Afternoon Ti: Holy Help

 

And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us.

We were given this hope when we were saved.

(If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it.

But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)

And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness.

Romans 8:23-26a (NLT)

 

At times it can be tough to hold on to our faith in the Lord here on this earth. There is so much injustice, sin, and temptation blatantly running rampant in our world today. It can be hard at times to hold on to our faith in the face of so much.

 

In these verses, Paul shares that the Holy Spirit is our help for these times. He is to be our strength when we are weak. He is our present example of our future heavenly joy.

 

How often do you take advantage of having the Holy Spirit? Do you listen to His voice? Do you follow His promptings? When He reminds you of God's Word, do you obey?

 

The Holy Spirit is there for you. He is there to help you patiently and confidently wait on the Lord's promises for your life. Don't leave Him out of the equation. Don't allow yourself to suffer without His help. When you are weak, He is strong. Allow the Holy Spirit to help you.

He's Going to Do It!

So, the year is coming to a close. Maybe you had some prayer requests up before the Lord that haven't been answered yet. You might be feeling a bit discouraged that you haven't attained that promise that you know the Lord has for you.

I know exactly how you're feeling. Right now I'm trying to ignore my left hand that clearly doesn't have a ring on it yet! But that's neither here nor there. We cannot allow ourselves to grow despondent. We cannot cave in to doubt and disbelief. We cannot allow ourselves to begin to question God or even ourselves.

We just have to trust. We just have to believe. We just have to stand and having done all to stand: stand.

He's going to do it!

The Lord is a keeper of His word. Just like He showed Joseph his future greatness, the Lord kept His word. Joseph may have had to suffer through slavery and imprisonment on the way, but the Lord kept His promise.

Just like the Lord kept His word to Abraham. Abraham may have had to wait years for God's promised heir for him to show up, but the boy did show up!

And even David had to wait for the fulfillment of his destiny. He was anointed king years before he took the throne. And while he waited, David was on the run just to stay alive!

With even the biggest promise, the dispatch of a Redeemer that would save mankind and bring them back to right standing with God, there were generations that passed before the word came to fruition. But, the Lord kept His promise.

How much more will God keep His promise to you? Don't lose heart! Don't give in! Keep believing God's word. Keep standing on His promises. You won't be left hanging. You won't be disappointed. Our God is faithful and just.

He's going to do it!

Verse of the Day: God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? Numbers 23:19

It's Raining Rings!

I'm so happy for you!
Really... I am.

It is my heart's desire to be married one day to a wonderful man of God. Currently, there is no one on the premises that even hints at filling that role in my life. So I'm learning how to be content.

While I'm learning to be content and letting patience have its perfect work in my life, it seems like a majority of my single friends and acquaintances are getting engaged and/or married. For the last few weeks, it's like I was getting marital news every other day. No. Lie. It's raining rings all around me.

In prior years, this would seriously have made me question my existence. I would spend days wondering if I was on the right track, if God really heard my prayers, and be spending some serious time before God's throne trying to get a sense of when my turn was ever going to pop up.

However, I can honestly say that I am content. My time with the Lord has shown me things about myself, about Him, and about my purpose right now that lets me know that everything is exactly where it's supposed to be right now. I have no reason to complain. My day is coming.

It took a while to get to this spot. But this spot is much better than the envious/worried/anxious place I used to reside in. Right here, I can celebrate the changes in the lives of others while cherishing my own corner of the world.

Can you celebrate with someone who gets exactly what you've been believing God for? If your friends popped up with a new fiance/job/car/house/insertyourprayerrequesthere could you honestly praise God with them? Or would a piece of your heart be breaking because they got it, and you're still waiting?

Depending on your answer, you might need to spend some more time talking to the Captain of your ship. Because no matter how your life pans out, you should be content, trusting that God has you right where you are supposed to be.

Verse of the Day: But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. I Timothy 6:6, 7

The Fruit of Longsuffering

Did you know that one of the evidences that you are living in God's Spirit is that you are able to endure injury, trouble, or provocation long and patiently? That is the exact definition of longsuffering which is one of the Fruit of the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22)

Just thinking on that shifts my entire outlook! A character trait that I'm supposed to have as a Christian is that I endure long periods of trouble. Could that be why all these things are swirling around me? Maybe God's trying to put some fruit of longsuffering on my tree!

When we encounter times of trials, we want God to fix things quick. We see it as our right as His children to ask Him to take away the pain and the suffering. We are king's kids! Nothing good should be withheld from us!

Yet, maybe those times of hurt and those times of heartache were allowed to foster the fruit of longsuffering in our lives. God may have allowed the pain to work on our patient trust in Him.

