As most of you know if you’ve been reading this weekly email for the last year, 2022 has had me like no other year in the history of my life. I’ve been renovating my trust foundation (I just made that up)... or the Lord has? We’ve been working on it. I was caught by this Psalm and challenged with what exactly “wait” looks like as in the last verse, but we should all consider reading the verses prior to it...:
"The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall.Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident. One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock. And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the Lord. Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud; be gracious to me and answer me! You have said, “Seek my face.” My heart says to you, “Your face, Lord, do I seek.” Hide not your face from me. Turn not your servant away in anger, O you who have been my help. Cast me not off; forsake me not, O God of my salvation! For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord will take me in. Teach me your way, O Lord, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies. Give me not up to the will of my adversaries; for false witnesses have risen against me, and they breathe out violence. I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” Psalm 27 (ESV)
And... this is what I found: Wait verb synonyms stay, abide, linger, remain, stick around, tarry. Related wordsanticipate, foresee; await, expect. Contrasted words depart, go, leave. Synonyms minister (to), care (for), mother, nurse, serve. 6960 קָוָה, קָוָה [qavah /kaw∑vaw/] v. 1 to wait, look for, hope, expect. 1a. waiting (participle). 1b to wait or look eagerly for or to lie in wait for... linger for. 2 to collect, bind together. 2a to be collected. Description: Encircling. Verb Class: Lingering and Rushing.
Which maybe made it even more confusing... lingering and rushing...? They seem like oxymorons... I guess it’s describes where I’ve found myself – in the tension of lingering and rushing... rushing to “fix” whatever’s going on... yet lingering in disbelief of what’s going on or even lingering in not knowing what to do with 2022. So, I wait.
This is what I feel like the Lord has whispered to my heart in this season, “Wait, child. Wait. Watch Me work. Trust Me every step of the way.” WHY do I never learn? What is so hard about trusting the One who is the most trustable in all the universe? When did this become a thing for me? Is it a thing for you? What is it that you need only to wait for the Lord in? In what areas do you need to “be strong” and what does that even mean?
I’m in a Wordle text thread with 9 people. We started out so strong and everyone has slowly trickled off and started playing other daily games. But, in the beginning we were all eager – we’d stay awake until midnight just to play tomorrow’s game first... then one of us got “smart” and changed the time on our phones to “China time” so we could play anytime during the day, but the website would show us tomorrow’s Wordle... THIS is definitely a great example of how I’ve cheated “the system.” But, I am learning I can’t cheat every system.
Growth comes in the waiting. The verse so poetically tells us what to do: ...be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord! Guess the big question isn’t really in the “waiting” but in the “letting”. I gotta get out of my head and more into my heart! Stop trying to figure things out on my own. Or "logic" everything away. I need to relearn how to LET... how to surrender... I feel like waiting is like inhaling... and holding my breath... but, the letting is in the exhale... surrendering to Him that ultimately He is in control of my very next breath and everything else in this world. So, my friends, breathe deeply... be strong, let your heart take courage and wait for the Lord! Abide in Him.
*Taken from weekly LIFT email.
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