.
As in all things let you will be done.

PostScript;
To learn more about what the Bible teaches about how to get saved follow this link: Jesus and Salvation

(c) Adron 3/22/12

Why Doesn't God Hurry Up And Fix Our Problems? 2 Peter 3:8

Why doesn’t God just hurry up and fix our problem or give us the blessing we need now?

“But do not forget this one thing, dear friends; with the Lord, a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.” 2 Pet 3:8. NIV.

FORGET
We do forget. The Bible and man’s history are full of examples of how we forget the Lord’s great wonders and awesome blessings. We need to keep reminding ourselves and others of God's goodness.

King James uses the word "ignorant." We are very ignorant of God and His ways. In our foolishness, we make rash decisions and judgments; we criticize God and make demands of Him. If we knew Him better, we would be different people. It is wise to admit we know very little about God and His ways.

TIME
God is not on our timetable. We interpret His delays to act in many ways, such as our sin has robbed us of His favor, or that His love toward us is gone, or that maybe we have lost our salvation. God is not in a hurry- we just need to wait. He sees the end from a beginning that is over distant galactic horizons. His purposes are higher than our need to be free from a problem or our desire for a blessing.

It is a wonder and a terrific comfort that God is not bound by our ideas of the time- if, in fact, He dwells in time at all! For as creator of time, He must be outside it. It is a comfort that He is not trapped in time or subject to it and a testimony of his greatness.

A GOD OF LOVE
In the KJV, the verse begins with "Beloved." But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day."You sense he is speaking kindly and fatherly to his followers and calls them "beloved. Peter is speaking to the Christians whom he loves, but the "beloved" is not just Peter's beloved, but we are God’s beloved. God, in His love, ordains time to serve his purposes and be a blessing to us.

We can't hurry God, and we can't out-wait him, but we can do something better; we can trust in his love.

(c) Adron 4/20/11

The Search of God, 1 Samuel 13:14

What kind of person is God looking for; is He looking for anybody at all, or someone special, and if so what kind of person?

"But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people because you have not kept the Lord's command." 1 Samuel 13:14 NIV.

These are the words of the prophet Samuel to King Saul when Saul presumed to take on the role of priest and offer the sacrifice. God reveals His mind; He seeks a man "after his own heart."

The word, "after" suggests one who is following, who is in step, and is pursuing after God.

BECAUSE
The word, because, leads us to God's reason. "Because you have not kept the Lord's command."  Obedience trumps zeal.  God wants your obedience,  He wants a person who learns His commands and follows them.  You would think God wanted someone who builds monuments, or cathedrals or set up some world-changing charity.  You would think God wants the smartest or most educated, or most talented that could sway people with elegant speech.  King Saul was many of these things: handsome, tall, a leader in battle, and charismatic; but they did not qualify him to fulfill God's greater purpose.

HEART
"The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart."  How can we be after the heart of God?

     * First, we must seek the Lord; seek Him in Bible reading, prayer, meditation, and the fellowship of others who are also seeking Him.
     * We must obey the light we are given, when aware of evil in our lives we must turn and repent, when aware of a deed we should perform then we should act. (Remember God will never contradict His Word).
     * We should pray and ask the Lord to make us a man or woman after His own heart; it is a prayer God will gladly grant.
     * We must be willing to serve him wherever the calling. God is looking for one who is willing to be a leader not of multitudes but things like a first grade Sunday School Class or of the Ushers Committee or to be the Van Driver of a Meals on Wheels Ministry.  Not everyone can be generals some must be sergeants and privates, but even a private can be a hero and receive the medal of honor.

SEARCHING
God is searching, His eyes and heart rove the earth looking for a man or woman after "his own heart" for this generation.  He is looking for someone who is willing to obey and to patiently wait for His command.  Are you the one who is following, who is in step, and who is pursuing God? Indeed, if ever there was a time for the man or woman after God's own heart it is this time.

To be a man after God's own heart you must know him. If you feel you do not have a personal relationship with the Lord then click here to see my post about the Gospel.

(c) Adron 9/12/10

Can We Ever Know What God is Thinking? Amos 4:13

God seems hidden, mysterious, and certainly wonderful. Though we can see his handiwork in creation, can we know His thoughts?

“He who forms the mountains, creates the wind, and reveals his thoughts to man, he who turns dawn to darkness, and treads the high places of the earth- the Lord God Almighty is his name.” Amos 4:13, NIV.

God created mountains, whole ranges of them, some of which span continents and ascend a mile into the sky. He created wind, even hurricanes that can destroy cities. He changed the dark to dawn and daylight to night. He treads the high places of the earth where man dare not go as if they were the grit on the floor. He is awesome in every detail and dimension.

The list of His wonders includes the surprise that God “reveals his thoughts to man!” You would think the catalog would continue with God setting stars in orbit, scooping out the depths of the seas, or God being more powerful than millions of atomic bombs, but included with the wonders of God is that He “reveals His thoughts to man.” It becomes equal to the others. For God to honor us so is part of His glory.

