Being Still, Waiting for the Lord

We are back from our Youth Trip... and I have so much I want to share but first I have something on my heart that I want to share today:

I was very encouraged from a section in a book I am reading titled Keep a Quiet Heart by Elisabeth Elliot and I want to share it with you: (this is in honore of a beautiful friend of mine)

The section is titled Waiting...

"Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord" Psalm 27:14

Waiting requires patience-a willingness calmly to accept what we have or have not, where we are or where we wish we were, whomever we live or work with.

To want what we don't have is impatience, for one thing, and it is to mistrust God. Is He not in complete control of all circumstances, events, and conditions? If some are beyond His control, He is not God.

A spirit of resistance cannot wait on God. I believe it is this spirit which is the reason for some of our greatest sufferings. Opposing the workings of the Lord in and through our "problems" only exacerbates them. It is HERE and NOW that we must win our victories or suffer defeats. Spiritual victories or suffer defeats. Spiritual victiories are won in the quiet acceptance of ordinary events, which are God's "bright servants," standing all around us.

Restlessness and impatience change nothing except our peace and joy. Peace does not dwell in outward things, but in the heart prepared to wait trustfully and quietly on Him who has ALL things safely in His hands. "Peace I leave with you; I do not give to you as the world gives" John 14:27. What sort of peace has He to give us? A peace which was constant in the midst of ceaseless work (with few visible rsults), frequient interuptions, impatient demands, few physical comforts; a peace which was not destroyed by arguments, the faithlessness, and hatred of other people. Jesus had perfect confidence in His Father, whose will He had come to accomplish. Nothing touched Him without His Father's permission. Nothing touches me without my Father's permission. Can I not then waith patiently? He will show the way.

If I am willing to be still in my Master's hand, can I not then be still in everything? He's go the whole world in His hands! never mind whether things come from God himself or from people-everything comes by His ordination or permission. If I mean to be obedient and submissive to the Lord because He is my Lord, I must not forget that whatever He allows to happen becomes... for me... His will at that moment. Perhaps it is someone else's sinful action, but if God allows it to affect me, He wills it for my learning. The need to wait is, for me, a form of chastening. God has to calm me down, make me shut up and look to him for the outcome.

"Trust in the Lord with ALL of your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." Proverbs 3:5-6

"The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe." Prov. 18:10

As we all sit in the moment of His will for us may we all like Mary say with boldness and deep conviction "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." Luke 1:38 and may we be enabled to be more closely united with His will as Jesus "...not as I will, but as you will." Matthew 26:39. May all fear and worry be drowned out as we safely trust in His will for our lives knowing that His is best.

JOYfully in Him,