Waiting

“I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.” (Psalm 130:5 KJV)

The American Heritage Dictionary defines wait like this:  “To remain inactive in anticipation; to delay; postpone.”  To me this definition seems to imply doing nothing—everything is at a standstill.

On the other hand, the Hebrew word for wait (as reflected in Psalm 130) is waiting with hope and expectation.  In my mind, this definition changes things in a big way.  Waiting with hope and expectation is an active waiting and seems to be a positive state of mind, one where we find contentment to still worship the Lord and communicate our love for Him in each moment of the day. 

Therefore, it seems that as Christians we should wait differently than those in the world around us.  I fully realize how many times I have not waited any differently than those around me, to my shame. Thankfully, the Lord is infinitely patient with us.

Jennifer Kennedy Dean writes the following in Live a Praying Life: Open Your Life to God’s Power and Provision:  “God has a good, loving, and productive purpose for scheduling waiting periods into the prayer process.  When He has called on you to wait, it is because the wait is necessary to the outcome.  He is doing something during the waiting period that He could not do without it.”

What have you learned from periods of waiting to see how God would answer your prayers?

I wonder how many times we miss God’s answer to our prayers and continue to wait, because He answers them differently than we desire?

How does seeing the wait period in prayer help you reframe your expectations in communicating with God through prayer?

Please join with me in prayer:

Dear Father, we come to You in hope, waiting for answers to our heart-felt prayers.  Waiting is so hard, Father, in this world of fast and faster, we expect our prayers to be answered in a blink of an eye.  When our prayers are not answered quickly enough or in the way we desire, we grow impatient and angry.  Help us to understand that the wait time is important; help us to not lose heart. In Jesus’ precious name.  Amen. 

From My Heart to Yours,

Kim

Happy Father's Day!

“And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”  (Ephesians 6:4 KJV)

This Sunday, June 21, 2015, is a special day.  A day we set aside to honor those special men in our lives who are fathers—biological/adoptive—as well as spiritual. 

It has been said that any man can be a father but few can be a daddy.  (Fathers create—and can leave, while daddies are there for their children—they nurture and help their children develop.)  They are the ones who discipline and love and protect.  It takes a special man to be a daddy. 

At the outset, I realize some reading this post will have had a challenging relationship with their earthly dad, or perhaps a beloved dad has passed away, or a dad is no longer dad due to a variety of health issues/dementia.  My prayer for you is that you will experience God’s comforting, healing presence in the days ahead.

Moreover, there are some reading this post who had a dad that passed away before they had a chance to know him, this is true for me.  Father’s Day can be challenging, yet it is possible to experience the loving presence of God. 

My dad and mom and me
Thanksgiving 1971

I am thankful for some special men who the Lord brought into my life—some for a short season and others for a long season.  I am especially thankful for my spiritual father who has mentored me in the faith and taught me so much about living for and serving the Lord over the last several years.  God knew that I needed a godly male role model and brought him into my life at just the right time.

Who in your life is a spiritual father?  How can you be a spiritual father (or parent!) to someone in your life?

In the Scriptures we read that dads are to teach their children about the Lord and treat them with decency and respect, as we see in the above passage from Ephesians.  However, many times this does not happen; children end up hurting and lost, looking to others for the guidance they need.

Despite our relationship with our earthly fathers, we can have a relationship with our Heavenly Father.  He is an amazing, loving daddy.  For those of you who are not fathers, thank you for being spiritual fathers!  Spend some time thinking about how you can help the fatherless.

How can you reach out to those without fathers?

Please join with me in prayer:

Dear Father, thank You for the fathers who gave us life and love.  We thank you for those fathers who teach their children about You.  Encourage those men who are not fathers in society’s eyes—help them to see how they can be spiritual fathers.  Encourage fathers who only see their shortcomings and failures to see what they do well.  For those who do not have fathers or have a difficult relationship with their father, grant them comfort; help them to find spiritual fathers to guide and direct them.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

From My Heart to Yours,

Kim

Thy Word

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” 

(Psalm 119:105 KJV)

For those of us who grew up attending church and Sunday School, we have spiritual “roots” that came from the “seeds”, the instruction adults in our life gave us. Sometimes these memories can resurface in our adult years. This is true in my case.

Memories can be poignant, happy, sad, and a mix of feelings. It is interesting to recall things learned as a young child later in life. Many times, children seem to understand spiritual things that we struggle with as adults. Children seem to have an excitement about Jesus and God’s Word that some adults seem to have forgotten. To recapture that love and excitement as an adult is amazing.  

As a small girl in Sunday school, I remember hearing and learning the above verse. I may have even memorized it. Even as a young child, I knew the importance of reading, studying, and memorizing God’s Word.

Sadly, however, the adults around me did not model this, for the most part. In reflecting back, there did not seem to be a hunger for God’s Word or a desire to be immersed in the Word beyond Sunday. It was not until I was in my thirties that I made and kept the commitment to study God’s Word each day.

What can we do to model a hunger for God’s Word to those around us, especially the children and youth in our lives?

Several years ago, when I began to read the Bible from cover to cover (something that I continue to do), I began discovering many “gems” that I had nearly forgotten. This verse from Psalm 119 highlights, I believe, just how important God’s Word is for us.

We can find Scriptures that address all our life situations. By obeying God’s Word, we can save ourselves from much heartache and sorrow by making wrong choices. I am so thankful for God’s Word and the ability to read and understand it for myself.

What are you thankful for in God’s Word?    

What can we do to increase our desire for God’s Word to be part of our daily lives? For me, I choose to read and study the Bible every day. Some days I have to “push through” and do it whether I want to or not. It also helps to be around others who are also hungry for God’s Word and are faithful to reading and studying it.

What about you: How do you approach the reading and studying of God’s Word? What commitments have you made?

God’s Word truly is a light unto my feet and a light unto my path! What about you?

Please join with me in prayer:

Dear Father, thank You for Your wonderful Word. Deepen our hunger for it so greatly that we cannot ignore it. Remind us to turn to Your Word for knowing how we are to live. Bring growth to the seeds that are planted each time we immerse ourselves in Your Word. Increase our knowledge of You through spending time with You and in Your Word; we want to know You, not just know about You. In Jesus’ precious name.  Amen.

From My Heart to Yours,

Kim

P.S. As I was preparing this post, a song by Michael W. Smith and Amy Grant came to mind, Thy Word. Take a listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ycs23FQDRI