Waiting For Him

Isaiah 30:18 And therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the Lord is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.

Waiting is not one of my virtues. I don’t like driving in traffic waiting for the light to turn red. Waiting in line at the store to check out creates undesired stress. I think we all look for the shortest line, and become frustrated when it  moves at a snail pace. This is one reason I don’t enjoy going to amusement parks, I don’t want to wait in line for a ride that will last 5 minutes. I have endeavored to work on my waiting skills by using the time to find something productive to do, sometimes this works, but other times, I become frustrated and become impatient. Waiting for God to answer prayer or work out life’s problems or make His will know is not something that comes natural for me. I trust Him to know what is best. Still waiting on Him move in our church, to see an outpouring of His Spirit. I’m waiting on God to open the eyes of the blind, to work in lives of those we have been praying. We labor and work for the kingdom of God planting the seed. We have been planting for 31 years in Denver, waiting for Him to give us the increase. 

Intentional Kindness

2 Sam 9:3 …Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may shew the kindness of God unto him?…And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. Eph 4:32

In the middle of conflict, or in the midst of frustration, it is not always easy to show kindness. The tendency of human nature when it is hurting from betrayal is to lash out and get even. Being unkind comes from a heart that does not understand the love of God. It is not hard to be kind, but to be kind when trouble surrounds you is a God thing. Human decency teaches us that being kind to others makes for a better world to live in. As Christians, we go beyond human decency and display intentional kindness in the face of being wronged. Many people will show kindness to others, kindness is not exclusive to Christians only, but it an attribute that every Christian should have regardless of the circumstances. How do you act when a business transaction is not going as you think it should? How do you treat those who use you for their benefit? Do you retaliate with unkind words when others despitefully use you? Like I said, it is a God thing to respond with kindness and show forgiveness. Being intentionally kind is often a matter of choice, and comes from a heart that has been shown kindness and forgiveness.