On Hold - A Devotion

James 1:2-4 (NLT)
Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

I do not like to be put on hold. I am not a fan of red lights. I detest long lines. Being a straight forward, fast lane kind of girl is not an attribute when it comes to the Kingdom of God. In fact, I do believe God has established many wait times in order to build my endurance. My level of patience has stretched considerably over the years but still does not meet the demand of His Spirit. Rather than waiting on the Lord, I still am guilty of trying to do things myself. Clearly not a fan, I used to get aggravated by all the hindrances in my life feeling at times that there was some kind of conspiracy. Well, I was right. The Lord wants me to build endurance and patience but not to worry for there is a purpose in His Plan. At the end of such things, I will find joy! I will be fully developed maturing in faith! I will be complete which will produce contentment and satisfaction that the world can no longer take away. Finally, I will need nothing as I use the rich inheritance of favor and promises kept by My Father with Love.

Most people will tell you not to pray for patience because it will bring about trouble in your life. It has been my experience that tests and trials find me whether I pray for patience or not. So why not request assistance from the Lord in these things we know will surely come? Endurance allows us to cultivate hope with the measure of faith given to us by the Lord. It plants faith in the Word of God but like all farmers must wait for the crop to grow and mature for the harvest. Trouble is people do not and will not wait. We do not have to. The world has tried to keep us from waiting by mass producing drive-thrus, microwaves, express lanes and credit cards. These “things” are not the problem but immature faith that has never been allowed to grow into confident hope that allows us to wait on the Lord for His Best instead trying to make the best of things in this life. God never intended for you to comprise or settle for anything. In fact, each new day is filled with His Faithfulness and provides enough mercy to see you through. But until we see each day as the opportunistic venture that it is we will never experience the fulfillment of God that we seek. Your faith must be tested to expose insufficiencies. Do not be afraid of trials but let endurance grow. Do not abandon your faith. It is not time to jump out of the fire. God is perfecting you. He is completing you. You will need nothing when He is done!

Ecclesiastes 7:8 (NLT) Finishing is better than starting. Patience is better than pride.

Many people will call on the Name of the Lord to be saved but few will commit their life to being a Christian. They have no intention of waiting on the Lord and embrace the philosophy that “you only live once.” I wish for their sake it was true but it is not. Everyone will face the Lord one day and His Judgment is unavoidable. To finish is always better than starting. If you start something that you never intend to finish, you are wasting time, energy and effort. Pride may be your motivation in the beginning but when it comes to faith in Jesus Christ. It is patience that wins the prize. Jesus Christ knew that when He suffered and died on the Cross, He would not immediately return to claim His Prize. Instead, He knew that He would have to wait at the Right Hand of God for His Timing. Are you willing to wait on the Lord?

2 Corinthians 6:6-10 (NLT)
We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us and by our sincere love. We faithfully preach the truth. God’s power is working in us. We use the weapons of righteousness in the right hand for attack and the left hand for defense. We serve God whether people honor us or despise us, whether they slander us or praise us. We are honest, but they call us impostors. We are ignored, even though we are well known. We live close to death, but we are still alive. We have been beaten, but we have not been killed. Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything.

I used to live a double life. Not intentionally, of course. Truthfully, I never saw it coming and am not really sure when it happened. The burdens of life had firmly attached themselves to me and I was fighting back in my own strength and power not waiting on the Lord. I was living for God in some ways but my entire life was not committed to Him. Work had gained a stronghold in my life. I had lost sight of the people that I worked with keeping my eyes focused only on the task at hand. I was frustrated and overloaded. We were looking for another church although I didn’t really know what I was looking for. It seemed that although our life seemed “normal” I was very dissatisfied. It was about this time that God allowed my world to be shaken down to its foundation by just one word – “cancer”. Did the Lord give my son cancer? Absolutely not! Did the Lord use this time to change my life? Absolutely!

As believers, we are proven by our purity, understanding, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit and sincere love. It is easy to be led astray by the burdens of life and I believe God will allow things to occur to get our attention and put us back on track. We have everything! So why do we work so hard in this life to have things? As I sat in the hospital room watching my son sleep, I could feel the burdens in my life that God did not give me but that I had picked up falling to the floor very literally. In the silence of my soul, I could sense the Holy Spirit sorting through my life and randomly disposing of those things that had stifled my faith for so long. The Spirit found what He was looking for at the bottom of my heart. He raised it triumphantly shaking off the dust and declared, “Here is your hope – I found it once more.” While most people are known to fall into depression and dismay in the midst of such a battle, my hope was renewed as the Lord faithfully covered it in His Mercy reinforced it with Grace and revived it with His Amazing Love. In an instant, I knew it would be okay! This interruption of life saved my soul! What are you going through today? Does it seem like too much to bear? Well, it probably is as the Holy Spirit works to expose your faith and cultivate hope in your life once more? Yes, there is more to life than this now let the Lord work it out. What is your part? You must be patient. You must endure. You must wait on the Lord. That is really all that you can do!

Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT)
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

It is important to know and understand what exactly the Lord is working out in your life as you attempt to work out your salvation. He is looking for love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control which prove that we are believers as we follow the example of Jesus Christ. These characteristics are not strongly embraced in this world as they imply weakness. But to God they mean everything! He identifies His People by such attributes so please understand without them you are deemed unfaithful to God and in direct opposition with His Kingdom as they are part of His Law that governs it.

Colossians 3:11-12 (NLT)
In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters and he lives in all of us. Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

God’s Best for your life is not defined by the things you have or the people in your life. It is the condition of one’s soul. Religion is only an adornment of faith that should only solidify our life in Jesus Christ through teaching, fellowship and service. It does not define our relationship at all. Therefore to be an intentional Christian, we must strive to clothe ourselves in mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness and (ugh) patience. I used to get mad when I had to wait but now I just laugh. God knows me all too well. Patience allows us to endure. Endurance requires concentrated effort because it is needed most when we feel like giving up making us press in.

Psalm 5:3 (NLT)
Listen to my voice in the morning, LORD. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly.

If you do not expect the Lord to come, you will not wait. It is imperative that you believe in the One who you are waiting for or you will simply move on. (2 Thessalonians 3:5) Faith will produce confident hope when you wait and He arrives. So wait expecting the Lord to come!

Psalm 27:13-14 (NLT)
Yet I am confident I will see the LORD’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living. Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD.

You must wait patiently. He is going to come in His Time not yours. Expect God’s Goodness in the Land of the Living and don’t use impatience as an excuse to do it your way. If you do not believe that God is working on your behalf confidently, hope will be overpowered by fear. (Romans 8:24-25) Have confidence in the Lord today, He will never let you down but you must wait for Him.

Psalm 37:7 (NLT)
Be still in the presence of the LORD and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.

Be still in the Presence of the Lord and stop shifting, wavering and changing positions. You must be willing to wait for God to move on your behalf and not let others sway your faith. Faith firmly rooted and planted in God’s Word committed to His Way will have His Will. Are you willing to wait on the Lord?

Psalm 62:1-2 (NLT)
I WAIT QUIETLY BEFORE GOD, FOR MY VICTORY COMES FROM HIM. HE ALONE IS MY ROCK AND MY SALVATION, MY FORTRESS WHERE I WILL NEVER BE SHAKEN.

No, it is not a typographical error that this verse is capitalized – just a little added emphasis for me. We must wait quietly on the Lord. We must stop grumbling and complaining about everything. (Lamentations 3:25-26) Such words hinder His Arrival because they are evidence that we doubt His Ability to meet our needs and satisfy our soul. Stop talking about all your problems and speak of His Faithfulness and Love. God will make you victorious. He is working out all the details now. Stop talking bad about your Provider, Deliverer, Redeemer and Healer. Who would want to be in the company of someone who was talking bad about them all the time? Not me. Neither does God!

Psalm 62:5-6 (NLT)
Let all that I am wait quietly before God for my hope is in him. He alone is my rock and my salvation my fortress where I will not be shaken.

Faith and confident hope are produced in those who will crucify pride and give ALL of themselves to the Lord. He becomes the Rock and Refuge of those who choose to be foreigners in this world waiting on what is to come. (Isaiah 56:6) Will you hold fast to God’s Covenant as the others whose names are in the Hall of Faith (Hebrews 11)? The Lord is faithful to complete all the things He has promised. He is able and willing. Are you?

Proverbs 8:33-35 (NLT)
Listen to my instruction and be wise. Don’t ignore it. Joyful are those who listen to me,
watching for me daily at my gates, waiting for me outside my home! For whoever finds me finds life and receives favor from the LORD.

It is time for true believers to climb up on the watchtower and wait for the Lord. He is coming. (Habakkuk 2:1-3) Christians must remain there until He comes. Listening for His Voice daily. Watching for His Arrival daily. Living like He will come daily. Waiting outside comfort and control daily. For those who find Jesus – will have Life and receive God’s Favor! There is nothing like the flavor of God’s Favor. I live in the South. Collard greens are a delicacy in these parts. Fresh collards are a pain to clean and prepare for cooking. It is quite a lengthy process. As they begin to simmer on the stove, the smell is horrible. I mean truly horrendous so much so my husband does not allow them to be prepared in the house. The end result is well worth the process when you take the first bite. Taste and see that the Lord is good! (Psalm 34:8) Though preparation may be painstaking, the process lengthy and the fire of refinement almost unbearable – His Joy and Peace is worth it all! I will say it again – there is nothing like the flavor of God’s Favor!

Ecclesiastes 11:4-5 (NLT)
Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant. If they watch every cloud, they never harvest. Just as you cannot understand the path of the wind or the mystery of a tiny baby growing in its mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the activity of God, who does all things.

Patience is ALWAYS a requirement of the harvest in the natural and spiritual aspects of life. You will not receive His Promise without waiting for His Time to come. You may not understand all that God is doing but He is worth the wait. If you are on hold today, rejoice. Good things are about to come! Just make sure that it’s not God who is waiting on you!

Isaiah 30:18 (NLT)
So the LORD must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion. For the LORD is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for his help.