Wait! - Psalms 27:14

WAIT!

What does it mean to wait? According to Merriam Webster, "wait" says to remain stationary in readiness or expectation, to pause for another to catch up, to look forward expectantly, to serve or be ready or available. "Wait" according to Strong's Concordance is to look for, hope or expect.

In looking at each of the individual definitions, I found that they all fell in one of two categories. One was that of serving and the other was that of being ready. So what did David mean in Psalm 27:14. The verse is as follows:

"Wait on the LORD: 

be of good courage, 

and he shall strengthen thine heart: 

wait, I say, on the LORD."

In this verse, David appears to be reminding us to be ready to go at a moment's notice. That thought truly convicted me. Am I living my day to the fullest, all while being prepared to go when God says "GO." That thought alone can be scary at times. What if God calls me to pack up and move or maybe just to minister to the sister in my backyard? I can testify to such moments and praise God that He strengthened my heart in those moments.

As David further says, "be of good courage and he shall strengthen thine heart." So if God calls me to move or to minister to the sister, all He asks is that we have courage. He promises to strengthen us in those moments. 

So with the promise of God by my side, I am challenged to wait and be ready at any moment to do what He calls me to do. I challenge each of you to also wait! He will give you the strength to do the task before you!

Blessings!

Andrea

The first post to 52 weeks of Psalms. We are studying Psalms 28 this week!

God's Will for My Life

A common question:

What is God's Will for my life?

We desire to know His Will when we come to the crossroads of choosing a career, a life partner, whether or not to serve in the home mission field or move to a foreign mission...These three are just a few of the many decisions that we look to God for wisdom. 

Discerning His Will is a way of life for the Christian.

He is to be my first counsel, not my emergency backup. In failing to daily acknowledge Him, my life counts for little. God is playing an immense part in my life and I have a part to play as well. 

His will is to be my priority!

We are His - My body, my life is His. I have been brought with a price. As a daughter of His, I am responsible to glorify Him with my body, my life and to do the will of God. They are not rightfully my own. My Father has purchased them!(John 4:34, I Corinthians 6:19-20) His purchase is His gift to me (Ephesians 2:8-10)

The Five "C's" of receiving God's Will

Conversion:
Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. John 12:24

Commitment:
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Romans 12: 1-2

Confession:
Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. James 5:16

Concern:
Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. Ephesians 5:17

Compliance:
Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eye-service, as men-pleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God: And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons. Colossians 3:22-25

Blessings as you seek God's Will this week!
Andrea

To Play with Fire...

Ever since the beginning of time, Satan has tried to cause people to succumb to his plans. 

In Genesis 3, we find him, as a serpent, tempting Eve with the fruit

from the "Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil,"

the very fruit that God commanded Adam and Eve to not partake.

The result of partaking of the fruit:

Banished from the Garden of Eden

Later we see Satan at work as the children travel towards the promise land. Time and time again, we find them complaining. Sometimes for water, sometimes for food, sometimes because of the length of the journey.

The result of their complaining:

Wandered in the wilderness forty years, causing many to perish

Still through time, we still find Satan determined to get ahead.

This time we find him coming to Christ in the wilderness, however the outcome here was different!

He recognized Satan and He rebuked him: 

"Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy 

God, and him only shalt thou serve." Matt 4: 10

Just as Satan tempted those in times past, he is still just as busy today, determined to cause one of us fall.

He paints the sin as a beautiful fruit, but behind the skin is the "fire" 

that will devour us: gossip, lies, covetousness, jealousy, malice, hatred...the list goes on and on.

However, as Christ, we need not succumb to the tactics of Satan. Just as Christ called out to His Heavenly Father, so do we need to call on our Heavenly Father for help. He hears each one of us when we call.

"Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, 

and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice." Psalms 55.17

Let us not succumb to the "fire" of Satan, but rather be 

victors in Christ, as Christ was!

Blessings!

Andrea

The Greatest Love Story

 The greatest love story is so familiar to many, but we so often taken it

 for granted, including myself. 

