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...

You Might Need This Today...

...and if not today, one day you will.

See, I was doing my daily Bible reading on YouVersion this morning. (YouVersion is really neat; you can add your own notes on the verses you're reading, and you can read notes from other people).

Anyway, part of today's reading was Psalm 36, and after I read it, I linked to a blog post written by Rob Henschen.  Click here to read Rob's thoughts on this Psalm. Go ahead, it won't take but a second, and you just might need it...

Lamentations?

I'm reading through the Bible this year with YouVersion, but right before I started that, I finished the little book called Lamentations. This is a really sad book, written by Jeremiah right after the fall of Jerusalem. The people there are living in some horrible conditions, with starving people resorting to despicable acts (see 4:10). I thought I'd share a few thoughts that stood out to me.

1:14 - Sin doesn't offer us freedom; it takes us captive. True freedom is the freedom from sin, not the freedom to sin, and freedom from the power of sin can only come from God.

2:6-7 - A church can have a beautiful building, say all the right things, have all the right programs and follow all the right rituals, but if the people don't look beyond themselves and truly follow God, that church won't be pleasing to God.

3:19-23 - This is a passage to underline, highlight and circle. No matter what you're going through, God will not give up on you, forget you or leave you there. Every day is an opportunity to experience His love, His presence, His faithfulness, His power, whatever it is that you need!  Read these verses when you're having a really bad day.

So there you go, some thoughts from Lamentations.

Where in the Bible are you reading right now? What insights have you had lately?

Guest Blogger: Tammie Bailey

I received this e-mail from fellow Tapestry Church-er Tammie Bailey a few days ago, and with her permission, I'm posting it here...

Good morning. I've been up for two hours now, the negative side of working nights, I guess. Then again, this is my favorite and sometimes only 'God Time' so maybe not negative after all. I've been up, praying and visiting some of my favorite Christian websites. Not to sound ultra holy, I don't pray nearly often enough, but God knows I love Him. My thoughts this morning are centering around God's choice in selecting me for salvation. As Jerry and I watched TV last night an ad mentioned there being 100 billion galaxies. I stopped and really thought of how...limitless that was. Then my own physical place in just one of those 100 billion. Needless to say, I'm sure I can't  even partially comprehend how small I am. I'm a mom to 3 kids who I hope look up to me, I'm a fairly well-read Christian and nurse. I have several people at work who come to me with questions in both arenas and I'd confidently place myself in the top ten most efficient people at my job. But I'm infinitesimally small! I'm the equivalent of looking down at the sand at any beach and trying to see one grain. Which leads me to my question. Why did God choose me? I was a normal if somewhat rambunctious kid, a rebellious teenager and a nightmare twenty something. Suffice it to say, I was not in church, not into God and except for one night at 23 when a friend and I debated eternal security over beer and cigarettes, never gave my salvation a thought. What did God see in me that made him ever think I'd be worth the sacrifice? Knowing my mouth, my rebellion, my Peter-like penchant for acting now and thinking about consequences later, God still loved me. Not only loved me, he longed for me. Me, who is so small, so inconsequential in this world, who will probably never lead a mission to Guatemala or stand on a street corner for Jesus, who loses patience with her kids daily, this is who God went out looking for. Then, in an almost equally awesome thought, He loved everyone that much. The people who make my early years look angelic. The people who  starve their dogs, abuse their kids, kill their neighbors. Thinking of a God big enough to love all of 'them' like he loves all of 'us' makes me realize a 100 billion galaxies isn't so big after all. Thank you God for your love and patience in my life. There is nothing else I need!

Reflections from the Beach

This week the Sims family is at the beach - one last time to enjoy ourselves before the daily grind of school kicks back in. Here's a view as we look down on our tent here at the home of some of our greatest friends, Clark and Josephine Hutchinson.

Before we came here, I read The Organic God by Margaret Feinberg. If you haven't read it, go get it! At the end of the book are rainy day reflections, which I started to read this morning. As I looked out at the ocean, I couldn't help but be in awe at God's creation. Then I read this verse - You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created everything, and it is for your pleasure that they exist and were created. - Revelation 4:11

What an awesome God we serve! He did not have to add beauty to his creation, but he did. Have you seen anything in creation recently that ignited your desire to know God? that reminded you of how great he is and how much you love him? Think on that as you go through your day.