Day 30: The end

To be very honest.  I'm tired.  I was excited at the beginning of this month.  I didn't take much time or thought or prayer before I started this 31 days.  Things started out well.  And I was super excited to write.

But here I am at the end of October, tired, worn down.  I need a break.  I was full of energy when I started this challenge.  And I really wanted to finish.  But I think I am going to stop a day early.

I think I've been trying to do to be on my blog, at least the last weeks of this month.  And it has worn me down.  It takes so much effort to do.  I was no longer writing for my own benefit, but trying to be witty, smart, basically the best writer.

I haven't been waiting with joy.  I've been impatient and easily offended, and at the stupidest things.  I don't think I've been waiting on the Lord enough.  

I've had a lot of guest posts over the end of this month, which has been fantastic!  And I've been using a lot of things I've written in my journal.  So nothing has seemed too hard, but all the same, today I feel spread too thinly.

I've decided to take a break.  I don't know for how long.  But until I can get back to the place of writing more for myself than for anyone else, not worrying how many people read my blog or what they think, a place of being, receiving, and living from God, I will be writing more in my journal than on this blog.  I love to write, but I need to do this.  It doesn't mean that I've failed, it just means I need to wait some more.  Dwell on what this phrase really means.

I already have some posts already written, like what I learned in October, so that will go up when that link-up opens, but after that my posting may be sparse.  But only for a time, a season.  I promise I will be back, with more words and more pictures, and if I'm the only one who ever reads them or sees them, that will be enough for me.

Haha!  Have fun joyfully waiting!

To see more posts in this series just click on the label "31 Days" under the title of each post in this series, or go back to Day 1 here and choose from the list of days listed at the bottom of the post.

Day 29: Be

It is easier to do than to be sometimes.

I try to do to please others rather than just be.  Be me.  Be who God created.

Doing is rushing in with my agenda, pushing what I think is right for the situation.  There is a time to act.

But joyful waiting is being.  Being aware.  Being present.  Listening more, talking less.  Not having to prove everything all the time.  It is trust.  Resting in His strength, in His love, in His life-giving Word.

My life, my purpose, isn't about what I do or don't do.  It is about who I choose to be.  Am I being, or am I trying to do to be.

To see more posts in this series just click on the label "31 Days" under the title of each post in this series, or go back to Day 1 here and choose from the list of days listed at the bottom of the post.

Day 28: From

Living for God.  It's a phrase that I hear often.

What does that look like?  Aren't there a lot of things we can live for?  We can live for something that we are waiting for.  But that isn't necessarily God.

When I think of living for someone, I think of someone who can't get around, who is not physically able to do some activities.  You can experience things for them and express those things to that person, but it won't ever be the same as them having the experience themselves.

It means we are an individual, independent of everyone else.  We can choose to turn off that "living for" someone in an instant, and live for ourselves.

Living from God.

It goes deeper.  I picture God's hand, and I am laying in His hand, connected to it.  I am no longer the same weak, flawed individual that I was.  I am an extension of God.  Not that I am God, but His work, His love, the life that He gives, flows from Himself out through me.  The Holy Spirit is that connecting piece.  The Holy Spirit is what grips us.

Young children live from their parents, they don't live for their parents.  Their parents provide for their needs.  That is how we are to live from God.

It means I can have joy in the waiting because I am not depending on myself for that joy.  The Holy Spirit grips me in the palm of His hand.  God already knows my needs, I just need to live connected.

Live from Him and receive the grace that I need.

To see more posts in this series just click on the label "31 Days" under the title of each post in this series, or go back to Day 1 here and choose from the list of days listed at the bottom of the post.

Forever Isn't Easy

It keeps coming back.  This feeling, when you come back.

You want friends not family.  I would rather have family than friends.  

Family is (supposed to be) forever.  They are closer, yes.  More easily hurt.  But worth every hurt, every reconciliation, every ounce of love.

