Often in my life I wonder why I must wait for God's promises to be fulfilled. My husband and I have a precise ministry waiting for us in the future, but we must wait on a very specific incident to occur before this ministry of the future can begin. (Sorry for the vagueness, but my point is not in the details, but the concept that follows.) As a couple, we have been waiting for 4 years, 10 months. Mel has been waiting a few years longer than that. When we grow impatient, we try to remember to look at the bigger picture. If we start our ministry too soon, it could be disastrous as the theme of our work will be helping others during difficult times. We would not be able to help those in need if we begin too early. God knows this knows and we must wait until He says the time is right. We are also waiting, I am sure, for specific people to be brought to us and God is currently working on their hearts until the appointed time.
"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you," saith the Lord, "Thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a hope and a future. Then you shall call upon me, and I will hear you. And you shall seek me, and find me, when you shall search for me with all your heart, and I will be found by you," saith the Lord. Jeremiah 29:11-14
This is not the only time in my life I have been in a holding pattern. I was 39 before I met Mel, and, as you can imagine, I never thought I would get married. I always had a feeling I was waiting on the man I would marry to be ready for me, and for me to be ready for him. I was more accurate than I ever realized. You can read more about God's perfect timing in the blogs where I share my testimony (http://thankful-julie.blogspot.com/2014/06/my-testimony-1972-1995.html & http://thankful-julie.blogspot.com/2014/06/my-testimony-1999-2009.html & http://thankful-julie.blogspot.com/2014/06/my-testimony-2009-present.html ). When I lost my job at the insurance company, it was absolutely the best thing for me. I needed to hit the spiritual reset button in my life. Had I met Mel just 3 months before I did, I would have not been in a good place spiritually or emotionally to make a good wife. God prepared my heart just in time to be ready to be a respectful, loving, patient, faithful, Godly wife. When you read my testimony, you will see how each event linked to the next, to the next, right up until the day I met Mel. God had indeed been planning my every step. Mel could say the same. Although I hate to say that he had to endure tragedy before he met me, it is why he came to Idaho where we met. He even temporarily got into some religious beliefs that neither of us believe in, just so he could meet the person that introduced us. Thankfully, God has since corrected Mel on those religious errors, and his theology is now back on the right track. My point is, that God knows Mel is a Godly, righteous man and heeds to Voice of God, so he allowed Mel to temporarily get involved in the wrong groups for a short time just so our paths could cross. Our marriage is truly designed and ordained by God!
The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way. Psalm 37:23
I had not planned on writing so long about myself, so I will continue forward! The theme of this blog is to show how God so carefully links seemingly small events in our lives to one another for the bigger picture. If we really stop to think about it (and I really challenge you to do the same with your life, even if you have to physically draw a time line of your life), you will be amazed as I was how God weaves all the pieces together so beautifully. You may not even realize how much the little pieces fit together like a jigsaw masterpiece until you sit down and really analyze your life as I have done. But then, I am an overly-analytical person, so it was not such a stretch for me to see my life through logical eyes.
Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb, I sanctified thee, and ordained thee a prophet unto the nations." Then said I, "Ah, Lord God! behold I cannot speak: for I am a child." But the Lord said unto me, "Say not, 'I am a child' for thou shalt go to all that I send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. Be not afraid of their faces, for I am with thee to deliver thee," saith the Lord. Then the Lord out forth His hand and touched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me, "Behold, I have put my words in they mouth." Jeremiah 1:4-9
If you look to the bible (which is better than looking at my life!!), you can often see God's perfect timeline over and over.
The story of Zacharias, Elizabeth, and their son John the Baptist can be found in Luke 1:5-80 & 3:1-22 (not including John's death). A few nights ago I was thinking how Zacharias and Elizabeth had to wait many, many years to have John. It was the thoughts that swam through my head as I lay awake that inspired this blog. If Zacharias and Elizabeth had their son too early, John would not have been able to prepare the way for Christ. The same can be said if he had been born too late. It was the custom of their time that the first born child (more literally, the one that broke through the mother's womb first) would be set apart as consecrated unto God. John had to be their first born (probably their only child, but the bible doesn't say). We know Zacharias & Elizabeth were not being punished or any such nonsense by having no children for the majority of their lives. The bible even says that God finally blessed them with a son because of their righteous lives. They were chosen to be the parents of the child that pointed the way to Jesus because they would be the perfect parents to teach John about living a holy life. So you can see here how his parents having John late in life was perfectly planned according to God's timeline for a very specific reason. (see also my blog: http://thankful-julie.blogspot.com/2016/03/profile-of-doubter-part-3-zacharias.html
And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. Luke 1:6
You can read about Joseph in Genesis chapters 37 - 50. Since you are probably familiar with the story, let me sum it up for you. Jacob showed his son Joseph favoritism because he was the first born son of the wife he loved the most, Rachel. (The bible also says it was because Joseph was the son of his old age.) Because Jacob spoiled Joseph, he made his son a colorful coat he had not made for any of his other children. Joseph's brothers were very jealous of him. What made matters worse, Joseph had two prophetic dreams he shared with his brothers, telling them he would someday rule over them. Because Jacob had shown favoritism and Joseph had prophetic dreams, Joseph's brothers hated him, threw him in a pit, and sold him to the Egyptians. At first, Joseph is favored by Potiphar until he is falsely accused of assaulting Potiphar's wife. Joseph is then thrown into prison for 13 years. Because Joseph is accused of a crime he did not commit and thrown into prison, he interprets dreams of the imprisoned butler and baker. Because Joseph accurately interprets these dreams, he is called upon to interpret a dream for Pharaoh 2 years later. Because Joseph again accurately interprets the dream, he is released from prison, where he is given the second highest position in the kingdom. Because Joseph has been given such authority, and because of the interpretation of Pharaoh's dream, he is able to stockpile enough food to save many lives during seven years of famine. You see it, don't you? If not, link all the becauses together in this paragraph. Each and every event in Joseph's life led to the bigger picture of him saving people's lives, including the lives of his brothers and father. (See also my blog: http://thankful-julie.blogspot.com/2016/10/genesis-15-50.html )
Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life. Genesis 45:5
But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. Genesis 50:20
Those are just two (well, four if you count my husband and myself) examples of how God so beautifully plans every detail of our lives. But I do not want you to simply read this blog and say, "Hmmmm." Again, I challenge you to spend some time thinking about the pieces of your life and how they all fit together even way back 10, 20, 30, 40, and more years ago. Whether you work it out in your head or on paper, you will be glad you did, and by the time you are done, you will be thanking God even for the hard times. However, if you are like Mel and me, your puzzle is not complete and there are pieces missing that make it difficult to make out the details. This is true for most of us as we still have life left on this world! It is during those times when the pieces are hard to find or seem permanently lost or forgotten that we can get discouraged. You may not even know what the future is supposed to hold and that makes it that much more frustrating. It is during those time I find solace knowing how much God has orchestrated thus far, and I remind myself that He is still working. Even in the sad times, God is in control. Even when tears stain your pillow, God has not forgotten you or His plans for your life. Remember the good God has done and acknowledge Him for it. Celebrate the wonderful things in your life today (even if it's just one thing, it is better than zero). Anticipate the future and all the limitless blessings that will shine on you.
Here are some more scriptures that I hope will encourage you:
O lord, thou hast searched me, and known me.
Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.
Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.
For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether.
Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.
For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.
I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. Psalm 139:1-6, 13-14
Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book? Psalm 56:8
For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. I Corintians 13:12
Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Romans 8:26-28
But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Matthew 10:30
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