“Commit everything you do to the Lord, Trust Him, and He will help you.” (Psalm 37:5 NLT)
Over the three years my wife and I have lived in our current neighborhood I’ve passed out several notes and invitations, rarely, if ever, knowing if they were making any kind of impact. So, for Christmas, as I delivered my note and invitation to our church’s Christmas services, I asked the Lord to give me 24 positive responses from people who would say “yes” to coming to church. 24 was an arbitrary number I chose that has no spiritual significance.
You know where this is going, right? Only one person said they would be coming to church. Failure? Not to me! Why not? Because there were others, not quite 24, but many more than I’ve ever gotten, saying they couldn’t attend, but would in the future. One couple who said “yes” has four children and are part of the Mormon church. I’ve been literally begging God for their salvation.
But that’s not all. The Lord gave me an affirmation that “no” doesn’t mean “never,” only “not yet!” When I was single and my son was going through treatment for leukemia, my “ex” suggested I should ask my son’s nurse out on a date. Dating was the last thing on earth I needed then, but after a while I got the courage to ask her if I could take her to dinner.
A few days later she handed me a note that said she couldn’t because she was my son’s primary nurse, and it wasn’t allowed. Bummer! So, I went to my car and cried (I was very fragile in those days😊). Then, a few days later she handed me a note with her phone number and asked me to call her. So, I went to the car and cried again. (I told you I was fragile😊). By the way, we celebrated our 30th anniversary a week before Christmas.
I’m not discouraged by the responses I received from my Christmas note because I know God is at work in the hearts and minds of many of my neighbors. I’m actually thrilled to be a small part of what He’s doing. Remember: Prayer is the work, then God works! His “not yet” is cause for celebration as I envision how He’s already working in the life of the one who came to church with us. She is planning to come again and bring her eleven-year-old son.
There’s more! My faith is strong for you, my struggling friend. Ron Hutchcraft wrote: “you’ve been waiting for God to come through. You want to be married. You’re waiting for Him to answer your prayer about having a child, raising a child. You’re waiting for that job, that heart change, that breakthrough, that answer, and it hasn’t come yet. Don’t panic. Don’t let impatience cost you the perfect will of God.
Premature babies aren’t as healthy as ones that are full-term. Premature solutions aren’t healthy either. Wait until it’s full-term. Remember the principle of Galatians 4:4, ‘In the fullness of time, God will,’ that’s when He’ll bring your answer, when it’s ready. So, stop whimpering, stop whining, stop trying to grab it before it’s ready. If you insist on having it now, you’re not going to like it!”
So, what do we do in the waiting? We pray! We prepare for the answer that’s coming! But how? By nurturing our own faith. By taking steps of faith that will assure we’re ready when the answer comes. What will it look like? I don’t know. I only know that the same God who opened the Red Sea for His children He’d miraculously rescued from Egypt is the same loving Father who will deliver you from whatever you’re facing.
God’s “no” didn’t debilitate me, it actually energized me. But why? Because He gave me the “first fruits” of His “yes” that is coming when He deems the time is right. Trust Him! But how? By moving forward in expectation and anticipation of what He’s going to do in and through you to His honor and fame.
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 