Waiting on God

Waiting on God (Howard Books, 2015)

Waiting on God: Strength for Today and Hope for Tomorrow is the latest book from Charles Stanley, senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Atlanta, GA since 1971.  He opens his book with the assertion that the word never can stir the deepest fear in the human heart.  Thus, the challenge of waiting on God is “the ability to keep hoping when the nevers of life bombard us.”  Dr. Stanley’s definition of waiting on the Lord provides the basic outline for this book.  Waiting on the Lord manifests an “expectant endurance that is demonstrated by a directed, purposeful, active, and courageous attitude of prayer.”

Our focus must be directed toward God, our Provider, rather than the object of our desire.  We need to center our thoughts less on our questions and more on the Father’s ability to answer them.  Even though we are tempted to figure out God’s plan and speed it along, we are to demonstrate confident trust that God is committed to seeing us through every trial we face and is raising up an answer to our prayers.

The second characteristic of godly prayer in waiting is being purposeful in pursuing the Lord’s plan.  When our main objective is a personal and intimate relationship with God, everything else will fall into place as the Holy Spirit directs us- bringing out the very best of who we were created to be.  God’s Word, prayer, and godly counsel are an integral part of this process.

Dr. Stanley notes that waiting passively is not what the Lord intended for us as believers.  While we are to be still in allowing the Father to work through our circumstances, we must be active in growing spiritually.  Perseverance is the key to receiving the very best God has planned for us and helping us endure the delay.

The fourth characteristic of waiting on the Lord, being courageous, is stretched and refined during our darkest times.  Yet, it is when we feel most unworthy and defeated that the Father is closest to us.  We are in a spiritual battle with Satan.  Our weapon is the sword of the Spirit- God’s Word.  The Father is “moving us toward the light on the most efficient and effective route possible.”  Confidently wait on the Lord, for the best is yet to come . . . always.

 

 

Waiting on God

The path for your victory

In Chapter 6 of Waiting on God, Charles Stanley offers these words of support when we are especially disheartened during times of delay:

“As you submit to the Father during this difficult time, He provides for you, makes you all you need to be, bends other people’s hearts toward you, and sets the path for your victory.”

At this point, Dr. Stanley notes that we question why God doesn’t change our circumstances, allowing us to suffer and wait.  After all, we know that God is with us in our darkness and is all-powerful, but things seem to be at a stalemate.  Here we need to remember this second point as difficult times persist:  The Lord has an important purpose for the seasons of adversity you face (author’s emphasis).

Especially when we see a glimmer of hope, a way out of our land between, postponement of that hope can make a normal person question everything.  Disappointments can plunge our soul into despair.  Dr. Stanley notes that these are times when we decide whether we truly believe in the Lord or whether He’s simply an idea we cling to.

Dr. Stanley offers five reasons why the Lord allows us to experience dark times.  The first is presented today.

1.  To firmly mature and establish your trust in Him when there is no visible evidence of His activity.  As our faith progresses from little to maturing to perfect, we become confident that the Lord already has accomplished what He has promised.  The wonderful blessing we’ve eagerly anticipated will be even more meaningful because we’ve clung to Him through every trial and setback.

Today’s question: What has strengthened your trust in God during your time of adversity?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: the new Short Meditation, “My Lifesong”

The path for your victory

Courage and determination

In Chapter 6 (“Staying on Track: When the View Becomes Dark”) of Waiting on God, Charles Stanley states that it certainly is true that our wait can continue to be absolutely disheartening, especially when events don’t go our way or our burdens increase.  To our finite vision, it may appear as if the Lord never will come through for us.

When our emotions leave us raw and fragile, the smallest criticism or words of unbelief from another person may leave us reeling with hopelessness because those words confirm our worst fears rather than being a support to us.  We feel it is futile to go on and that there is little or no reason to try.  We are plunged into the darkness of despair because our problems and pressures persist.

This brings us to Dr. Stanley’s fourth and final requirement of waiting on the Lord, courage.  Dr. Stanley defines courage:

“Courage is a quality that enables us to endure suffering, danger, opposition, and the challenges of life steadfastly, fearlessly, and with confidence in God’s provision and protection.  It is this attitude of courage that is stretched and refined in these painful times.”

