Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Waiting for the Eagle's Flight

I guess you could say I have had bloggers block. What to write? Finally with much thought and prayer I came upon something I wanted to share. It has do do with waiting. This has been a constant theme in my life for the past 3 months. Waiting for something to change in my circumstances, waiting for a Doctor's appointment, waiting for results from a test, waiting for answers to questions nobody seems to have. Hurry up and wait. Patience is a fruit of the Spirit...it takes time develop into fruit.
What does waiting on the Lord truly mean? I have pondered this in my heart often, more so lately than ever. What does this look like on the inside and outside of my heart? Psalm 33:20 -22 "We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. may your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord even as we put our hope in you." During our waiting we remember the promises He has made to us. These are the promises in the Word. He is our help, our shield. Our shield of faith. This shield is able to put out the fiery darts of the enemy. It takes discipline to learn how to best use this shield. The battlefield of the mind is a treacherous one. Conquering ones mind is a daily moment by moment choice. 2 Corinthians 10:5 "We demonlish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." This of course is easier said than done. But, I guarantee that if you put your mind to it you will have success in this department of holding up a shield of faith. I have found this to be true.
In our waiting we can also have joy! We can praise His name. Psalm 118:1 "Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love endures forever." We praise Him because we can trust Him, so we surrender. We praise Him because He is Holy, so we come before Him righteous only by the blood of Christ. His unfailing love speaks so loudly to me. This is His eternal covenant with me. I must continually remind myself of His love for me. It is a jealous love He has for me.
The text in Isiah 40 is so powerful, so inspiring to me. If you have time, read the entire passage. It has a long list of rhetorical questions that the prophet Isiah is asking. I love that the rhetorical questions all point to God. Understanding how big, powerful and mighty God is takes some pondering. He is the creator, speaking stars into existence by name...every star has a name (verse 26). I could choose right now with my health situation to complain to God. just like the Isrealites who chose to say our ways are hidden from God...he doesn't see me. No, God is the God who sees, El Roi, He sees me and knows me. Isiah goes on to say He is the Everlasting God, El Olam, the one who created the ends of the earth. Now it gets interesting to me, insight into the character of God. He does not get tired. He does not grow weary, we can not understand His ways. Yet He chooses to give us His strength and power when we are weary and weak. It is the solution to the rhetorical questions of Isiah: since God created everything, I am weak before Him, then I must find my strength and power in Him alone. Alas, we arrive at the popular verses 30-31 "Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."
Hope. It is beacuse of the hope we have in Him. Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." My hope is in His word, his promises to me. I will wait in expectation for God to fulfill His promises to me found in His Word. This is why I pray scripture. Where there is no promise I can not pray in faith. I can only pray for what God has promised me in His Word. The power of my prayer is not in the prayer itself but in the power of an Almighty creator God. Therefore I will continue to pray in faith based on his Word. Placing my hope in Him. For when I wait on Him He will renew my strength and I will soar like the Eagle. This is what is looks like to wait upon the Lord.

It's About Time

Christmas 2022 Luehrs Family This past year has been filled with many planned activities and some of them were a surprise. Once again our fa...