January 19, 2011When the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, horror and great darkness fell upon him.

—Genesis 15:12 Whenever God gives a vision to a Christian, it is as if He puts him in “the shadow of His hand” (Isaiah 49:2). The saint’s duty is to be still and listen. There is a “darkness” that comes from too much light-that is the time to listen. The story of Abram and Hagar in Genesis 16 is an excellent example of listening to so-called good advice during a time of darkness, rather than waiting for God to send the light. When God gives you a vision and darkness follows, wait. God will bring the vision He has given you to reality in your life if you will wait on His timing. Never try to help God fulfill His word. Abram went through thirteen years of silence, but in those years all of his self-sufficiency was destroyed. He grew past the point of relying on his own common sense. Those years of silence were a time of discipline, not a period of God’s displeasure. There is never any need to pretend that your life is filled with joy and confidence; just wait upon God and be grounded in Him (see Isaiah 50:10-11).
Do I trust at all in the flesh? Or have I learned to go beyond all confidence in myself and other people of God? Do I trust in books and prayers or other joys in my life? Or have I placed my confidence in God Himself, not in His blessings? “I am Almighty God . . .”— El-Shaddai, the All-Powerful God (Genesis 17:1). The reason we are all being disciplined is that we will know God is real. As soon as God becomes real to us, people pale by comparison, becoming shadows of reality. Nothing that other saints do or say can ever upset the one who is built on God.

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January 19, 2011

Wait on the Lord. Be patient. God is never late. ….Phrases I absolutely hate to hear when I am anxious, fearful or in pain. It is easy for me to offer them up to others, but when I am in the middle of the fear, pain or anxiety, these are not words or phrases I want to hear.

And God says…”Waiting and patience are human concepts usually associated with wanting something in your life or the life of another to change. You are certain that your joy will be increased if a circumstance is different; someone is healed, finances are improved, a diagnosis more positive, a job secured. But I came to give you life and life more abundantly….. What if your joy was not dependent on new circumstances or changing circumstances? What if your trust, faith and hope  are sufficient and your joy complete regardless of the circumstance? What if you experienced the joy of the immediate all the time because you trust Me to Be God regardless of what circumstances seem to indicate? Would there even be a reason to consider patience and waiting when your joy is already and always full and complete?”

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Journal DJR 1 19 11
Good morning Lord. I seem to not like this whole waiting thing. … but I admit that when I take a short cut, that I usually get something inferior to the real deal that you had promised.
Good observation. It’s not only that you wind up with something less as you say, it’s also that the shaping and development is short changed. So taking short cuts rather than learning to wait with peaceful acceptance has a double negative consequence. You get inferior deals and less Christlikeness …. Not a good choice
OK, I believe. Help my unbelief. I love you.

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