Live God Adventures

I’ve been reading a lot of the Psalms. I’m loving it and am finding so much truth and value to apply to my life! I’m loving sharing these truths with you! This week I was reading Psalm 28. Verses 1-5 are David crying out to the Lord, saying “if You remain silent”… If the Lord remains silent he will be like those who have gone down to the pit. He cries out to the Lord to hear his cry for mercy. David says that he calls to the Lord for help and lifts his hands “toward your Most Holy Place”. This should be our plan. Cry out to the Lord with our hands lifted in surrender. Then, verses 6-9 praise the Lord because He has heard his cry.

What the Bible doesn’t tell us is how long in between those it was. How long did David cry out, how long did he feel that God wasn’t listening (v. 1-3)?

The note below in my Bible says “At this point, the psalmist wonders if God is listening to his prayers. But like the psalmist, every believer today must keep reaching out for that deeper relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Through Him we have access to God the Father. The Lord has promised to respond with comfort, help, and guidance, just as a shepherd cares for His sheep.”

We have the Bible as a wonderful tool to guide us and lead us. We have these Words from the Lord and we have to read them in context. We can read this psalm in less than one minute, that may lead some of us to think that Davids lament and praise occurred in less than one minute. That he prayed “Lord I need you in this situation” – didn’t get an immediate response – cried out – and then received the answer and went on to praise the Lord. All in a tidy poem in less than one minute. Could that happen? Sure. Did it? Well, we don’t know for certain but I’m inclined to think it didn’t quite happen that way.

I’ve heard it said that this generation is the “microwave” generation. That we want things to happen NOW, quickly, immediately, without much work and without much wait. I believe it. I think that spills over into our relationships with the Lord and that can be dangerous. We have to be disciplined in our relationship with the Lord, we have to be patient, we must “knock and KEEP knocking, ask and KEEP asking, seek and KEEP seeking” (Luke 11:9). When we face a trial or when we are seeking direction or guidance on something, or even when we are just living our lives cultivating our relationship with the Lord we must keep reaching for Him, keep seeking Him. Our posture must be surrender, crying out to Him, praising Him, looking to Him, trusting in Him.

Now, does the Lord sometimes answer immediately? Yes! I’m not at all saying that He can’t. I’m saying that His answer can be yes, no, and wait. When He tells you to wait, don’t throw a fit about it, but wait patiently, purposefully, and gracefully.

Patiently: able to accept or tolerate delays, problems, or suffering without becoming annoyed or anxious. When I read this my eyes got big. That’s basically what I’m saying. Wait on the Lord with the ability to accept His answer, tolerate the delay and don’t become annoyed or anxious! If you’re unable to accept the wait maybe it’s time to kneel before the Lord and see if you have fully surrendered your plans to Him, or were you making plans without Him? The Bible says to be anxious for nothing (Philippians 4:6-7). Nothing. And certainly don’t be anxious when you’re told to wait on the Lord. Submit to Him, choose Him, trust Him.

Purposefully: in a way that shows determination or resolve. Wait on the Lord purposefully. Be determined to grow closer to Him, to choose Him in every area of your life, to seek Him in all you do and to put Him above all else. Resolve: decide firmly on a course of action. Take this time of waiting to communicate with the Lord and allow Him to show you your course of action, what steps you need to take, walk with Him, talk with Him, become one with Him (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Gracefully: in a respectful and dignified way. Do you wait gracefully? Do you wait respectfully? Is your time of waiting dignified? Whoo.. Deep breath. I definitely don’t think I can answer “yes” to all of these. Certainly not all the time. Do I respect His answer and choose to submit to His authority in a graceful and dignified way? If I don’t, I need to.

Isaiah 40:31 says “But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall life their wings and mount up as eagles; they shall run and not be weary. they shall walk and not faint or become tired.” (Amplified Bible)

As we wait patiently, purposefully, and gracefully for the Lord, He will renew our strength and power. I love that the amplified version says “change and renew their strength and power” we no longer have our measly human strength and no power, we have the strength and power of the One True God living inside us! We can praise Him because He has heard us! He has saved us! He loves us! He is for us!

“But may your name be blessed and built up! For you have answered my passionate cry for mercy.
You are my strength and my shield from every danger. When I fully trust in you, help is on the way. I jump for joy and burst forth with ecstatic, passionate praise! I will sing songs of what you mean to me!
You will be the inner strength of all your people, the mighty protector of all, the saving strength for all your anointed ones.
Keep protecting and cherishing your chosen ones; in you they will never all. Like a shepherd going before us, keep leading us forward, forever carrying us in your arms!”
Psalm 28:6-9 TPT

This blog post was definitely for me. I absolutely needed to hear every part of this. I’m so thankful that we serve an On Time God who cares about us and our desires. I pray that this has encouraged you as well. I pray that we not only read this and think “good word” but we actively apply this to every area of our lives. That we live with patience, purpose, and grace. That we wait patiently, purposefully, and gracefully.