Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord! Psalm 27:14 NKJV
Well, it's here--it's 2012, a new year is upon us. Whatever might it hold in store? I, for one, am happy to say farewell to 2011--it was not good to me. My life changed drastically last May when my sweet bride, the love of my life, passed away. Many of my hopes and dreams died along with her.
I'm not bitter, but my life seems to lack direction these days. I drift along like a ship blown about by the winds, seemingly with no particular destination. I read my Bible, I pray, I seek GOD daily. Still, He seems to say "Wait"--something I personally don't do well. Wait? Wait for what? God, You know--I'm not getting any younger here. If I am to do anything with my life, if I am to make a difference for You in this world--I need a goal, a destination, a mission of some sort. GOD, are You there? Can You hear me? Do I matter? Do You care?
Silly me! Of course You're there. You care. I matter...and You hear me fine. But, wait...? I'm trying, Lord--I really am. Although I often procrastinate, I'm accustomed to having some goal, some deadline. Waiting is difficult for me. Can't we speed up the process a bit? Can't You slam doors shut or swing some open wide so I know what the next step is? I know, I know--still You tell me to wait...
So, I wait, and I trust, and I hope. My hope truly is in You, Lord. Your Word tells me in Isaiah (40:31) "But those who wait on 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." Renew me and strengthen me, Lord. Show me Your way.
I am not overcome with worry. I am not fearful of what the future holds. "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. (Psalm 23:4) I simply desire purpose in my life. Show me Your Will and Way, oh Lord. I trust You to meet my needs, but I desire to serve You. My prayer is simply that You will use me as a willing vessel to show others the way to You.
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Thou art the Potter, I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after Thy will,
While I am waiting, yielded and still.
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Search me and try me, Master, today!
Whiter than snow, Lord, wash me just now,
As in Thy presence humbly I bow.
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Wounded and weary, help me, I pray!
Power, all power, surely is Thine!
Touch me and heal me, Savior divine.
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Hold o’er my being absolute sway!
Fill with Thy Spirit ’till all shall see
Christ only, always, living in me.
This is where I am for now--yielded and waiting for GOD to reveal His plan for my life to me. I would appreciate the prayers of my friends & family while I wait...
Blessings!
Tony
Tony, from reading your daily posts on Facebook, I would say that you are doing exactly what God wants you and each of us to do. You well know what that is--wait on Him. You have did have a rough year in 2011. Although I've never been married, I can only imagine that the most horrible loss is the loss of the one with whom you have become "one flesh". You truly did "walk through the valley of the shadow of death", but here is the key. Look at the preposition after the word "walk". When you were plunged so deeply to the pits, He walked you "through" that valley of the "shadow". For whatever reason, God chose for you to go through it and come out on the side of life rather than join Dee in death. He has a lot for you to do, and we can see that you are doing much of it already. Believe me. I'm a lot older than you are, and I know that He still has much for me to do. Like you, I'd like to see the end from the beginning; but God just doesn't show us our destiny in that way. Remember that old Chaldean Abram. There he was over there in Ur. God, whom his father did not even worship, told him to get up and go. He didn't tell him where or how long it would take him to get there. He was also pretty old then. Just remember that God is not through using you to serve Him. As long as we have life and breath, He is still preparing us to go and do. All we can do as we prepare is WAIT.
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