You took family and threw it in the dirt.  Trampled on the very name of it.  Because you wanted you.  You chose yourself over everything else.

Hurt like that doesn't just disappear, and neither do you.  You keep coming back, bringing all the pain and questions with you.

Was it ever real?  Or did you only ever want to have fun not a family?  Did you ever care?  Was anything true?

I remember that day.  You promised forever.  Hugs went around.  Games were played.  Yes, it was fun.  Was everything a game after that?

Forever isn't all fun and games.  Forever isn't easy.  

Fun isn't forever.  Friends aren't forever either.  They change and go.  Family changes, but you have to deal with those changes.

You would probably say that I don't understand.  You would be right.  I don't understand.

Do you even understand?

Day 27: Receive

Yesterday, I was reminded of a journal entry that I wrote  back in April.  I didn't know it at the time, but it has a lot to do with joyful waiting.  I was reading Emily Freeman's book, Grace For The Good Girl, and three words struck and pierced my heart.  Receive.  From.  Be.  All of these words are connected, but I think for the sake of length I'll talk about them separately then tie them back together in my 30th post in this 31 day series.

Receive.

It is so hard to receive sometimes.  To open up our hands to allow them to be filled with blessing.

Compliments.  What am I supposed to say back?  Just thank you?  I always want to rush in right away and say something nice back, but does that come across sincere?  I don't want to become or look prideful about the things I am complimented on, so sometimes I just brush the compliment away, put the attention back on someone else.

Gifts.  As much as I love to get gifts, it is so awkward to sit there and have everyone stare silently at you as you open up a wrapped box or gift bag.  And then you pull out the gift, and whether or not you love it, you don't want to be fake, so you say "It's so great," but you never feel like you can express how much gratitude you actually have.

Necessities.  Basically, I feel like a beggar when I accept food or clothing from someone.  I appreciate it, but it makes me feel ashamed to be in need of something.

Grace, the Holy Spirit.  I think I know what both of these are, but how do you receive grace.  Or how do you receive the Holy Spirit?

It takes a change of my heart and mind.  I don't need to give more to receive more.  It is a hunger, a desire for knowing who God is.  Sitting down with Him to receive what He wants to give.  I don't receive when I don't take the time to be with Him, when I crowd Him out with all the things I need to accomplish.

I need to go into my room, shut the door, wait... and receive...

"But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."  Matthew 6: 6

To see more posts in this series just click on the label "31 Days" under the title of each post in this series, or go back to Day 1 here and choose from the list of days listed at the bottom of the post.

Day 26: In The Barrenness

I will have 5 days left after this post!  It would be amazing if I just kept getting guest posters, but I don't think that is going to happen.  But for now, I am enjoying reading what other people have to say about joyful waiting.  Today's post comes to you from father-in-law, Joe Garber...

Isaiah 64:1-3 (NLT)

Oh, that you would burst from the heavens and come down!    How the mountains would quake in your presence!
As fire causes wood to burn    and water to boil,your coming would make the nations tremble.    Then your enemies would learn the reason for your fame!
When you came down long ago,    you did awesome deeds beyond our highest expectations.
    And oh, how the mountains quaked!

In my barrenness I am easily drawn to the urgency of the moment...the unresolved situations at hand...the healing that is not yet...the unpaid bill...the relationship that is yet to be reconciled...the dream or vision that is yet to come to fulfillment.  Life is filled with a myriad of scenarios that parallel these short descriptions of life's experiences.  What should my posture be as a child of God?  What did I say?  Yes, this is it!!  I am a child of GOD.

Let me put things in perspective once again.  OK. I am a child of God, the Sovereign who reigns forevermore.  He owns the cattle on a thousand hills, He provides the rain for just and the unjust, He created all things for His glory...In fact the scripture says that by HIS WORD He holds all things together.  Is it any too big of a thing for me to expect GOD to hold even my life together...a solution for the barrenness that I am experiencing?  Our verse for today beckons God to burst from the heavens and to come down!!  His presence will shake the situations of life that seem to be immovable!!  His coming will bring even our township, our county, our state, our nation,  THE NATIONS to a place of trembling.  Bring me Lord to a place where I will tremble before your amazing presence.

