For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11 ESV)
There are times in our lives when we get in a hurry and want things instantaneously, but that is not always going to work in our favor. When we get in a hurry and try to do things our way instead of God’s way, grief, pain, agony and misery will follow. Turning things over to God is always going to be the right answer. Proverbs 16:9 (ESV) declares, “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” Our ways are not God’s ways, and His ways are not ours. Consequently, we must be patient and follow God’s lead.
God is not going to steer you in the wrong direction. As I always heard my mother and my maternal grandmother say, “He is too just to do wrong and too wise to make a mistake.” It cannot be “my way or the highway.” If that is the case, watch out for the repercussions because many times what we want is not always what we need. The Word says, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you” (Psalm 32:8 ESV).
A very dear friend of mine, Lenora Deal, sent me a beautiful Word of the Day on Sunday July 12. Although she has sent me many of these, this one just rested on my mind so much that God led me to use it as a part of my message for this week. It’s entitled, “God Says …,” and it gives you four things to remember. I will list and discuss each one:
• “I will make a way for you.” — In Isaiah 41:10 (ESV), God said, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” In this verse God speaks with tender affection to His people and offers them consolation. We should have no need to worry, given such words of solace and confidence.
• “I’m fighting your battles.” — According to II Chronicles 20:15 (ESV), “And he said, ‘Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the Lord to you,’ ‘Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God’s.’” If you are a child of God, Satan is going to wage war against you. However, you can end your battle quickly, if you choose — simply by quitting and giving in to your fears and doubts. Satan will not bother those who put their confidence in the Lord. Stand still and let God fight your battle because He promised that He would.
• “Prayer is the best medicine.” — “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6 ESV). The key words in this passage of scripture are anxious, everything, prayer, thanksgiving and God. Prayerfully feast on these words, and you will see why prayer is the best medicine. Further, be patient!
• “Trust ‘My’ timing.” — Isaiah 40:31 (ESV) affirms, “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.” The word “shall” denotes a promise. “God said it, and that settles it!” The sooner you realize that God works in His time, the more patient you will become with waiting for an answer to your requests.
Sometimes we are overwhelmed by our problems, but God has the answer if we would just follow His lead. We get anxious, in a hurry going nowhere, and let Satan rob us of our confidence in God. The next time that you try to hurry God, remember the four things said in “God Says…”
Have a wonderfully blessed week, stay safe, get involved in righting the wrongs of social injustice, and never leave home without Him!
(Anna Bright is a minister and educator in Walterboro. She can be reached at abrightcolumn@lowcountry.com)
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July 19, 2020 at 04:00PM
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Be patient and follow God's lead | Faith - Walterboro Live
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