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that 

whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; 

but that the world through him might be saved." 

John 3:16-17

Our first, foremost love is Christ! May we seek to be fully surrendered to Him, as we 

endeavor to reach out to our loved ones that surround us!

Andrea

Psalms 25 Recap

I have truly been blessed and challenged as I spent time in this Psalm. The words that God gave David were words of simplicity, but so full of meaning and depth. This Psalm is labeled as a prayer of guidance and I claim it as my personal Psalm.

David cries out to God: I lift my soul unto you. He is declaring his neediness. He realizes how small and insignificant he is without God by his side. He is trusting in God and desires to not be ashamed of God. He recognizes that there will be times of conflict, and though it would be easier to "deny" God, that is not his desire at all.

He is desiring the guidance of God in his life, just as I do in my life. He is looking to God for direction. He desires to know the truth. He "waits" on the Lord. Wait according to Strong's means to look for, expect, hope. He is looking for the Lord.

In verse 11, he starts with a question of what man is he that feareth the Lord, to which he answers: he shall be taught in the way he shall choose. Such a man shall dwell in goodness! He is surrounded by the counsel of the Lord.

He finishes up the Psalm, his eyes drawn to the Lord, pleading for mercy and guidance in life's paths. He cries out for protection and deliverance from enemies. He desires to serve, unashamed, with integrity and uprightness, as he waits on the Lord.

This Psalm became real and personal to me this weekend. I spent several days surrounded by fellow believers at a weekend retreat. Though many of us did not know each other, we had several things in common:
1. We were all believers following an Eternal and Everlasting God, saved from sin's trap, by the blood of Jesus Christ.
2. We all held a common interest: we all had a love for the field of medicine - in the midst were doctors, RNs, LPNs, CNAs, EMTs, paramedics, nursing students, pre-nursing students, and therapists.
3. We all came searching for a refreshing weekend in God's Word, while surrounded with others of like professions.

The point that was stressed continuously through the weekend is to seek God's will for each moment today. Take time to pray about the small things in life, because God always answers prayer. It will always be "yes," "no," or "wait." He is faithful, guiding us today as we walk and look to Him for instruction.

Seek His face today!

Blessings!

Andrea

Protection...

As I drove 19 miles from work to my home; a trip that on an average day takes 35-40 minutes, however one that tonight took 70-75 minutes, I was reminded of the protection that daily surrounds us. You see, tonight the temperatures had dropped 19°F and the roads were covered in white. The Lord had sent SNOW for us to enjoy!

Beautiful snow: captured a year ago

As I slowly made my way home on the treacherous roads, many verses came to mind. "Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father." Matt 10.29. Amidst the billions of people that fill this earth, I was reminded that He sees each individual traffic predicament that we encounter. And not just tonight, but every day as we go about daily activities, He shelters us with His protection. On an average, I travel 300+ miles in a week (no extracurricular, just necessities). I was struck to the core when I reflected at how little I thank Him for His protection. Each of my living moments is made possible by His protection. Serious?! Sobering?! Embarrassing?! Frightening?! Yes, to each of those and the many more adjectives that one can think of in response to those questions.

Or what about the spiritual battle that we find in our lives? So often, in my human mind, I forget that, with God at my side, I armed with all the protection I need. For "if God be for us, who can be against us...for I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:31, 38-39. God's protection, in such a time, is His armor.  Way too often, I attempt to do it on my own and with my own shabby armor. I forget that He is waiting to help me, if only I ask. When I face my next battle, will I reach for my shabby outfit or will I cling to the promise of God and stand tall, attired with His Armor. Am I continuously ready for the battle, attired in God's protection? Or do I wait for the moment when I find myself surrounded and then struggle to prepare for battle?

I have been challenged to the core to remember the protection that surrounds me and to thank my Lord daily for His guiding in my life. I may never know what might have happened if I would have left 10 minutes earlier or forgot to take the moment to pray. 

Stay strong!

Andrea