Word for Today, Fri, 19 Jan 2001: Who? Me?
Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>
Do you ever deal with impatience in your life? Who? Me? Oh, I
never have that problem!
Have you ever said those words? I have said things like that
before. Having lived through such experiences, I can honestly
tell you now that I was suffering from a common thing called
"Denial". I simply could not see what was going on with my own
life, though I could see, more plainly than this display screen,
issues in 'other' people's lives, especially if they were
impatient.
Let me give you some tangible examples of things we get impatient
about, and perhaps you can answer for yourself if any of these
things have happened to you today, this week, or this month.
They have for me.
Have you had to wait in line somewhere - a line at a store, a
bank, a traffic light? Was the wait uncomfortable? Do you
recall Christmas shopping lines, or rush hour traffic?
How about that old PC you had that just wasn't fast enough? How
about your child that didn't obey you quickly enough? If I
haven't reached yours yet, how about that raise that you want
real soon?
My friends, even the best of us deal with matters of patience, or
the lack of it. It is not wrong to feel uncomfortable when we
are waiting for something. I believe that God put that feeling
within each of us. But we look for the answer, the quick fix for
that feeling in all kinds of places, and, unfortunately, they are
often the wrong places.
When I come to my own senses in these matters, I realize that it
is really a longing, a yearning, for God, that causes me my
discomfort. In my failure to recognize this, I keep trying to
satisfy that discomfort in all kinds of ways, rushing around,
trying to accomplish too much, trying to change too much. To be
sure, we all have tasks to perform. But how many of them really
need to be completed right now? The one thing about the
Information Age, of which I am a part, that bothers me, is how we
want everything right now. That's ridiculous, when you really
assess things with a spiritual yardstick. Just once in a while,
let's instead consider the ways of God and seek Him first.
Better yet, let's long and yearn to do that all the time. Then
this chaotic whirlwind that always seems to encircle us will
leave, (until its next opportune moment).
Dear Lord,
This message is most certainly for me. Please help me deal with
patience, for it is one of the crucial elements of Your Spirit,
and a key attribute of love. You have planted the seed of
patience in my heart and that of those You love. Please water,
it, cultivate it, garden it, refine it, do everything You intend,
and help me to wait on You instead of race with You. God, when I
think about it, You are there already. It is foolish for me to
race at all. I need Your Spirit's refinement, big time in this
area of my life. I thank You for a renewed awareness of what You
are doing in me, and I praise You for it. Amen.
Brother Brian
From: "ChristianNet" <admin@christiannet.org>
Subject: [WFT] Fri 19 Jan 01 - The danger of impatience
WORD FOR TODAY with Bob Gass - Friday 19th January 2001
The danger of impatience
"OTHER SEED FELL ON SHALLOW SOIL... BUT IT SOON WILTED... BECAUSE
THE ROOTS HAD NO NOURISHMENT?"
MARK 4:5
Ask God to keep you in His perfect timing - not one step ahead,
not one step behind. If you're asking, 'When is my due season?'
(Gal 6:9), it's when God knows you're ready, when everybody else
involved is ready, when it fits into His overall plan. You see,
God has a personal plan for you, but He also has an eternal
purpose, and your personal plan must fit into His eternal
purpose.
The trouble is that, we don't hang around long enough to see the
finish of great things, because great things take time; if it is
thrown together quickly, it's not likely to last. Sometimes we
see 'shooting stars' - people who come out of nowhere and
immediately they're well-known. But usually they don't last.
They fail financially or morally, because character is built
during the hard times of waiting. Without that, you'll have no
root system and you'll wither because you can't handle the
pressure.
When you learn to respect and appreciate the times of waiting,
then God will go to work in earnest in your life. Even though you
cannot see what's happening, the thing that will bring you the
most fulfilment is happening now - behind the scenes. David
said,'... I trusted, relied on and was confident in You, O Lord;
I said, You are my God. My times are in Your hand... ' (Ps
31:14-15 AMP). Think about it, for that's the word for you
today.
(c) Bob Gass Ministries 2001 (used by permission)
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Brian Masinick, "The Mas", mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
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