“Yet I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living. Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.” (Psalm 27:13-14).
I woke up with some heaviness in my heart…too many thoughts…anxious thoughts….the little frets that overcome me when I don’t see quick results to my prayers. It was pre-dawn…the usual time I begin my day with Papa God. I took my usual place on my window seat, the Word at my side, coffee cup in hand, iPad and laptop poised…not knowing if I would have anything to journal this morning. Starring out the window, looking eastward in anticipation of the sunrise, I petitioned my Father….opening my heart to Him. Then I sat back and allowed His Spirit to awaken in me, listening intently to what He had to say. I began to read His Word. The clarity of His voice in the passages He gave me resounded one distinct theme, “Patience…wait on the Lord’s timing”.
He took me to Acts, chapter 27. There I read the story of Paul’s warning to the officer in charge of the ship that was headed to Rome. “Men,” he said, “I believe there is trouble ahead if we go on – shipwreck, loss of cargo, and danger to our lives as well.” But the officer did not listen. As the story unfolds–as you may have guessed–Paul’s intuition is proven to be right. The storm raged to typhoon strength and the ship was blown out to sea. The Word continues…“The terrible storm raged for many days, blotting out the sun and the stars, until at last all hope was gone. No one had eaten for a long time.” Finally, Paul called the crew together and said, “Men, you should have listened to me in the first place. We could have avoided all this trouble and trial. But there’s no need to dwell on that now. From now on, things are looking up! I can assure you there’ll not be a single drowning among us, although I can’t say as much for the ship – the ship itself is doomed…but don’t give up!”
Wow! Not only did Papa God say “wait patiently” in His Psalm, but also in the Book of Acts, He painted a clear picture of what to expect if I don’t wait patiently. Trouble ahead….a shipwreck of unparalleled proportion! Hope would be blotted out because of disobedience. And I would suffer from a lack of strength to resist the enemy if I didnt’ eat.
My Spirit smiled wide…the anxiety lifted and joy took its rightful place in my heart! The necessity of spending time in His Word…the need to daily “eat” the divine portion of His truth that will lift my doubt and carry me through any storm, penetrated my soul! And the blessings that He will pour out if I simply OBEY…and wait patiently!
Oh how I love you Papa! I love spending time with You…listening to Your voice!
As the sun rose and its rays warmed my skin, I began to praise Him, thanking Him for His everlasting presence in my life! O how HE loves me….how He loves me so! Be blessed today…allow HIS SON to warm your heart….eat…be still and hear His voice! ~ IN HIS STRONG LOVE ~ rose
Rod & Rose 