As your word says you will do things beyond my wildest expectations and I glorify your awesome name for you alone are God and I am your beloved child.  I know you care for me and my family along with everyone that calls you LORD.  We know and believe that In our barrenness there is a Rainmaker (click here)

           

                               there is joy in the waiting!!

To see more posts in this series just click on the label "31 Days" under the title of each post in this series, or go back to Day 1 here and choose from the list of days listed at the bottom of the post.

Day 25: Life Is Now

I'm on a roll with all these guest posts!  I'm kind of glad.  I feel like I have more to write, but I don't know what it is right now.  So here is a guest post from my littlest (and youngest) sister, Kristen.  :)

Joyful Waiting. Waiting Joyfully. Filled with joy in the process of waiting. Joy. Wait.

After Valerie asked me to write a guest post I got really excited but then also apprehensive. I’m not much of a writer. But here it goes!

While thinking about the topic of joyfully waiting many different scenarios came to mind. However, they all have something in common. Waiting, waiting, waiting…

There is something that needs to be broken off of our culture. We have to stop waiting for our “life” to start. We go from “once I’m in high school, then I’ll feel grown up”, to “once I graduate college” to “once I have a real job” to “once I get married” to “once I have kids” to this to that. We continue to wait to grow up and wait for life to start. What if we lived with the mindset that our life is NOW.  Not tomorrow, not two years from today, but now.

Our life is now and our life is for Jesus and the Kingdom of Heaven. In that we can find JOY.  We have to model our lives after Jesus, after all we are Christ Followers. What did his daily life look like? He lived in the moment and for the people. And he wants us to do the same. John sums it up for us, check out 1 John 4 7-21 ::

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.  Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.

Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.  We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. We love, because He first loved us. If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.

How did Jesus keep his focus on loving people? He had an eternal mindset, He knew the Father’s heart, and He had a sense of urgency for the hour that He lived in. We should model our lives after Jesus and do the same. In this we will find JOY. For there is no truer joy than to see…

Someone FOUND who was once lost

Someone FREED who was once bound.

Someone DANCE who was once lame.

Someone HEALED who was once sick

Someone ALIVE who was once dead

they had an encounter with the King of Kings because someone was Jesus to them.

“Freely you have received; freely give”

To see more posts in this series just click on the label "31 Days" under the title of each post in this series, or go back to Day 1 here and choose from the list of days listed at the bottom of the post.

Day 24: Sacrifice Of Praise

Waiting is hard.  Joyful waiting is harder still.

It takes sacrifice.

The other night I had to make a sacrifice.  I had to give up what I thought was going to happen to do something that I wasn't looking forward to, basically I didn't have any other choice.  I wasn't too happy about it.

Then I think about sacrifice in the Bible.  It was supposed to happen on a regular basis, but there were also special times that it happened.  Like when someone had sinned, to atone for that sin they were required to make a sacrifice.  But it also happened in times of celebration, with praise and thanksgiving.

The time that I think of this happening was when David brought the ark of the Lord back to Jerusalem.  He and all the people danced in crazy celebration before the Lord.  There was this huge celebration.  Then they offered sacrifices to God.

"They brought the ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and David sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before the Lord."  -2 Samuel 6: 17

When I think of the sacrifice that I made, although it wasn't the same kind (like a physical thing that you could touch and see), my heart was not in the right place.  My heart was not in the place of making that sacrifice with praise.  I was more making the sacrifice with anger and frustration.

How much could this change my perspective, if I think about how a sacrifice was made in the OT when I have to make a sacrifice?  We don't need to make those animal sacrifices today because Jesus came and died as an atonement for all our sins, but what we do can still be a sacrifice.  A pouring out of ourselves in thanksgiving, in humility, in praise, for who God is and for all that He has done.

