WAITING

But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. lsaiah 40:31 RSV

I’ve been learning a lot about waiting. I don't like to wait and I don't wait very well. I'm the guy who is always looking at his watch if anything is behind schedule. I can lose my temper faster by someone "making me late" over almost any other thing. I will probably even go and vote early to avoid waiting in lines on November 2nd.

But what I've been learning, and learning for a while now, by the way, is that slowing down offers us luxuries that our fast paced lives cannot offer us. I have a love / hate relationship with my Palm Pilot. Right now I "hate" it because the screen is busted, but there are times that I cling to the schedule displayed on that screen more than I should. It takes a concerted effort to put God and my family first in my life and in my schedule. It is not something that just comes easy because I am in the ministry. Sometimes, I wonder if being in the ministry makes spending time with God harder.

When I slow down, I enjoy playing with my daughters and doing crazy, unnecessary, fun things that will create memories to last a lifetime. When I slow down, I remember how blessed I am to have Deanna in my life; I fall upon the reasons that I fell in love with her and I fall in love with her again. When I really take time to slow down and wait... I find myself face to face with my Creator and find that He has been doing a lot of waiting on me, too. He talks to me, He tells me secrets of the hearts, and fills my life with purpose.

God help me today, to slow down. And even though this may seem contradictory, Lord, I think You and I know the wisdom of Palm Pilots. Can You "heal" mine, please? Thank you! Amen.

GOING DEEPER:

What's the message in Psalm 27:14?
I think it is very interesting that it reads, "Wait..." and then says, "...be strong and let your heart take courage". This implies that being strong is in letting go of yourself and letting your "heart" be the strength in your times of waiting.

PSALM OF PRAISE: I waited patiently for the LORD's help; then He listened to me and heard my cry. He pulled me out of a dangerous pit, out of the deadly quicksand. He set me safely on a rock and made me secure. He taught me to sing a new song, a song of praise to our God. Many who see this will take warning and will put their trust in the LORD. Psalm 40:1-3

WHAT A WASTE?

"Much is required from those to whom much is given, and much more is required from those to whom much more is given." Luke 12:48b (NLT)

I read the following great story in my devotional time today:

The young people that made up this "blue-collar" youth group were seething at their youth pastor as he stood in front of them, burning a twenty-dollar bill. Repeatedly, he would set fire to the bill, let a bit of it burn and then blow out the flame. Repeatedly, he would ask the question: "Is the bill still worth twenty-dollars?" The kids thought their youth pastor was crazy! They begged him to stop -- to give the money to them -- before it was too late and the bill was worthless. The students yelled in frustration as the money finally disappeared into ashes. Then, the youth pastor asked, "How many of you are treating the life God gave you in the same way?" The atmosphere of the group changed immediately as the kids fell into an introspective silence.

Wow! What a clincher! What am I doing with the life God gave me?

I actually found myself asking this question tonight after watching "!Hero, the Rock Opera" at the church. The story is a modern-day depiction of Jesus as if He were born in Bethlehem, PENNSYLVANIA... It moves me every time. The presentation itself was ten-years in the making. Eddie DeGarmo, the one who originated the concept, has been working long and hard to make this God-dream a reality.

What am I doing with my God-dreams? I know I have them... but am I thinking about them enough? Do I need to challenge my flesh and let go of myself more than I do? Probably. Lord, help me.

LOVING LIFE

David said about him: "I saw the Lord always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will live in hope, because You will not abandon me to the grave, nor will You let Your Holy One see decay. You have made known to me the paths of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence." Acts 2:25-28

Today is Autumn's 10th birthday. I woke her up this morning with a playful hug and a cheerful "Happy Birthday". She wasn't so cheerful right away; she usually isn't... kind of slow at being cheerful in the morning. (I know that's hard for some of you to imagine!) But after she was up for a while, you could see the excitement in her eyes for the day. She couldn't wait to get to school, share the cupcakes Deanna had stayed up late cooking, pass out invitations to her weekend party, etc. She was living for the moment and everyone around her could sense it!

So what's Acts 2:25-28 speaking to me today? It speaks to me of the joys of life! Right now, I am an extremely busy man. The dates on my Palm Pilot are so full, I wonder if it is gonna crash the next time I open the software. But regardless of what the calendar says (or the piles of paper in my office), I have joy in life because of a greater hope. Because death has been conquered for me and the sheer fact that I have the presence of God living in and spilling out of me!

What keeps me going? It is not coffee... it is not music... it is not money... it is the joy of living out the life that God created me for. Breathe life in -- it smells REALLY good!

GOING DEEPER:

1. Are there any areas of your life that you take too seriously? List them and give them to God.

It is definitely easy for me to get caught up in deadlines, to-do lists, and filled up calendars. Today, God, I ask You to please take these kinds of stresses out of my life. I don't want to call these tasks "futile" -- the things that fill up my organizational tools are mostly for the Kingdom or for my family -- but I do want to recognize that without YOU FIRST in my life, the pressures can easily weigh me down. Father, You are my JOY, my HOPE, and I put my TRUST in You. I love you, Lord. AMEN.

PSALM OF PRAISE: Protect me, O God; I trust in You for safety. I say to the LORD, "You are my Lord; all the good things I have come from You." How excellent are the LORD's faithful people! My greatest pleasure is to be with them. Those who rush to other gods bring many troubles on themselves. I will not take part in their sacrifices; I will not worship their gods. You, LORD, are all I have, and You give me all I need; my future is in Your hands. How wonderful are Your gifts to me; how good they are! Psalm 16:1-6