Waiting on God

 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary , and the young men shallutterly fall : But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run , and not be weary ; and they shall walk , and not faint . (Isaiah 40:29-31 KJV)

This whole idea of waiting goes against what we naturally and culturally do. When our natural inclination is to step on the gas, God is often telling us to hit the brakes. Waiting is often difficult because we equate it with inactivity. But waiting, which can also be translated as hoping, means to wait with expectation, to look for. The implication is that we are waiting and watching with expectation towards what God is going to do.

I am reminded when I was a young child that every evening  I would wait eagerly for my parents: each day I would be expectant. It did not matter that the previous day I had got nothing but each morning when they left I would be given the hope that when they returned I would get something. My heart would race every time I heard the door creaking open. 

During these periods of waiting, God is often refueling and refining us for what He has in store. Everything around you needs to be refueled after much use. Your car has to stop for gas, your body needs to sleep, and your cell phone needs to be recharged. So, why can’t this be the case with our spiritual life as well? What may seem like inactivity from our perspective is often purposeful preparation from God’s perspective. Be encouraged that those who wait end up even stronger after the Lord renews them.

If you are in one of those seasons…

-Are you allowing God to refuel you?

-Are you tuning into His voice?

-Are you recognizing His activity around you?

How do you respond to these periods of waiting on God?

My Jesus, My Number 1 Fan

But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. (Matthew 14:26-29 ESV)

This story has been recounted by countless preachers in the context of  increasing the believers' faith. But for now, pause and think about what God is saying to you here. Faith only works  when we are acting on the word of God. Walking on water  like Peter did was following the command of  Jesus, likewise we can do that in our day to day lives.  Bid me to come my Lord.

Jesus wants us to know that we can do anything through Him. We already know of the literal words of Paul in Philippians 4:13 (For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength). The story of Peter walking on water with Jesus is a prime example of this. Peter could not visualize how he could walk on water. However, Jesus knew that all Peter was lacking was the confidence he could do it. So Jesus says plain and simply, “Yes, come.” This is Jesus being the encouraging force saying ‘if I can do it, you can do it!’ God has given us everything we need to do His will.

Like most things with God, we must not focus on what we see; we must trust in what He says. If Paul focused on his circumstances, we would not have the majority of the New Testament. When you find yourself stuck or struggling to achieve something God is asking of you, do not run to the corner of ‘failure’ and ‘disappointment.’ Trust in Christ not just in word but through His examples. My prayer is that we are encouraged by Jesus Christ to know that if He could do it, “We can do it!” Amen!

When is the last time you trusted God beyond what you could see? How can you look less at circumstances and focus more on what God is asking of you?

Leading lives of consistency

"

Now the leaders of the people lived in Jerusalem, but the rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of ten to live in Jerusalem, the holy city, while nine-tenths remained in the other cities. 2 And the people blessed all the men who volunteered to live in Jerusalem.…"

(Nehemiah 11:1-2  ESV)

How do we live lives of consistency as young people in this busy,  fast paced, ever-changing world? Consistency is the quality of achieving a level of performance which does not vary greatly in quality over time, according to the Oxford Dictionary. To begin with , we live out this consistency exactly where God has placed us. We are needed in our community as a church and there are people with real needs around us.

What if we sacrificed our lives on a daily basis: celebrating  what God has done in us, by serving others and sharing the good news of Jesus? What if we intentionally stepped into the streets of Harare  or wherever we are and tried to make a difference?

In Nehemiah 11, we see a people that immediately after turning back to God and renewing their covenant with him in chapter 10, stayed consistent and began taking steps to fulfill the commitment by moving into Jerusalem. This was not an easy or a safe task, but one that showed their devotion to God, which they declared in the previous chapter.

What we learn from this is that leading  lives of consistency is not a one time  experience; but a lifestyle. We are called to sacrifice for God's mission and to be an example of Jesus to others consistently. It is easy to say you want to be more consistant with your walk  with Jesus after a great night of worship, but it is another to live it out in your daily life.

 "4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. 6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked." (1 John 2:4-6 KJV)

It is not fair to look at one side of the coin and not flip to the other. As we are looking at consistency there is a need to look at inconsistency. How does it feel when  you know someone's words are different than their actions?

In 1 John 2 we see a sobering picture of what consistency  is and what it is not. paraphrasing chapter 2 and putting it in our context, if one has put their  faith in Jesus and there is no outward change, no wanting to know him, no wanting to love the things He loves, and no caring for His mission with consistency, then that person should stop and examine their heart. You should stop and examine your  walk and relationship with Him, because something appears to be out of order. 

Our walk and growth in Christ will never be perfect....  so please do not hear me saying when we have the slightest mess up, we should question our faith. John says when we do sin, we have an advocate with the father, who has paid the price for our mess-ups and His name is Jesus. He has set the perfect example, which should serve to inspire us to strive for consistency in our faith.

As Paul says in Romans 6:1, " What shall we say then?  Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?' 

How consistent are you to the faith you profess?

Can you make a change today that will help you  live more consistently  for Jesus?

What areas of your life are showing inconsistency?

How can you make a change and focus on what Jesus is calling you to do