It takes God changing my heart.  Instead of being hard and bitter, waiting with joy for the Lord to come, to speak, to give me peace.  It happened the other night as I prayed for God's strength, because I knew on my own I could not make it through.

To see more posts in this series just click on the label "31 Days" under the title of each post in this series, or go back to Day 1 here and choose from the list of days listed at the bottom of the post.

Day 23: I Love Surprises

My wonderful, thoughtful husband surprised me by writing a post for me while I was working late last night in the barn.  Another guest post!!!  Yay!  So here is a guest post from Josiah...


When I contemplate Joyful Waiting I think about the root words:  Joy and Wait.  Both of these words can bring an incredible amount of gratitude when we realize what Joyful Waiting meant over 2000 years ago.

Joy-  A feeling of great pleasure and happiness.  To Rejoice

When the Angels appeared to the shepherds while out in there fields tending sheep.  Luke 2:10-  but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.

Wait-  a period of waiting. or Used to indicate that one is eagerly impatient to do something or for something to happen.

Wow, think about life before Jesus.  A time where we heard about the Messiah coming, but when?  Many people ended there lives before the Messiah ever came.

This takes me back to a thought about a vacation or something we look forward to.  Part of the satisfaction of going on a vacation is planning the trip and when everything is planned waiting for the time to come when you will leave.  Leading up to that time there is joy in waiting for the time to come.  Not very often do we have joy in knowing our vacation is over:)

Back to waiting for Jesus to come.  It is all planned out, Jesus will come back and take each one who surrendered their lives to Him.  Take a moment to reflect and think:  Is it planned out?  If so, are you living with Joy as you Wait?

To see more posts in this series just click on the label "31 Days" under the title of each post in this series, or go back to Day 1 here and choose from the list of days listed at the bottom of the post.

Day 22: I Shall Come Forth As Gold

10 days left with this post!  This has been a wonderful, agonizing, mind-blowing experience.  These last 10 days, I still have no idea what I'm going to write about.  And I don't know if all that I've written so far has come across clearly or has just been a mess of jumbled thoughts, too difficult to follow.  But the journey continues...


I used to hate waiting.  Patience was not a virtue that I would say I had possessed when I was younger.  I wouldn't say I have it a lot of the time now either, but it is different.

I think God has been feeding me patience as I need it.  He has been drawing me along, through this long, hard time.  Showing me I don't have the control over as much as I thought.

I can't change or soften the heart of anyone on my own.

I can't prevent every cow or calf from getting sick, just like a parent can't prevent every illness or injury from touching their child.

At times it drives me crazy.  Knowing I can do my best at something, but in the end, my best might not be good enough, it might not live up to the standard of success.  That is such a hard thing to learn, or see, even now.

That's how it was playing sports or getting graded on homework.  The decision was up to someone else.  The authority, the coach, the teacher, the boss.

God.

His authority is different though.  He knows what will happen.  He knows the consequences of all of our actions.  He knows what we need.  He knows you.  He knows me.  He knows.  Deeply.

"But He knows the way that I take;

When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold."  -Job 23: 10

"But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever,

the purposes of his heart through all generations."  -Psalm 33: 11

"I will proclaim the name of the Lord;

how glorious is our God!

He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect.

Everything he does is just and fair.

He is a faithful God who does no wrong;

how just and upright he is!"  -Deuteronomy 32: 3-4

We will be tested, our endurance will be tried.  It seems I learn best through struggle, I don't like it, but the outcome will be worth it.

We aren't promised an easy road.  But God already has plans and purposes for us.

He will not fail us.  He is not like us.  His ways are perfect, we may not think so when we go through hard stuff, but somehow they are.

To see more posts in this series just click on the label "31 Days" under the title of each post in this series, or go back to Day 1 here and choose from the list of days listed at the bottom of the post.

Day 21: Surrendering Ourselves To God

I have another guest post today!!  Yay!  This one is from mom-in-law Yvonne Garber.  Here you go.

