“WAIT. That’s my favorite word!!” said no one ever.
We don’t like to wait. We live in a society where we’ve become accustomed to getting what we want, when we want it. And we want it NOW !!!
Welcome back to “Mornings with Bishop Robert” — I’m glad you decided to drop in. My goal is to introduce people to the Jesus they never knew, and help them get to know Him and His word personally – and better ! If our time together today speaks to your heart, then let me invite you to like, subscribe and share it with a friend!
Waiting often feels like wasting time. We wait, and wait, and wait some more. It seems like NOTHING is happening.
Today’s verse says WAIT FOR THE LORD; BE STRONG, AND LET YOUR HEART TAKE COURAGE.
Waiting for the Lord is not a waste of time, because there are always things that we can be doing while we wait for a specific answer to prayer or breakthrough.
I believe that is part of the reason that the second part of that verse says BE STRONG. You don’t become strong by sitting on your hind parts and doing nothing. You become strong by exercise and you become skilled by practice. Being strong requires focused discipline and active determination. You need to DO SOMETHING while you’re waiting to reach your destination.
Michael Jordan is arguably one of the best players the NBA has ever seen. When he was asked about the “secret” to his success, he gave this insightful reply:
“I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”
Of course, the real key is not the failures themselves, but PRESSING FORWARD in spite of the failures. Practice, repetition, skill development, knowledge acquisition – all these things and many more play a role in you becoming the properly prepared person that God intends to use for His glory. Jordan continued to practice, he developed skills and techniques; Michael Jordan did what it took to maximize the talent within and hone it into an incredible skill set.
People who are determined to follow Jesus have a calling, a vision of what Christ has in store for them. When that calling begins to dawn on our heart and minds, we can begin to step out in faith. As we do, God will lead us and direct us; He will see that we end up where He intends us to be. We see the vision, and we keep focused upon it. Step by step we get closer to becoming what He has created us to be. What we behold is what we become, as we walk with Him in faith.
WAIT FOR THE LORD; BE STRONG, AND LET YOUR HEART TAKE COURAGE
We need to keep on pursuing the vision, even when all seems lost. If it’s God’s vision, then He will bring it to pass; if it’s not, then He can correct you and re-direct your path. God is greater than our mistakes. Faith is TAKING what God has GIVEN you. When the day seems darkest and there appears to be no path forward; you’ll find that His strength is perfected in your weakness. You never enter a new season of life from a position of strength but only of weakness. The key to victory in these times is keeping your eyes on Christ and continuing to do what you CAN do; to keep walking towards the goal Christ has set before you.
We must keep our eyes upon Christ, because there will be diversion from our enemy to distract and tempt us. There will be mountains and valleys along the way. These are all to be overcome by our determination to follow Jesus where He leads, to press on IN FAITH and take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of us. When life presents you with mountains that seem insurmountable, you have a choice. You can either moan to God about how big your mountains are or you can shout at the mountains and tell them how big your God is! Unbelief puts circumstances between us and God, but FAITH puts God between us and circumstances.
WAITING is really just a time of preparation for us to overcome the world using the specific gifts and calling Christ has for us. Everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.
Let’s seek God to determine what He has called us to do and who He has called us to be. Then wait on Him. Sharpen your skills, develop your gifts and talents, grow stronger. Face the mountains with courage and the valleys with determination.
My greatest fear is not that I might fail, but rather that I may succeed at something that does not really matter.
WAIT FOR THE LORD; BE STRONG, AND LET YOUR HEART TAKE COURAGE
