Richard Sims

Waiting and Trusting

If you're a believer, then chances are you've read Isaiah 40:27-31 before. My high school, the Northside Eagles, used it on our FCA t-shirts. It's printed on just about everything in any Christian bookstore. I know, I've been in a few.

But today as I read those words, God really spoke to me. Some of us are out there trying to live a life that's pleasing to God, trying to do what's right when the rest of the world doesn't care, and we're tired. Some of you have been praying and praying and praying, and God hasn't responded, at least not the way you want him to. Maybe there are areas of your life where you've been struggling to have the patience to wait on God's timing. When all of those feelings start creeping in, it's easy to begin to doubt that God will do anything.

Then we start reading Isaiah 40:27-31. God does hear our prayers. God does know what's best. God's going to provide for me, when he's good and ready. (God is never in a hurry, and he's never late.) How could I ever doubt any of that? After all, God is the Creator of the universe.

When we get tired, when we start to doubt, when we pray and God says "wait," or even "no," God is there to provide us with his strength; strength to do, strength to wait, and strength to trust. When we don't have the strength or the patience or the faith, all we have to do is lean hard into the One who has all the strength, patience and faith we'll ever need.

Time Alone with God

I really enjoy when my folks come up to visit and when I travel to Warner Robins to visit down there. When we see each other, we spend a lot of time talking and getting caught up. But sometimes during those visits, we just sit. We may watch a movie, or sit on my front porch or their sun room and drink coffee. Or maybe we tackle a chore together.

Sometimes those times are the best times, because they aren't about conversation. They're about just spending time with each other, just being around each other and relishing that time alone together.

Each day, usually about the same time and in the same place, I block out time to spend alone with God. I usually spend that time in prayer, reading the Bible, meditating on what I've read, and just trying to listen to anything God may be trying to say to me.

Some days, though, God doesn't have anything profound to say to me. I read the Scripture, but God doesn't speak to me there. Some days God just wants me to enjoy sitting with him, spending time with him, just enjoying being with him and relishing that time alone together.

This Sunday at Tapestry we close out the series Text. We're going to focus on finding a specific time, a specific place and a specific plan for you to read the Bible. But please don't get frustrated if you read your Bible and God doesn't speak to you in a loud, unmistakable way. Sometimes he's more excited about the fact that you've chosen to sit down with him and spend some time alone with him. It isn't always about talking and listening. Sometimes it's just about being there.

Let This Quote Sink In...

Mark Batterson had this little statement at the end of a recent blog post (you really owe it to yourself to go here and read his entire post; in fact, you should subscribe to Mark's blog)...Anyway, here's the quote:

"The impact God has planned for us doesn't occur when we're pursuing impact. It occurs when we're pursuing God."

Read that again. And let it sink in.

What about you? In your church, in your job, are you more concerned about making an impact or about your relationship with God? Ponder that question for a little while today...

How Quickly We Forget

My reading today included Mark 8, and in this chapter Jesus looks out over a great crowd and has compassion on them. He realizes that these people are going to be hungry before they can get home to some food, and he mentions this to his disciples.

The disciples respond back to Jesus, "How are we supposed to feed all these people?" Which is not an unusual question, except for the fact that just a short time earlier Jesus had fed even more people with even less food! How quickly they forgot!

You'd think that at least one of the disciples would have said something like, "Hey Jesus, remember what you did last time? Why don't we find a little food and let you do your thing again?" But according to Mark, no one spoke up. So Jesus once again did the impossible, feeding 4000 people and leaving seven baskets of leftovers.

It's so easy for us to jump on the disciples and the fact that sometimes they just didn't get it. But what about us? What about you? How many times have you been faced with a decision, or gone through a really difficult time, or really needed God to provide for you, and you watched him come through in an amazing way? But a little while down the road, when you need God to provide once again, you have those same doubts again.

If you find yourself doubting that God will come through for you, look back over your life and remember what he's done in your past. Ask him to help you with your unbelief. Then watch how he provides for you...once again.

Your Time with God

Last year for Christmas, Tori received this book of devotionals for teens. She made a commitment to read her Bible and do her Devo every night in 2008. Sometimes she had to read early in the day, sometimes she had to read in the car by flashlight, but on December 31, 2008, Tori completed 365 straight days of reading her Bible and Devo and having her quiet time with God. I'm so very, very proud of you, Tori!! (And when you see her, you can tell her how proud you are of her!)

So what about you? How's your daily time alone with God going? Are you reading the Bible on a regular basis? Are you getting alone with God and away from the world at all?

It isn't too late to make a commitment to read the Bible and spend some time with your Heavenly Father on a consistent basis in 2009.

Need some help in Bible reading? Go to YouVersion.com and check out their daily Bible reading schedule. Or come up with your own plan.

God wants to spend time with you in 2009. Will you make time for Him?