Waiting on the Lord is surrendering ourselves to God.

John Bisagno observed:

"Waiting upon God requires our entire being.  It is not drifting into day-dreaming, but is rather an exercise that demands our keenest attention, our most alert frame of mind, and all of our soul's attention to the Heavenly Voice."  

A "Waiter" waits on tables.  Attentive to the needs of those he is serving.  Ps. 123 says,

"As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master,
    as the eyes of a female slave look to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the Lord our God,

    till he shows us his mercy."

Psalms 130:6

"I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits,
    and in his word I put my hope.I wait for the Lord
    more than watchmen wait for the morning,

    more than watchmen wait for the morning."

God we choose today, to wait on You, to put our hope in You--help our hearts not to be troubled, but to enter into active, joyful, waiting--show us how to do this, and reveal anything that stands in our way--for Your glory.  Amen

To see more posts in this series just click on the label "31 Days" under the title of each post in this series, or go back to Day 1 here and choose from the list of days listed at the bottom of the post.

Day 20: Christ Is Enough

I had planned to put up a different song, but this one popped up in my YouTube suggestions, so I watched/listened to it and love it so much!!  Such a good song, especially as I joyfully wait.

Hillsong Live- Christ Is Enough

To see more posts in this series just click on the label "31 Days" under the title of each post in this series, or go back to Day 1 here and choose from the list of days listed at the bottom of the post.

Day 19: As I was waiting

As I was waiting for life to clear, become more colorful and joyful, I read this book.  It exposed a deep secret, one that I hid from myself.

I've been wearing masks my whole life.  I've been hiding who I really am from everyone, even trying to hide from God.  I didn't want to step into the light because then everyone would be able to see all the flaws, all the chips and cracks in my soul.

Grace For The Good Girl by Emily P. Freeman

This book has been so meaningful!  It took me so long to read.  I would read a chapter at a time, then set it aside, hoping to write about what I had learned.  Then picking it up weeks later, not having written anything at all, but hungry to uncover more.  The last few chapters went straight to my heart, especially as I write on the topic of Joyful Waiting.

Seriously, every woman should read this book!!  It may not have the same affect on everyone, but I believe it will help you chip away at any masks you've been wearing and bring you to a more full understanding of who you are in Christ!

To see more posts in this series just click on the label "31 Days" under the title of each post in this series, or go back to Day 1 here and choose from the list of days listed at the bottom of the post.

Day 18: Waiting To Grow Up

Growing up was something I always wanted to hurry along when I was young.

When I was a pre-teen, I wanted desperately to be a teenager, to be able to drive and be cool like that.  Then when I was in high school, I wanted to be a cool college kid.  Then when I was a freshman in college, I wanted to be a senior.  They looked so much older and looked like they knew what they were doing.  They were so confident and carefree!

Then I got to be a senior in college, and I had no idea what I was doing, I was still a self conscious wreck, and I pretended to be carefree.  I'm starting to see that is what a lot of people do before they figure out who God created them to be, pretend to be who they thing they should be.

And then I got married fresh out of college to my high school sweetheart!  Which was such an awesome decision (but I still have no idea how it all began!).  Sometimes I second-guess my choice to go to college, maybe we should have gotten married straight out of high school?  But the decision I made was for some reason, I haven't clearly figured that out yet though.  And we probably weren't ready for that.

I wanted time to move faster, so I didn't have to wait to grow up.  I thought as I grew up I would know what I wanted to do with my life.  I thought everything was so easy as an adult!

And now, I feel like I'm staring 30 in the face and completely lost as to where the time went (And I'm still closer to 25 than 30 right now)!  Aging happens fast!  But growing up?  I haven't really felt like an adult yet.  The responsibilities are there, but I still feel like one of the young ones.

And then the thought comes, "well, just wait until you have kids.  Then you'll feel like an adult."  Well, probably not.  Maybe someday I will feel like an adult (although, I feel it more and more with every time I let myself be lazy and then start working out again, man am I sore!).

