(05.06.21 – Choices in Life -Hebrews 12:10)
My friend, may I ask you a question? Are there times when God tells us to wait when we ask Him for an immediate decision, to put our decision on hold, to wait for Him until He is ready to bless us and bring our lives much more than we asked for in the first place?
My friend, Life’s a story, welcome to This Passing Day.
I'm M. Clifford Brunner.
It may be true that there are two sides to every question, but it is also true that there are two sides to a sheet of flypaper, and it makes a big difference to the fly which side he chooses. I was reminded of that the other day as I visited an old strip of flypaper hanging in a forgotten corner of the back garage here at Beech Springs. It was covered with flies that made the wrong decision to land on the sticky side of the flypaper. I've often used this old axiom to help me through tough decisions, the ones that when we pray for an answer we don't always receive one as soon as we wish. My grandpa Leo put it this way: "One of the hardest things for a Christian to do is to listen for God's footsteps." When I was a kid I knew that his words were meaningful but I really didn't understand what he was trying to tell me. With the passage of time, however, his words literally drip with meaning.
Sometimes God tells us to wait when we ask Him for an immediate decision, to put our decision on hold, to wait for Him until He is ready to bless us and bring our lives much more than we asked for in the first place.
Here's a thought from author Robert Schuller: "I remember one winter my dad needed firewood, and he found a dead tree and sawed it down. In the spring, to his dismay, new shoots sprouted around the trunk. He said, 'I thought for sure it was dead. The leaves had all dropped in the wintertime. It was so cold that twigs snapped as if there were no life left in the old tree. But now I see that there was still life at the taproot.' He looked at me and said, 'Bob, don't forget this important lesson. Never cut a tree down in the wintertime. Never make a negative decision in the low time. Never make your most important decisions when you are in your worst mood. Wait. Be patient. Look to see if God is with you waiting to bless your decisions. The storm will pass. The spring will come.'" (Robert H. Schuller, Tough Times Never Last, But Tough People Do!, Thomas Nelson.)
It's difficult to trust God when we think that we know the right answer. It's especially hard to trust his timing when we feel that our timing is, well, better. God's timing is perfect, however; and, until we recognize that, we take the risk of making choices that might not be the best for us. When we're faced with a difficult decision it's good to remember that God even uses delays to work together for our good. The Bible tells us: " . . . but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness" (Hebrews 12:10). When the storms of life push you to make decisions you're not sure of, remember this: the storms will pass. God's footsteps are close. When the skies clear God will always be there waiting to bless us–in His time, when the blessing will benefit us the most.
We pray. Heavenly Father, It's difficult to trust You when we think that we know the right answer. Please forgive us for our pride. It’s especially hard to trust Your timing when we feel that our timing is better. You tell us that: " . . . (You) discipline us for our good, that we may share in (Your) holiness" (Hebrews 12:10). When the storms of life push us to make decisions we are not sure of, help us to remember this: the storms will pass. Your footsteps are close. When the skies clear You will always be there waiting to bless us–in Your time, when the blessing will benefit us the most. In Jesus name we pray. Amen!
Therefore my friend, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry for itself; each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matt 6:34) This Passing Day. May this passing day honor our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and be a blessing to you and everyone you meet. Find a stranger and say hello. Don't let another day pass without your day blessing someone else.
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<thispassingday@gmail.com> From Beech Springs, God bless you for Jesus sake.