Waiting and Hope
Learning a lot about waiting lately, and realizing that it has a lot more to do with God than me. When I simply bring my requests to Him and want His answer, where is the relationship in that? Is He only a gift-giver or a magician or Santa that I want immediate results to my requests? I've been reading through a daily devotional by Andrew Murray called Waiting On God. A fantastic and old book, getting to the heart of waiting and focusing each day on aspects of waiting. So very good. This morning's had something that got to me, as I have been very hard on myself lately for my failings. It reads:"Wait on the Lord and keep His way." It may be that the consciousness of shortcoming and sin makes our text look more like a hindrance than a help in waiting on God. Let it not be so. Have we not said more than once, the very starting point and groundwork of this waiting is utter and absolute impotence? Why then not come with everything evil you feel in yourself, every memory of unwillingness, unwatchfulness, unfaithfulness, and all that causes such unceasing self-condemnation? Put your power in God's omnipotence, and find in waiting on God your deliverance. Your failure has been owing to only one thing. You sought to conquer and obey in your own strength. Come and bow before God until you learn that He is the God who alone is good, and alone can work any good thing. Believe that in you, and all that nature can do, there is no true power. Be content to receive from God each moment the inworking of His mighty grace and life, and waiting on God will become the renewal of your strength to run in His ways and not be weary, to walk in His paths and never faint. "Wait on the Lord, and keep His way" will be command and promise in one.
And so I wait, for waiting is about meeting with God, learning His ways, knowing more deeply His love; and how I long to do that.
There's this strange thing I possess called hope. I have discovered that my hope defies odds; it is hard to kill (even when I want it to fade) and is a thing unfailing. Quite amazing really and something I don't understand, but I thank God for the hope He's given. For in it, I hope for what I can't see, for what He's doing 'behind the scenes' and how He may surprise me.
That hope keeps me alive and is something that springs to life again even after disappointment. Getting to the depths of this hope, I am encouraged, for truly, I believe it's a heaven-inspired hope, and a hope for heaven that drives me onward for a time unseen, for a place where dream and desire become reality (though probably not exactly what I would have dreamed and desired, but something far greater!), for the day when striving ceases and peace reigns.
"Who hopes for what he already has?"
This is not it. Even if I were to get "everything I wanted" on this earth, I would still have that ache, that hope for something else, because nothing here satisfies fully and completely. And so I wait and hope, and look to Jesus for my strength. And I am comforted. For He is so good.
posted by FaithChristine @ 08:17
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