Until then (and even after that), I should probably just enjoy every day, every year, every relationship, for what they are.  Blessings.

To see more posts in this series just click on the label "31 Days" under the title of each post in this series, or go back to Day 1 here and choose from the list of days listed at the bottom of the post.

Day 17: Not For A Moment

Change.  A word I don't particularly like.  It means something new, and scary.  Unpredictable, uncertain.  And something that I just plain dread.  Because of the unknown.

Every time there is a change about to take place in my life, I feel like there is this battle going on inside of me.  One half wants to stay the same, never change, be comfortable with what I have and where I'm at.  The other half just wants to get it over with, hoping that the change is better than what I have now, but still not sure it will be.

I don't know what will happen.  And a lot of days, the waiting for something to change leads to confusion more than joy.  It also seems that the longer I am stuck waiting, the more confused I can become.  It creeps in when I let myself wallow in what I want, what I "need" from this situation, instead of trusting that no matter the outcome, God knows what He is doing.  He is faithful and there has never been a moment when He has forgotten about me or not heard my cries for help.

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”  -Deuteronomy 31: 6

To see more posts in this series just click on the label "31 Days" under the title of each post in this series, or go back to Day 1 here and choose from the list of days listed at the bottom of the post.

Day 16: Life Worth Living

I found this journal entry from a few years back and I thought I needed to post it.  Once again, I'm amazed at looking back at what God was teaching me then and how it can apply to my life today!  So here it is, a "guest" post (sort of) from a younger me.


Faced with a huge and intimidating prospect of... (fill in the blank), I was thinking about all the negative.  All the things that I am not good at.  How messy I have "always" been, how terrible I am at keeping my house in order.  All that I am not.  How so much better other people are at housework tasks than I am.  How I don't want to do this again.  It is too much sacrifice for me.  I'm the one that loses out in this situation.

Then Josiah said something strange that really caught me off guard.

"Your life is worth living."

Why would he say that?  I'm not suicidal.

But thinking about everything that I have been questioning and doubting, haven't I been taking my life for granted?  Haven't my negative thoughts really been leading me to believe that my life, how it is right now, isn't what I want it to be, and therefore makes it unworthy to live?

So instead of living, I go into negative-mode, wishing for what I don't have, things that surely will make everything better.

Isn't that suicide of a different kind?  Suicide of my heart.  What stupid lies have I believed!?

God, I'm sorry that I have.  I know that living in a fog is not your plan for me.  I know that you are faithful and you have a fulfilling life for me.  Your plan is not for me to kill my heart, my dreams, my emotions, just because I don't fit this perfect image in my head.

My life is worth living.  Show me how to live it.

"Bring joy to your servant, Lord,

    for I put my trust in you."

 -Psalm 86: 4

To see more posts in this series just click on the label "31 Days" under the title of each post in this series, or go back to Day 1 here and choose from the list of days listed at the bottom of the post.

Day 15: Joyfully Waiting: A Song For You

Yay!!  This is sort of a guest post!  I was super blessed by this song that Charise wrote!!  And that she shared it with us on her birthday (Saturday)!

She will eventually record this and make a video to go with it, but with her super busy med-school life that wasn't happening in time for this post.  And I really wanted to post it because I was super blessed and amazed and thankful and blessed.  Did I say that already?!  Well it is true.  And I hope it blesses you also as you read it and let it fill your soul today!

Joyfully waiting

Hope floods my soul

As I fix my eyes 

on eternity,

everything else 

seems so very small.

I know I must ask to receive

But sometimes I forget

to humble myself and ask

other times I forget 

to quiet myself and receive

But this is why my soul sings;

You are faithful,

and your mercies are new every morning

You are love made tangible

Painting rainbows of faithfulness

and morning skies with love.

Music has sound,

wind changes things,

flowers have fragrance

and birds have wings. 