It's easy to trust someone that immediately responds, always has a ready word, and quickly moves on our behalf. It's much harder to wait - patiently - for someone to come through after we have asked (sometimes more than once) and a significant time period has elapsed.

Did they hear us the first time? Are they going to be able to fulfill the request? Do they even care? Can't they see that we're in trouble?!

All of those questions we should already have the answers to when it comes to our Heavenly Father. We should already know that he hears us, is able to help us, cares about us, and sees that we're hurting. Yet, it is in the times of extended trials that we are able to prove that to Him and to ourselves.

Can you continue to trust God in the midst of an extended trial? Do you have some fruit of longsuffering hanging from your spiritual tree?

As you continue to seek God concerning those issues that you are facing, allow Him to perfect the fruit of longsuffering in your life.

Verse of the Day: But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. 1 Peter 5:10

Be Careful What You Pray For!

Lately, I've been praying for patience. It's a part of my character that needs to be developed and perfected. I just seem to have no patience for sudden twists, turns, and interruptions that pop up. Those things drive me into a whole 'nother lane that I don't need to be in.

So, I've been praying. And every day I have had moments where my patience has been tried. At home, at work, on the road, in stores... You name it. I have been spending the last few days wrestling within myself to just sit still and stay calm.

Be careful what you pray for. Sometimes you have to go through certain experiences that exercise that quality to have it grow in your life.

You ask for love, here comes someone that people find unlovable. Here's your chance to exercise love. You ask for faith, now you're in a situation where only God can deliver the answer. Here's your chance to work your faith.

I asked for patience, and now I find myself having to actively choose to be patient on a daily basis. Just this morning, on my drive in, I spoke over my day. I declared that I would have a great day and not be moved by anything that occurred.

You know several things were waiting to move me as soon as I got in to work, right?

Still, God is faithful. I was reminded of my prayers and chose to work on my patience. It's so easy to slip into the negative. It takes strength of character to stay in the positive. Right now, I'm building up my strength of patience.

What do you need to work on? Are you ready to really change things? Maybe you should dare to pray for God to improve that area of your life. Just be ready to work to get the answer!

Verse of the Day: And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up... Acts 20:32a

The Art of Patience

I am still working on developing the art of patience. Yes, the art of patience. This fruit of the spirit is definitely a skill. If you were born with it, consider yourself gifted.

Being a visionary, I have so many dreams, ideas, and plans that I know God has placed in my spirit. I know that God’s purpose for me is greater than the spot where I am right now.

I just want to wake up tomorrow and be there. I want to get up from my knees in prayer and walk into the manifested promise in the next moment.

However, this is not reality. Purpose takes patience to be fully developed. A process has to be implemented to ensure that things are not done prematurely.

No one wants a premature blessing. That’s just inviting a struggle. That’s just opening the door for the dream to die.

So, I’m working on patience. I’m working on slowing myself down, pausing to get my bearings, and taking the steps I need to take in order to go forward.

As much as I want to run into the future, I have to learn to be content to take solid steps. I have to put my full trust in the Lord’s timing to bring me to where I want to be at His proper moment. It’s only then that I will be able to appreciate the fullness of all the vision that I see right now.

It takes a lot to put yourself in check and slow down. Yet I believe that getting the promise will cause all of it to be well worth the wait.

Verse of the Day: But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently. Romans 8:25

How Long is Patience?

We’ve all seen it before:

A mother tells her child to wait a five minutes until he can have something he really wants. The child quiets down for a moment, and then pats his mother on the knee. “Mommy, is it five minutes yet?”

“No, Honey, not yet.” She tells him gently.

He is silent for a few minute or two and then returns. “Mommy, is it time?”

She shakes her head smiling softly and rebuffs him again. “No, Baby. Be patient. I’ll let you know when it’s time.”

We continue to watch as the child goes through agony trying to wait patiently for the promised goodie. Five minutes to him is forever! Since he has no perception of time, he has no choice but to trust that his mother will let him know exactly when the allotted time has passed. We can’t help but chuckle watching the little one because we know five minutes is no time at all.

I imagine that’s how our Heavenly Father views us sometimes. We are so anxious to obtain His promise to us that we keep going back to Him asking if it’s our turn yet. He always gently nudges us off the subject and tells us to be patient.

We sit back and writhe in discomfort, inwardly churning with anxiousness. We want our promise now! We want to have our blessing now! And like that little child, we continue to go back over and over pressing our Father when He’s already given us our answer: Be Patient.

My Apostle voiced my inward cries best, “But how long is patience?!”

With God, Patience lasts until the promise is given. We just have to trust our Father and allow Him the courtesy of telling us when it’s our time to receive. To us it may be agony, but to Him, it’s no time at all.

Verse of the Day: For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. Hebrews 10:36