"Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw -- each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done." (1 Cor. 3:12-13)
Hello! I'm HERE again!!
Back in the middle of a nice
waiting-on-the-Lord-in-between-stages stage!
Just standing...
waiting...
watching...
praying...
I've clearly felt the Lord moving me away from where I've been, and truly feel that each step that I've taken up to this point has been of Him
...but...
He hasn't moved me to anything else yet.
It's been rather unsettling!
How do I find God's good pleasure and will for me in THIS time. To make it a good "building" time, not a wasted one? It's so much harder when there isn't a clear goal or objective!
And I can't just do anything.
Until He clearly moves me on, I HAVE to wait.
And yet...it's my spirit that's waiting.
Time doesn't stop!
What to do with it?
How can I bear fruit in this in-between stage?
"Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them." (Eph. 5:8-11)
"Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is." (Eph. 5:15-17)
One light for my way recently was in our family study of James, and the need pointed out in chapter 1 of a heavenly focus. In every trial and hard time to persevere, keeping my eyes on the goal of the "upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 3:14) and the crown of life.
It's not necessarily about where our pilgrimage physically takes us on this earth, but how we walk.
Where our affections lie.
Who we're living for.
Something deeply inward that affects all we do on the outside, no matter what it is.
"Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, not by the way of eye-service as people-pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord..." (Eph. 6:5-8)
Yes, I'm awaiting more specific direction, but this does NOT have to be a wasted time, or a time of unfruitfulness. The will of God in my life has so much more to do, it seems, with the internal than the external. The "physical doings" may at times be direct service in the Lord's army. But mostly it's "everyday stuff" that's to be transformed into service done unto Him by my heart-attitude.
"By this we know love, that He laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers...Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth." (1 John 3:16,18)
I think my difficulty lies in a fleshly desire for my life to look important in other peoples' eyes.
Working at an Orchard doesn't look that amazing...
but it can be a service unto the Lord!
Visiting and encouraging friends may seem trivial...
but it can be a service unto the Lord!
Emailing, letter-writing, meal-making, exercising.
Ordinary?
Yup.
But if it's what the Lord calls me to now,
it can be a service rendered unto the Lord!
And as such, I need to throw my BEST into whatever He's given me to do here! If it were time for something else, I'd be there. :) He wants me to be pour out His love into those He's placed around me here and now. It's worthwhile, and brings Him pleasure! And when I'm concerned about my ability to know and do His will...
"...it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure." (Phil. 2:13)
It's Him. Not me.
I abide. He brings forth fruit.
His Life and dreams are far better than mine.
If I'm waiting another month...
another year...
five years...
"Lord, I give up all my own plans and purposes, all my own desires and hopes, and accept Thy will for my life. I give myself, my life, my all utterly to Thee to be Thine forever. Fill me and seal me with Thy Holy Spirit. Use me as Thou wilt, send me where Thou wilt. Work out Thy whole will in my life at any cost, now and forever."
--Betty Scott Stam
5 comments:
I absolutely LOVED that quote, by Betty Stam, Hannah!!!
I so enjoyed your post, as well. It just ***doesn't*** matter what others are doing...it ONLY matters what God wants us doing...and when...and if it's a waiting time He has for us, then we are certainly DOING...as we're doing HIS will, when we're waiting! :)
God is already DOING things in and through you...just the fact that you have been given another day to awaken to by Him, is His way of acknowledging that He has plans to use you mightily, even if it seems in smallish ways. Remember with God, things are always the opposite of the world, such as the last shall be first, and the first shall be last! :) I'm sure with God, what we deem we're doing as so very small, is probably VERY significant in His book, if only we could know what all He was up to, with all the "little" pieces of our lives. :) :)
I love, too, how He has always specialized in lifting up what has seemed as insignificant in the world's eyes...starting with sending His own Son to be born in an obscure and simple manger, rather than a grand, palatial building! And then, of course, there's: "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" (John 1:46) Well, we all of course know the answer to that one! :):)
Love you!
I sure do love you, Mrs. Kerr. :)
I enjoyed your...comment? email? sermon? ;) Thanks for your own faithful example in this area...the Lord's used you so often to encourage and challenge me. :)
LOVE and HUGS coming your way!!!!
Thanks for sharing, Hannah! Sounds like your heart is in the right place :) Sometimes simply waiting, doing apparently nothing, can be unbelievably constructive. How many times we are commanded to wait on the Lord!
As to that issue of wanting to look important in the eyes of people, did you read this article on the Desiring God blog? REALLY good on that topic.
May God bless your waiting!
Yep, that was one of the articles that HUGELY encouraged me in this time, Sam. :) Thanks! It's something that I'm wanting to have formed into me more and more...and I think He's giving me challenges in order to do it. :)
This seems to be an area that gets continually challenged in the Walk...though it gets easier each time around. Well...mostly. Easier depending on what you're waiting for, I suppose. :) The reason there's so much about waiting on the Lord in Scripture, is that it occurs frequently...and we constantly need the reminder!! :)
And btw, Sam...noticed some words needed tweaking in my post...the desire for my life to look important in others' eyes is a FLESHLY desire, and one to be overcome...I don't think it came across that way the way I had it (!!) so thanks for drawing my attention to it! Ha ha.
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