2020 Verse of the year – Where’s Norm?
If I could, I wouldn’t write anything else for today’s LIO but these verses:
Psalm 27:13-14
13 Yet I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living.
14 Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.
I invite you to spend 5 minutes reading and rereading them today. Tomorrow, I invite you to read and reread them for 10 minutes. By Sunday or Monday, you will have them memorized and be able to repeat them throughout your day when you are:
- waiting in traffic
- waiting in line
- waiting for your kids to finish their homework
- waiting for dinner to be ready
- waiting for sleep to come
- waiting for things to return to “normal”
Should you accept my invitation, I guarantee that over time, you will see the goodness of the Lord while you are here in the land of the living!
In fact, you will come to realize that the goodness of the Lord surrounds you wherever you are. Let’s face it— most of us reading this devotional live in the United States of America. For all its flaws and troubles, injustices and turbulence, it is still the number one nation in the world where people want to come to improve their lives and provide opportunities for their children. No matter what your income level is, chances are that you are richer than 95% of the world’s 7.8 billion population!
Maybe you are impatient in this time of uncertainty because you haven’t spent any time thinking about the things you have confidence in and thanking God for them. Several weeks ago, Barb Roose spoke about the 1,000 gifts list and the man who sent her a picture of the 1,000th thing he was grateful for. I imagine as he made his list, which obviously took a lot of time (and patience), he felt immersed in the goodness of God, right where he was. He took time to look back to see what God had done in his life and let that inspire him to believe in what God will do in the future. This is a form of meaningful waiting!
God isn’t done! He hasn’t abandoned us! Pastor and author Louie Giglio says, “Wait patiently, knowing that waiting is never wasted when you are waiting on God.”
“Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.”
Questions:
What kind of wait-er are you? What kind would you like to be?
What do you need to stop trying to fix and trust in God’s timing for it? Write it down, please! Now, take that paper, offer that thing to God, and tear it up! You’re done with that!
Next Steps:
I know you meant to start that 1,000 gifts list when Barb talked about it. 1,000 is a big number! Write down five things everyday that you are grateful for. Let’s see if that doesn’t make it easier while you wait for the new thing that God is doing, right now, in your life!
Meditate every single day on Psalm 27:13-14.
Smile! Trust God! He loves you!
21 Days of Prayer: Give Me the Courage to Make a Difference (Day 19):
Thank you, God (I Am), for saying we are. Thank you for blessing us with your love to share with the world. Please, give us the strength to step out of the shadows when so many are screaming to be loved. Give us the courage to reveal your truth, so that others can receive the knowledge and join in the fight against darkness. Speaking your name in silence doesn’t reach our neighbors, so let us shout your name in praise. Grant us the confidence to live by faith with everyone we meet. Let them see your forgiveness in us, so that they may also experience your grace. Amen.
21 Days of Prayer: Fill My Life with Your Fruit of the Spirit (Day 20):
Dear God, help me to be completely rooted in you, so that the only fruit I produce is the good fruit from you. I know that it is through the Holy Spirit that my life can be filled with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). I want to posture myself to produce good fruit in my life and in the lives of others. I want to do this all for you, your glory, and your kingdom. Amen.
21 Days of Prayer: Fill My Life with Praise and Worship (Day 21):
God, we praise and worship you for the things you have done and will continue to do for us. It is our way to show the world how thankful we are for your love and grace. It is a time for us to share the bliss of our testimonies and be witnesses to the promises of your truth. Thank you for gifting us with music in our hearts that fills our eyes with tears of joy. Thank you, God, for allowing us to ignite our passion for you each and every day. Amen.
This post was written by Lauri White. Lauri is one of the 25 people that God used to start CedarCreek in the Fall of 1995, and was on staff until 2013. Lauri loves Jesus, and loves helping people, especially women, live out of the truth about who we are in Christ. She and her husband Mike live in Oregon, but now spend winter months in Florida near daughter Kelda and her family.
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