Jesus Calling: March 12
Waiting, trusting, and hoping are intricately connected, like golden strands interwoven to form a strong chain. Trusting is the central strand, because it is the response from My children that I desire the most. Waiting and hoping embellish the central strand and strengthen the chain that connects you to Me. Waiting for Me to work, with your eyes on Me, to evidence that you really do trust Me. If you mouth the words, "I trust You" while anxiously trying to make things go your way, your words ring hollow. Hoping is future-directed, connecting you to your inheritance in heaven. However, the benefits of hope fall fully on you in the present.
Because you are Mine, you don't just pass time in your waiting. You can wait expectantly, in hopeful trust. Keep your "antennae" out to pick up even the faintest glimmer of My Presence.
RELATED SCRIPTURE:
John 14:1 (NLT)
Jesus, the Way to the Father
14 “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.
: The disciples were obviously worried about death and what happens afterward. Jesus' words still comfort us today. We know from what Jesus said that the way to eternal life, though unseen, is secure for us if we trust him with the future. He has already prepared the way to eternal life. The only issue that may still be unsettled is our willingness to believe him.
Psalm 27:14 (NLT)
14 Wait patiently for the Lord.
Be brave and courageous.
Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.
: David knew from experience what it meant to wait for the Lord. He had been anointed king at 16, but he didn't become king until he was 30. During the interim years, he had been changed through the wilderness by jealous King Saul. David had to wait on God for the fulfillment of his promise that David would reign. Later, after becoming king, he was chased by his rebellious son Absalom.
Waiting for God is not easy. Often he doesn't seem to be answering our prayers or understanding the urgency of our situations. That kind of thinking implies that God is not in control or is not fair. But God is worth waiting for. Lamentations 3:24-26 calls us to hope in and wait for the Lord; God often uses times of waiting to refresh, renew, and teach us. Make good use of your waiting times by discovering what God may be trying to do in you while you are in them.
Hebrews 6:18-20 (NLT)
18 So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. 19 This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary. 20 Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal High Priest in the order of Melchizedek.
: These two unchangeable things are God's promise and his oath. God embodies all truth; therefore, he cannot lie, and we can be secure in his promises. We don't need to wonder if he will change his purpose and plans. Our hope of heaven stands secure and immovable, anchored in God, just as a ship/s anchor holds firmly to the seabed. To someone truly seeing who comes to God in belief, God gives an unconditional promise of acceptance. When you ask God with openness, honesty, and sincerity to save you from your sins, he will do it. If this truth gives you encouragement, assurance, and confidence, grasp it. Don't let go no matter what happens around you.
: A curtain hung between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place, God's inner sanctuary. This curtain prevented anyone from entering, gazing into, or even getting a fleeting glimpse of the interior of the Most Holy Place (also see Hebrews 9:1-8). The high priest could enter these once a year to stand in God's presence and stone for the sins of the entire nation. But Christ dwells in God's presence at all times - not just once a year - as the High priest who continually intercedes for us.
