How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers. Ps. 1:1-3
Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. Ps 46:10 (NASB)
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Ps 46:10 (NIV)
There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven...He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end. Ecclesiastes 3:1, 11
You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor figs from thistles are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. Matthew 7:16&17
Really I could leave it at that, because God's word says all that needs to be said, but I'm still going to put in my two cents :). I suppose all these thoughts started when a friend I respect and look up to very much suggested I read the book "Radical" by David Platt. This book has made a huge impact on me and my thinking. It's about how Christians and the American church have gotten wrapped up in the wrong pursuits. Things that aren't necessarily bad on their own, but when they become our focus rather than our relationship with God and sharing what Jesus has done for us with a lost and dying world they become a problem. I realized that I am guilty of this. I get so focused on "the plan" and what's next, that I forget that's not really the purpose of life. Finishing school, going to college, getting a job, getting a car, getting a house, getting married, having kids...those are all things that become more important than what we were really created for. Again, let me say, those are not bad things by any means, unless they become our focus. I know, for myself, I constantly catch myself thinking, "I just have to wait for such and such to happen and then I will really be living and enjoying the life God has for me." The Bible says in Jeremiah that God has a plan for all of us...the Bible is also clear that we need to wait on God's timing. I think that is where some problems come in. For one, some people try to hurry God's timing along and make a mess of things. The pastor at my parents church preached on that a few weeks ago. He said some people know God's will, but then they aren't willing to wait on God's timing. Moses, knew he had some purpose with the Israelites, but he went out among them, saw they Egyptian beating an Israelite and ended up committing murder. He then had to flee and hide out in the desert. Then there's Abraham- God promised him that he would be the father of many nations, but as he and his wife continued to grow older and not have any children, he doubted God's promise and decided to make children happen with his wife's servant. Then he got a son, and eventually got the son God had originally promised him through his wife, and there was conflict between all of them, and there is still conflict between their descendants to this day.
I think there is another way that waiting becomes an issue though. "Be still and know that He is God" gets thrown around a lot...I don't think that's bad, but I think some people take it too literally. They do absolutely nothing while they wait for God's plan to unfold. I think of a puddle of stagnant water that attracts mosquitoes and smells and is just generally unpleasant. What they should be is like the tree mentioned in Psalms 1. Resting by the water, but still producing fruit and providing shade. Still contributing, just not trying to make God's will happen on their own. My pastor has been preaching a series called "Where's the fruit?" and that has been so perfect with all that's been going through my mind and going on in my life. Like I said, I'm guilty of my focus getting wrong, but I'm also guilty of trying to make God's will happen in my time and in the way I think it should. And that has left me with messes to clean up. Waiting is certainly not easy, no matter what you may be waiting for, but getting God's will in His way is so much better than anything we could ever do. And while we are waiting we can still be developing our relationship with Him and being fruitful, rather than wasting away. The "in between" times of life are what make up most of life, and I know for me at least I want to know that I was using those times to grow and to share God's love with others. I think those in between times help us to see that maybe what we thought was "the plan" wasn't quite right, and helps us to see those areas that we need to work on. And in our waiting, we are resting in God and His promises, and that should still be producing fruit in our lives.