Joseph faced his dark time in Egypt with courage and determination, even though conditions increasingly worsened for thirteen years before God raised him up to be a great leader.  He stayed on track with God’s purposes and took hold of the truth that God would take care of him.

Today’s question: What Bible verses have bolstered your courage following your vocation loss?  Please share.

Coming Monday: the new Short Meditation, “My Lifesong”

Courage and determination

God"s workmanship

“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”- Ephesians 2:10

In Chapter 4 (“Discerning God’s Will: Finding Purpose in the Uncertainty”) of Waiting on God, Charles Stanley states he’s found over his lengthy pastoral ministry that believers are most concerned about God’s will during times of waiting.  We desperately want to know what God is planning and whether He will answer our prayers.  We would be greatly comforted if we knew with certainty that we were waiting for something definite- that God’s answer to our fervent prayers isn’t an outright, “No!”

Dr. Stanley assures us that the Father wants us to know the path He has designed for us.  However, in order to accomplish the good things God wants us to achieve, we need to know what He has called us to be and to do.  Just like a shepherd lovingly guides a lamb that is prone to wandering, Jesus trains us to listen to His voice, protects us, and even disciplines us to keep us on the right path.

We can be exceptionally confident, Dr. Stanley asserts, that God is working all things together for our good during our delay- that everything He does to lead us is for our ultimate benefit.

Today’s question: What Scriptures have been most meaningful in helping you to discern God’s will following your vocation loss?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: the new Short Meditation, “Lost in Your beauty”

God"s workmanship

The lie of "never"

“From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait for him.”- Isaiah 64:4

Charles Stanley’s latest book is titled Waiting on God: Strength for Today and Hope for Tomorrow.  Dr. Stanley begins Chapter 1 (“How Long, O Lord?”) with the observation that the word never can “stir the deepest fear in the bravest heart.”

1.  I’ll never find a job.

2.  This will never get better.

3.  The Lord will never answer my prayer.

Dr. Stanley asserts this is the lie that begins with our sinful nature, a lie designed to decisively put an end to all our hopes.  When we buy into the lie of “never” it’s like driving nails into the coffin of our deepest hopes and dreams.  The author goes on to describe the challenge of waiting on God:

“It’s the ability to keep hoping when the nevers of life bombard us- when the minutes and hours, days and years, tick away without any answers to our most passionate pleas at the throne of grace.  It’s the faith to hang on to the Father on the long road, when human reason tells us to give up.”

Dr. Stanley adds that we can know for certain that God is working, even though we may not see it.  Furthermore, the Father has an awesome plan for us.  But He also has a very specific schedule.  Dr. Stanley concludes the only “never” we should focus on is that God never will let us down.

Today’s question: What “nevers” have characterized your thinking following your vocation loss?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: “God’s timing and wisdom”

The lie of "never"

Joyful confidence in God

As John Ortberg concludes Chapter 16 of Soul Keeping, he notes that Walter Brueggeman speaks of “psalms of disorientation.”  The are psalms in which the soul is disoriented, God appears to be absent, and darkness is winning.  The psalmist vents and boils over at God rather than demonstrating a polite piety- an honest faith.

John speaks of his own darkest time some years ago, when his greatest disappointment was deep and unfixable.  He questioned his calling.  John contacted Dallas Willard, eager for his answer.  Dallas responded:

“This will be a test of your joyful confidence in God.”

Pastor Ortberg cites nineteenth-century writer Frederick Ferber (Growth in Holiness, 1854), who described the patience that leads to joyful confidence:

“In the spiritual life God chooses to try our patience first of all by His slowness.  He is slow; we are swift and precipitate (rushing headlong or rapidly onward).  It is because we are but for a time, and He has been for eternity. . . . Wait and He will come.  He never comes to those who do not wait.  He does not go their road.  When He comes, go with Him, but go slowly; fall a little behind; when He quickens His pace, be sure of it, before you quicken yours.  But when He slackens, slacken at once; and do not be slow only, but silent, very silent, for He is God.”

As John concludes, “the soul is a ship that needs an anchor.”

Today’s question: How have you developed joyful confidence in God following your vocation loss?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: “Dealing with conflict”

Joyful confidence in God