Issue 20: Peace, Be Still
What seasons of your life have tested your patience?
Do you think you yielded for God’s will to fully take its place?
Or did you despise it, wallow in self-pity and wriggle out of the season in pursuit of your own will?
Good evening, my friend! How’re you doing? Just to publicly appreciate those that gave some honest feedback on what God has been teaching them this season. Thank you!
In today’s newsletter, we’ll talk about stillness and the need for patience in discerning God’s will in a time like this.
My Soul, Wait Thou Only Upon The Lord
Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
- Psalm 46:10 KJV
I was getting ready for work last week and subconsciously fixing things on my to-do list. There was not so much to do that day, so I whispered, “Lord, I want to do your will. Please help me”.
As innocent as the statement sounded, what my heart said was, “Lord, how long will I continue like this? I want to have much more stuff to do. Get me busy”. Of course, God heard the meditation of my heart and boy did He respond!
Almost immediately, the Holy Spirit whispered back, “Why do you think waiting is not part of my will?” This swift, yet gentle response sent trickles of sweat down my spine.
“I’m sorry, Lord. I understand it now”, I humbly responded.
Today, God may be asking the rest of us the same question. “Why do you think you’re wasting time in your waiting chair?”
Obedience, not activity
The world is filled with activity. So many click activities; too much screen time; less value. The adverse effect is the inability to do any form of Deep Work.
Without a tight rein on your schedule, you can swim in and out of activities without necessarily doing anything all day.
Physically, you may feel stoked, but mentally, you’re drained.
No doubt, technology is good because of the efficiency it brings. However, it can coerce our minds into trying to change God’s ways. Contrary to technological timeliness and accuracy, God works in times and seasons.
No matter where we’re at now, the picture becomes clearer only as we trust and obey His leading.
To get the full view of things, most of the journey will require a lot of patience. This is not what young people are used to since we’re of the “doing” generation. We always want to jump on new opportunities, trends — anything to keep us on the move. This inclination has become the foundation of many wrong decisions.
Let time take its course
The greater a decision will influence our lives, the greater the clarity we need. And clarity works with time — it may not take a long time, but time is necessary.
It also makes it clearer why some of God’s promises have “time” attached to them. It reveals the place of preparation and training.
I the Lord will hasten it in its time (Isa. 60:22)
For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him (Gen 21:2)
To everything there is a season, and to every purpose under heaven (Eccl. 3:1)
God has great plans for us. If we have perceived it, we must be careful not to choke ourselves with activities that make us absent from the learning process.
What do we do in waiting?
#1. We birth His purposes in the place of prayer — not trying to twist His will, but asking that by His mercy, the things which He has spoken will come to pass as we enter those seasons.
#2. We get the required knowledge for where He’s leading us to.
#3. We remain discerning to identify the mindless activities the devil may bring our way to distract us from our focus.
Goodbyes
God sees us running around to help Him even when he says, ‘Wait’.
We go, “Dada, don’t you think you need some help to hasten it?”
He goes, “You little helper, why don’t sit in your little waiting chair and watch me be God?”
God is a faithful Father and He still works for those that wait for Him. But first, are you born-again? Are you certain of heaven if Jesus comes right now? You have to be sure of your identity in God’s kingdom to experience these realities. Get right with Him today!
Till next time,
Wednesday, God-willing.
Oh dear! I've had seasons of impatience. Wriggled my way out of God's will for me to learn of Him and He knows I did regret it when I realized how far I strayed from His will. But glory be to God whose mercies are forevermore.
By His grace, I'm learning to wait. I won't say I've learnt. Sometimes, my invisible tail wags out of impatience, but the loving Spirit of God always draws me back.
Thanks for this timely post. May the Lord help us to wait; to desist from this prideful desire to help our God who is self-sufficient. Amen.
PS: Thank you for sharing those resources, especially that article by J.C Ryle. I'm immensely grateful.
Thank You Jesus! You indeed know my every thought.
This is so timely! I can't say it in a better way, but God's Word today was my unspoken request for a sign.
I literally do feel the way Nathaniel felt when Jesus told him the story of his life, "He sees me!".🙌🏼❤️💓
Thank you Sister K for yielding wholly to God; no man can know the thoughts of another man, save it is revealed to him/her by the Spirit of God.🤍