A Journal During the Coronavirus Pandemic
Reflections and Inspiration from Maple Grove
April 19, 2020
Five weeks of stay-at-home confinement, and it seems the weather has become as unpredicatable as our situation. This week has been mostly cold and even snowy. March and April have apparently decided to trade places. It was too cold and wet for me to go out and mow or do yard work, so I spent most of my time this week sewing. I continue to sew face masks and dresses for Dress a Girl Around the World. Simply shopping for groceries has become a challenge. We have turned to the online pickup ordering, but trying to reserve a time slot is nearly impossible. We have to keep trying over and over, waiting for an available time to open up. When will it ever end? We're all waiting for this confinement to be over, and the waiting is so hard. Life has changed so drastically so suddenly. All this waiting reminded me of a post I wrote nine years ago when I retired and was uncertain what my future would be like. I pulled the post up again, finding it comforting to revisit at this time.
Waiting on the Lord
God has laid these three words on my heart of late: Diminish – Wait – Glorify (That is . . . Diminish Myself, Wait on the Lord, Glorify the Holy Trinity.) I have been learning something lately about what it means to “wait on the Lord.” It is not a passive state as one might think, but rather a very active one. It’s not so much like waiting for a bus as it is like waiting on tables. In the Bible verses where it appears it can mean “to look for, hope, expect” or “to bind together.” Here are some things I’ve experienced recently about waiting on the Lord:
Reflections and Inspiration from Maple Grove
April 19, 2020
Waiting on the Lord
God has laid these three words on my heart of late: Diminish – Wait – Glorify (That is . . . Diminish Myself, Wait on the Lord, Glorify the Holy Trinity.) I have been learning something lately about what it means to “wait on the Lord.” It is not a passive state as one might think, but rather a very active one. It’s not so much like waiting for a bus as it is like waiting on tables. In the Bible verses where it appears it can mean “to look for, hope, expect” or “to bind together.” Here are some things I’ve experienced recently about waiting on the Lord:
It is a time for listening
to God rather than telling Him what I want. His Word is the key to
hearing Him. As I hear, read, study, memorize, digest, and obey His
Word, I know Him better and hear His voice.
It is a time for praying
to God. We so often use prayer to tell God what we want, but prayer is
another way to listen to God, especially when we pray about our daily
Bible readings. It is a means for offering Him our praise and yielding
our will to His.
It is a time for reflecting
on His majesty and greatness, which produces humility in me. It is not
expecting and hoping for God to eventually align His will with mine.
It is being in such awe of His Divine supremacy that I am able to humbly
submit my will to His. This enables me to have complete confidence and
peace that wherever He leads, it is going to be amazing!
It is a time for trusting how
faithful He is and being aware of my own weakness. It is being bound
so tightly to Him that His strength becomes my strength. In such a
state, I no longer cling to my own desires or grievances but trust in
Him with wholehearted joy.
It is a time for serving others and giving
generously. Just as Christ came not to be served but to serve, I take
on His likeness when I focus on the needs of others and serve them in
His name. When I acknowledge that everything I have belongs to Him, I
am able to share it with others to His glory.
It is a time for confessing and forgiving.
It is about searching my own heart for where I have sinned against God
or others. It is realizing where I have failed and asking for
forgiveness, assured by the power of God’s Word that through Jesus
Christ I am forgiven. It is also realizing where I have been withholding
forgiveness and extending this Christ-like love to others.
It is a time for loving--loving God above all things, loving others as myself, loving the message of God's Word and sharing it with others so that they may know His love too!
It is a time for loving--loving God above all things, loving others as myself, loving the message of God's Word and sharing it with others so that they may know His love too!
“Waiting on the Lord” is not a temporary
condition reserved for trying times; it is a life-long journey of
walking with Christ who empowers us by His Spirit, transforms us to His
likeness, and fills us with His love, peace and joy.
In truth, waiting on the Lord is not so much our actions as it is God’s action in us. Here are some ways to wait on the Lord:
- Going to church to receive the gifts of His Word and Sacraments
- Studying His Word, the Holy Bible, wherein lies the power of His salvation
- Praying to Him and feeling His presence always
- Worshipping Him with psalms and hymns of praise
- Spending time in fellowship with other Christians, exercising the “one anothers” of God’s Word
- Serving others and giving generously to their needs as God provides
- Sharing God's message of salvation with others so they will know Him and He will be glorified!
"Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors." ((Proverbs 8:34)
"I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope." (Psalm 130:5)
"Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD." (Psalm 27:14)
"...but those who hope
in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like
eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be
faint." (Isaiah 40:31)
Heavenly Father, You are so faithful in keeping your promises. We struggle and become anxious. As we are waiting for this pandemic to pass, help us by your Spirit to wait on the Lord. Turn our hearts and minds to your loving sacrifice through Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen.
Links:
St. Luke Worship Service - April 19, 2020
April 12, 2020 - Planting for New Growth
April 5, 2020 - The Grass is Always Greener
March 29, 2020 - Stay at Home
March 22, 2020 - Look Beyond the Challenge
Growing Plants from Seeds
Other Devotions by Katie:
Pea Gravel
Red Sky at Night