Waiting

Before I get into what has become a daily practice of writing my “sermonettes” I want to stop to just praise God, my Higher Power for His words, His chastisements and His comforts …..He truly is ABBA, the Father…..amen (somebody knows what I am talking about)

Now, I think we’ve gotten pretty familiar over these past few messages, with that being said, you know that I always pay homage to the old saints and ancestors who have provided me with many a reference point to the word. Today is no different…..

There is an old church saying that goes “we all come to Jesus on a song…” which references the song that introduces the invitation “the doors of the church are open” and during my “churching” there have been many songs that I have locked in my soul’s vault. Today’s song is “I’m so glad that trouble don’t last always” it’s not grammatically correct and sterilized because doing so will take away from the potency of the statement and the understanding of God’s abilities.

My thought of this song led me to think about my ability to wait on God. I am immediately led to

James 1:2-4  New International Version (NIV)

2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

How do I manage my “stress”? I can tell you 99.9% of the time it ain’t in joy…

Romans 5:3-5  3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope.5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

I read these passages and my first thought is who wrote this stuff? Who just gets all giddy when they feel like the weight of the world is squeezing the very life out of them? Again, I am back to the words of the old saints who say “there’s a blessing in the pressing”

There is a Talmud quote that sums this all up : “Just as the olive yields oil for light only when it is pounded, so are man’s greatest potentials realized only under the pressure of adversity”

Hebrews 12:1 New International Version (NIV)

12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,

Can you wait? How do you wait?  Why is it so easier for us to “share” our problems but not share about our God?