Wait Patiently for the Lord

Prayer ~ Lord, there are clouds today. The angels at Your ascension said You’d return just as left…in the clouds. For now, I’m just waiting—but I feel that I need to be doing more. You commissioned all Christians to go and make disciples—so help me to be courageous and “make disciples” for You. That is sort of like mentoring. Everyone needs a mentor, and everyone needs to be a mentor. Open the doors for that to happen for me…and for all the readers of this blog today. Thank You.

Yet I am confident I will see the LORD's goodness while I am here in the land of the living. Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD. Psalm 27:13-14

Meditate. No anxiety—wait patiently.

 

Are you just biding your time waiting for the Lord to return? What are you doing to fill up all the time you have in the day? If you are still working…I’m retired…then your job takes up a good part of your day. Remember what Paul wrote to the Ephesians, suggesting that everything we do need to be done for the Lord.

Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Ephesians 6:7

When I consider the memory verse for this week…Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. 1 Corinthians 16:13, I think about being brave and courageous…but also about standing firm which includes waiting patiently. If we are “firm” in our faith—not wavering—then we will be able to wait patiently for the Lord. Are our lives just about “waiting” or is there something that the Lord expects us to do as we wait? What do you do while you are “waiting” in line at a store, for an appointment, or even in traffic? Is your mind always working? Mine is! I have a friend who uses her time in the grocery line to evangelize for the Lord. I can only wish that I were so bold—but I do look for opportunities. Do you? Do you see the Lord’s goodness here and now and share or ask others about that? That is a good opening to a conversation that involves the Lord. I don’t think much mentoring will happen while waiting in a line, but seeds can be planted that can grow and create a desire for a deeper understanding and a relationship with the Lord.

 

That relationship actually begins the moment you turn your heart to the Lord. Jesus called people to repent—to turn away from their old ways—and to follow Him. How does a person today repent? Same way throughout history. We have to realize that we are sinners. No doubt about it—everyone sins. It is our human nature following Adam and Eve’s rebellion in the Garden of Eden. We have to understand that the result of sin is death—but God had a plan that wasn’t just sacrificing animals to cover up the sin. No. Because God loved us—these humans He created so much, He willingly gave up His own Son, Jesus, as a sacrifice for us…and Jesus obediently went to the cross. One sacrifice for all mankind. So, when we repent and ask for forgiveness for our sins, Jesus becomes our own Savior. We’re human, so we keep on sinning…just less each day as we allow Jesus to be first in our lives. That’s God’s plan. It includes a bonus of eternal life with Him—in heaven. Everyone will live eternally—either with God or without Him. It is our choice. By choosing Jesus as our Savior, we choose eternal life with the glorious Almighty God in His magnificent creation called Heaven. It is beyond our imaginations. For now, we can just wait patiently for the Lord.

 

Verses of Salvation ~ The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, "The LORD is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!" The LORD is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him. So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the LORD. Lamentations 3:22-26

 

Memory Verse of the Week - Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong.

Corinthians 16:13

 

Friday’s Feast at the King’s Table

What are you eating today…or tomorrow? It is good to plan ahead and it is time here in the Northwest to plant your garden. In eastern Washington state we sometimes get a light frost in April and early May, so gardens are safely planted around Mother’s Day. Considering the Farmer’s Almanac, I don’t think the moon is just right for planting this weekend—but I just stuck some potatoes in the ground yesterday and am hoping for a few potatoes next fall. I’ll be planting some tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, bok choy, and of course, basil soon. Lots and lots of basil! I’ve got an herb garden that is already got parsley, oregano, horseradish, garlic and leeks growing like crazy. We’ll have some tasty dishes in the days ahead.

 

Plan and plant your garden soon—even if it is just a simple pot by your door with some tomatoes and marigold flowers. There is something special about eating food that you have grown yourself. Blessings.

 

 

© 2022 Text, photos, and illustrations by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved. ant XXX

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted. 

New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. 

Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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