How Long?

Can you imagine being one of the Israelite people?  The picture is this: They were just rescued by God Almighty as He parted the red seas, and let them pass through. As they turned around and watched the sea fall on mighty Pharaoh and all his 600 some chariots they had to be thinking, " God must have a big thing in store for us to go to such great lengths to save us..." That is what I would be thinking anyways...
But here is the tough part, each leg of their journey posed trials. These trials pushed the people to a place where they had choices to make. They had a choice to shake their fists at God, or they had the choice to believe in what they could not see yet. (The promise.)
They wandered around in the desert for 40 years. 40 years is a long time in my opinion. They had many hardships, but God always provided for them. Nehemiah 9 talks a lot about their journey. vs 21 references how "all their needs were met, they lacked nothing. Even their sandals did not wear out as they walked for those 40 years.." Isn't that a miracle in and of itself? My shoes wear out every year. Their's lasted 40! God was taking care of them while they waited. It seems to me that God had things to teach them about Himself while they "wandered." I do believe they most likely had the expectation that they would walk off the bank of the Red sea and into the promise land. I would have thought that. God took them up out of the greatest trial they had known to date, (being enslaved to the Egyptians for those 430 years) and I bet at that point they thought, "whew! The worst is over!" Time in God's economy is clearly different than ours. We think differently than He does, and so we plan timelines according to OUR schedules. Not His.
It's hard to wait though isn't it?! I hate to wait. And even as I write this I breath a prayer that says, "Lord please don't make me wait that long for my promises!" It's hard waiting. But even in the waiting, God is good. Can you breath an "amen" over that? Anyone waiting can. Anyone who is in God's training rooms or waiting can say that even while they wait, GOD has been faithful. Am I faithful in return as I wait? I mean, I lack nothing...I have all I NEED. And as I wait I think, " I really ought to be more thankful. God has completely taken care of all my needs." Many days, I am thankful. Just like the Israelite people. Every morning when they collected the manna, the bread from heaven, I bet they were thankful. Or were they? They were thankful until they got sick of bread. Shamefully, I can say, I am not much better.
SO they asked God, or rather grumbled to God about their NEED for meat. Also claiming that in Egypt at "least they had good food to eat."
How does God have patience with me?  "I'm so sorry Lord..." I pray.
I know in my heart of hearts I don't want to go back to Egypt. And neither did the Israelites, but, it is hard to not lose sight when the waiting is so long.
That is where the prayer life comes in to play! We pray! And as we wait we pray that He will teach us, grow us and make us thankful. We can be thankful while we wait you know. We can be FAITHFUL while we wait. Being dependent on Him helps us to take the load off of us to get through this on our own. Prayer is a great place to pour out our utter dependence on Him. Without prayer, I'm lost.
I was thinking about the word "faithful" today and it was only after I repeated that, "faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see..." Heb 11:1
And in my Bible I jotted down that faith is "Living in the reality that HE CAN." And also, "Living like it's already in your hands..." That is how sure we can be of His promises. His faithfulness. If He said it, it will be, and we can live a whole lot more faithfully assured when we live in this TRUTH.

"Let us hold onto the faith we profess, He who promised is faithful." Hebrews 11:23

This is not a faith that relies on emotion, feeling or circumstance. This is a faith that is built upon the firm foundation that IS Christ.
So I ask myself, am I waiting, walking, living FAITHFULLY? Am I living each day saying, "I believe you Lord?"
I never doubt He CAN. I trust that HE can. My conflict always comes in the, "what do you want me to do though..." type questions. As we all know, "faith without deeds is dead." and in a song I heard the other day, " Faith with out deeds is a like a screen door on a submarine. Not very effective."
So on my knees I say, "Lord show me my part. Show me what YOU want me to do." And the beauty of prayer? He hears. And answers.
He answer me with gentle proddings  to do something, act in some way, speak in some way, walk in some way, and as I walk, do and act, I feel the peace that comes with being in the center of His will.
Walk it out faithfully.
Abraham waited 20 some years for Isaac. I wonder how many baby blankets Sarah made during this time. Every five years she watched these blankets go out of style, so then she'd make another one. Hoping and trusting that THIS would be her year. Abraham went out and looked at the stars each night I can only imagine...just to remind himself of God's promise. And having said that, it does not mean that Abraham's NEEDS were not met, He was cared for, but He longed for his promise. Just like us.
Those stars are a good reminder for me too. I look at them and I whisper to myself, "God is faithful."
I don't know where this blog post finds you my friend.
I don't know if your waiting for something, or if you have almost completely given up hope. Please let this be your reminder, that with God all things ARE possible, and then HE who promises us, is faithful.
Let us truly not in our strength, but in the strength of Christ Jesus that renews the attitudes of our hearts and minds, and be refreshed anew in the promises He has made to each of us. He can refresh us like water and renew us like springtime air. He makes our dawns rise and He commences the day with a great big sunset each night. These are all "small" reminders of His absolute faithfulness.
Perhaps you need to go back in scripture and refresh yourself with the promise HE has given YOU! Maybe it's about your loved one who does not know Christ, maybe it's about the one you faithfully pray for. Maybe it's about something, a dream, a promise you hold in your heart, but not yet in your hands.
Walk this wait out faithfully. Being open to what HE has to teach you, and learning with each step.
I'm right there with you. He will hold our hand if we ask Him to, and there are times where He completely picks me up and carries me for a while. He knows I'm human and that I get weary. But friends, if you get anything at all out of this message today, get this: HE is faithful.
I love Him, I trust Him and I put my full weight on His ability, and His strength. He is beautiful, and mighty. Strong and secure. He is my anthem. Let His anthem sing strength over you today.