The word “Reveal” suggests something hidden that is uncovered. Many truths about God are obvious to the average man, such as His mighty power, but there is more to God. He wants to reveal His thoughts to us; He could withhold them, and it would be to His glory to do so, but it is more glorious of God to reveal His thoughts to us.

But why man? No scripture says that God shares His thoughts with angels or any other beings, yet to rebellious mankind, God deigns to share His thoughts. Only mankind is in the image of God, and so only mankind can begin to understand and share intimacy with the Lord God Almighty. We were made to hear His thoughts.

God is a communicator and has communication for us.
• He speaks through the creation.
• He speaks in the human conscience.
• He has spoken through his Son, Jesus.
• And he speaks through the written Word.
• And he speaks to us in our personal communion of prayer.
• If we wait in the silence of prayer, we may hear Him communicate in the prompting of our hearts.

I want to know the thoughts of the Lord God Almighty. Thoughts are not just communication. They are the expression of the heart, plans, loves, wisdom, longings, and hurts. To think He “Reveals his thoughts to man,” makes me say WOW!

(c) Adron 4/30/10

Expectation in The Morning Psalm 5:3.

Our faith is different from former generations.  We turn to God as the last hope.  Having finally sought God’s help we wonder and doubt if He will come through.

“In the morning, Oh Lord, you hear my voice, in the morning I lay my request before you, and wait in expectation.” Psalm 5:3, NIV.

MORNING
Unlike us today God was not the last thought of the ancient psalmist.  He began his day by lifting his voice to his beloved Lord.  His "morning" was pre-dawn. He was up before the first light of day and he was speaking to God; it was not a few scraps of thought at the worn-out end of the day.

OH LORD
God was dear to David, you see it when he says, "Oh Lord" we get a sense that David would rush to meet his God no matter what the hour.

LAY
He brought his request to God and left them there.  His request was submitted humbly and if God chose to take them up it is well, and if God chose not to then he humbly accepted what came from the hand of God.

EXPECTATION
He waited in "expectation" because he was confident that not only would The Almighty God of All take up his request but that his request would be more than met in the All-Powerful Lord of the Universe.

He did not doubt.  The expectation is a sure anticipation; it is a confident knowing that something would happen.  With this attitude of expectation he "waits." He keeps vigil knowing by faith the answer will come. He does not say, “I prayed and now I give up it is over and we are lost.” Or “I’ve done all I could do, I prayed, maybe things will turn out ok.” NO, he is confident; he is about to explode in praise, rejoicing, and celebration since the answer is coming at any moment.

WHY
Why did he have such confidence?  It is because he knew his God.  He knew the character of God, that God is faithful, holy and just.  He knew because he spent time with God early in the morning and no doubt through the day.  His God was the first thought of his morning and the foundation of his days. Our God is the same today but where are those who are up early laying their request before him and waiting in expectation and prepared to celebrate the answer?

May we follow the example of the ancient shepherd king and pay whatever the price to know with such confidence the God of the universe.

If you want to know more about how to personally know God in your life follow this link my other post.

(c) Adron 3/25/10

Ancient Advice for Stress. Exodus 14: 14, NIV

How do we handle all the modern stress of these difficult times?

We face many pressures and troubles these days. We have trials, difficulties, illness, and loss that add to the struggles of modern living. Is there one way to cope with it all?

“The Lord will fight for you; you need only be still.” Exodus 14: 14, NIV.

A LITTLE BACKGROUND

The Israelites escaped slavery and were pursued by the Egyptian army. They were desperate and faced death. We often have situations where we feel just like those ancient Israelites and at the brink of disaster.

LET GO

We make plans, we call experts and Google the problem; we run to and fro to try to solve our dilemma, but God is saying “be still,” He will be our deliverer. Sometimes He is our helper and sometimes He is our deliverer. In both situations, you have to “let go and let God.”

RELATIONSHIP
The Christian life is a relationship with Christ. In our analytical age, we try to make everything into a formula with twelve steps and an outline, but what relationship flourishes that way? In the crisis, focus on Jesus and work on your relationship with him.

During these moments remember a few basic truths of our relationship with God.
     * Look to him.
     * Pray through it.
     * Search His Word for instruction.
     * Associate with others who love God.
     * Wait expectantly.
     * Accept his results.
     * Remember what you have learned of the Lord.
     * Worship.

WE NEED
These verses end with “You need only be still.” We need this attitude in our daily lives. We need to practice trust, and, faith and stillness. We need to sometimes sit down and allow God to work. Sometimes we need to just get alone and get quiet before the Lord and wait for Him to speak in our hearts. He gives comfort and he gives peace. He is the victory.

To learn more about how to have God in your life read my other blog.

Thank you for visiting and reading my blog. I sincerely hope this post is helpful and encouraging.  For more like this see the most popular post in the left sidebar, or use the search box above.

(c) Adron 2/12/10