Awaken my soul

to infinite love

Let me sing your praise

and dance your grace

Awaken our hearts here

in this place

Let us see, oh

let us see your face!

All rights for these lyrics go to Charise Garber.  Please do not use without permission.

To see more posts in this series just click on the label "31 Days" under the title of each post in this series, or go back to Day 1 here and choose from the list of days listed at the bottom of the post.

Day 14: Crisis of Faith

Sometimes we have to wait a long time for God to start to fulfill our dreams.

It might take longer than we would like and so we give up.

I'll never get to do that, I'll never get there, it will never happen.

This is something we talked about in church yesterday.  It is called a crisis of faith.  When we lose hope that God will ever fulfill His promises, so we do it our own way.

There are so many examples in the Bible where this happens!

Abraham and Sarah: God promises them a child, but they get restless and Sarah gives her servant to Abraham, so that through her, they could have a child.  That ended up with jealously and hurt.

The Israelites (many times):  After a bad scouting report from 10 out of 12 spies, they wanted to turn around and go back to slavery in Egypt instead of walking forward in victory into the land the Lord had been promised.  For that they got to wander in the wilderness for 40 more years, until the people who were 20+ years old had died (with the exception of Joshua and Caleb).

Judas:  All of Jesus' disciples thought that Jesus would bring a political revolution.  They thought he would rule as a king on the earth (and they would be his rich, powerful buddies).  They didn't understand why he was really on earth (at least until after his resurrection).  Judas got tired of waiting, to him Jesus was just another average human.  He let unbelief creep in, which opened the door for him to be enticed into betraying Jesus (which worked for the best, Jesus' death and resurrection did bring salvation).  He ended up killing himself, lonely and miserable.

Those are just a few examples.

We are imperfect, unreliable humans.  We lose hope, or worse yet, we put our hope in ourselves.  We strive on our own strength.

Striving is exhausting.  It can feel like we are physically trying to move a mountain on our own to reach what we dream.

But it doesn't have to be that way.  It is called faith.

"Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see."  -Hebrews 11: 1


"Jesus looked at them and said, 'With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God'.”  -Mark 10: 27

To see more posts in this series just click on the label "31 Days" under the title of each post in this series, or go back to Day 1 here and choose from the list of days listed at the bottom of the post.

Day 13: Sunday Psalm

 A psalm for your Sunday.  Hope you are having a great day!  Trust that the Lord is faithful and loving.  His plans hold true from yesterday to today to forever.

                                Psalm 33

 Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous;
    it is fitting for the upright to praise him.
 Praise the Lord with the harp;
    make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.
 Sing to him a new song;
    play skillfully, and shout for joy.

 For the word of the Lord is right and true;
    he is faithful in all he does.
 The Lord loves righteousness and justice;
    the earth is full of his unfailing love.

 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
    their starry host by the breath of his mouth.
 He gathers the waters of the sea into jars;
    he puts the deep into storehouses.
 Let all the earth fear the Lord;
    let all the people of the world revere him.
 For he spoke, and it came to be;
    he commanded, and it stood firm.

 The Lord foils the plans of the nations;
    he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.
 But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever,
    the purposes of his heart through all generations.

 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
    the people he chose for his inheritance.
 From heaven the Lord looks down
    and sees all mankind;
 from his dwelling place he watches
    all who live on earth—
 he who forms the hearts of all,
    who considers everything they do.

 No king is saved by the size of his army;
    no warrior escapes by his great strength.
 A horse is a vain hope for deliverance;
    despite all its great strength it cannot save.
 But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him,
    on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,
 to deliver them from death
    and keep them alive in famine.

 We wait in hope for the Lord;
    he is our help and our shield.
 In him our hearts rejoice,
    for we trust in his holy name.
 May your unfailing love be with us, Lord,
    even as we put our hope in you.

To see more posts in this series just click on the label "31 Days" under the title of each post in this series, or go back to Day 1 here and choose from the list of days listed at the bottom of the post.