Was this God giving me direction for the day? Was He already trying to speak to me? I wasn't even fully awake yet. I turned over in my bed, desperately hoping to get some Divine Words from Heaven. "Where are you God?" I whispered. Flipping back over, there they were... the RED shoes, all staring in my direction. I just knew my answer from God was in that radiant heap of redness. This was going to be one of those days where I'd have to figure it out for myself. "Okay," I thought, "Better get started!"
Today was a day of exploration... a day of seeking God... a day of searching for answers. Have you ever felt like there was something missing, but you couldn't quite put your finger on what it was? Sometimes I get this strange feeling like there's something inside me -- something awesome -- that hasn't quite manifested itself yet. I want to know what that secret gift is! What is the key that will unlock that mystery?
I thought about the pile of RED shoes. My RED shoes are supposed to remind me to LOOK FOR GOD today. Maybe a "pile" of RED shoes is over-emphasizing the point that today I should REALLY LOOK for GOD... and KEEP LOOKING. Perhaps it's an encouragement not to give up, no matter how difficult it may be?
Today was a little difficult. I listened to worshipful music, but couldn't quite break through. I went on a prayer walk, but still felt unresolved. I watched inspirational clips on my computer, and as good as it all was... I couldn't quite find what I was looking for.
What I did find, though,
was a great message about
"Waiting on God."
A very small part of that message, (but one that I can't totally shake), was about "Patience." I told you that I don't really like waiting. Actually, I'm probably better at it than most. But as I said, we live in a generation of instant gratification, and in this case, it certainly doesn't help matters when it comes to waiting on God.
The writer stated that "We must be EXERCISED in waiting."
There's an interesting thought. Waiting on God is more than just natural patience. I may not complain about waiting on God. And I may not get totally discouraged when things take so long. But so what? That's just average. That's just expected. That's the way it ought to be. But if I'm looking to go to the next level of my faith in Christ... a higher degree of maturity so that God can use me in greater ways... A patient spirit is a must!
A "patient spirit"...- is not fearful.
- It doesn't worry while waiting.
- It trusts God to the fullest.
- It rests in knowing that God is working His plan.
- So it doesn't rush God for an answer, or for a manifestation, or for the delivery of a promise.
There's another interesting term that I discovered today. It's called "The Law of Orderly Development." This is in reference to how God works out His plans in our life. James 5:7-8 says...
"Be patient then brothers, until the Lord's coming.
See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its
valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn
and spring rain. You too be patient and stand firm,
because the Lord's coming is near."
The farmer is patient because he understands the process. He knows that first he has to prepare the soil. Then he plants the seed. Then he waters the crops and waits. The sun shines. The rain falls. Time goes by. The crops grow. Eventually there is a harvest! And not a day sooner than it's meant to be.
I can see that God is building my "Patience" muscles through daily exercise. With this kind of "Spiritual Body Building" God uses a special kind of weights called "DELAYS." Delays force us to be patient. They try us again and again. So when I don't quite respond correctly, that's okay, because we'll practice again tomorrow.
I'm shaping up while I wait on God. Hmmmm... I wonder if I need some type of special RED shoes for that? LOL.
Gail
