What are you waiting for?

Pastor Jentezen Franklin's message was wonderful yesterday! He brought out something from John 5 that I hadn't thought about before, but it resonated in my spirit so I thought I would share it with you.

Remember the story of the lame man who had sat beside the pool of Bethesda for 38 years? This pool was surrounded by five porches - so it was not small by any means. Each year the angel would come and "trouble" or stir the waters, and whoever got into the pool first after the angel stirred the water would be healed. There were a lot of (hundreds maybe) sick, paralyzed, blind, crippled people around this pool so it wasn't like you could take your time getting there. You had to be fast - you had to be the first responder!

I wonder if some of us are still sick, blind, crippled, stuck in our valley, still going around the same mountain because we wait too long once the waters are troubled! What are we waiting for? Be the first responder!

Maybe you're one of those waiting for billboard?! Maybe you're second-guessing God, and that's why you're still in that same place of lack. Has He stirred the water and you're still sitting there waiting ... waiting on what? Are you waiting for the answer you want rather than the answer He's giving you? Ewww, I know - that one hurts!

Yes, sometimes we have to be still and wait. However, when He does give an answer we need to learn to be a first responder! I don't know about you, but I don't want to miss out on my blessing, my healing or my miracle because I wasn't the first responder!

I hope your week is full of blessings, answers and amazing grace!

Can you handle His blessings?

Food for thought ...

Something gave me pause for thought this week after hearing a TV minister ask the question, "Can you be trusted with the blessings God has for you?"

That really got me to thinking, "can I be trusted with the blessing He has for me?" Do I believe His word is true and He will bless me? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Ouch! What did James say about wavering faith in chapter 1? I love the way The Passion Translation states it: Just make sure you ask empowered by confident faith without doubting that you will receive. For the ambivalent person believes one minute and doubts the next. Being undecided makes you become like the rough seas driven and tossed by the wind. You're up one minute and tossed down the next. When you are half-hearted and wavering it leaves you unstable. Can you really expect to receive anything from the Lord when you're in that condition?"

Yeah, that hurts ... but it's still good. I've learned that in order to receive the full effect of God's blessing for our lives, we have to be willing to totally surrender to HIS will ... not ours. We have to be willing to let go of our thought process and adapt to working and operating out of faith.

We have to be able to stand in the middle of a storm and know that we know that we know that everything will work out. When we can't see the blessing; when we can't feel the blessing; when we can't touch the blessing - we have to stand firm - not wavering - on the fact that God's got this.

When we ask and pray for our hearts desires, we have to understand that it is not in our time but in Father God's time, and we have to understand there is a price and a time and a season for all things. We have to be willing to go through so we can get through.

Are you wavering in your faith? Are you pursuing Him or just His hand? If God gives you what you're asking for can He trust you with it? Have your proven yourself faithful over little things so He can trust you with the big things? (ref. Luke 19)

Some people are just kind-hearted and giving. They will give their last. It's what they like to do; make others happy while putting themselves last.

Some give out of obedience.

Then there are those who are stingy and selfish; who only look out for themselves. Those who give with the expectation of something in return or some other ulterior motive.

Some people cry out for God to bless them, heal them, change them. But then when He does, it's as if they did it all on their own. No credit to God whatsoever.

Can God trust you to give Him credit for blessing you?

Sometimes when we're in desperate places we start to think we can make deals with God. Have you ever wanted something so badly that you pleaded with Him to rescue you? You start praying something like; "Please God, if you get me out of this situation, I promise I will never get myself back in this situation."  Did you keep your word to God?

Have you ever seen someone go from nothing to something? I mean you have watched God move miracles in this person's life to the point it is evident God's favor surrounds them like a shield? But as soon as they made, they changed ... and not in a good way. They become materialistic. A show off.

God can't trust a self-righteous person to be about His work.

I don't think there's a person on this earth that doesn't want to be financially stable. Not rich, just enough to take care of life's day to day responsibilities without stressing.

Can God trust you to pay your tithes instead of splurging on unnecessary things?

Can God trust you to give to others in need?

Can God trust you with the little before the lot?

Just thinking out loud ... Can you handle His blessings?

Hope

Have you ever been knocked unstable with news that left you reeling? Emotions high and hope seeming to take off running the opposite direction?

I've had so many times like this.
...news from a doctor
...a fight with a family member
..."no" to a long-awaited prayer
..."wait" when I need it right now

These moments happen often, and yet, for so long I have let my emotions rule my response.

As I sit here today and reflect on my response to yet another one of these moments, I am taking a minute to consider what takes me from misery to hope.

One of the biggest lies in these times of anguish is that you are wrong for feeling it. We are told over and over again to live in hope and victory, but that doesn't mean you cannot feel. It simply means that you bring those feelings to God and trust that He is with you.

When you get bad news, when you are hurt by a friend, when you are disappointed with an answer or the lack thereof, allow yourself the grace to feel it. Even Jesus experienced these emotions.

• He wept when Lazarus died.
• He threw tables in anger when the temple was misused.

Emotions are a natural response, and it is okay to feel them! Just don't allow yourself to get stuck in them. Don't dig a trench and move in. Have a good cry. Punch your pillow a few times. Have a meltdown withGod. But then it's time to move on. Give it to God and let it go.

It's easy to forget (even momentarily) where our strength comes from during these troublesome times. I often find my mind combing through all the ways I can "fix" the problem. I focus my energy and focus on my own strength. And time and time again, I don't find peace because true peace comes from surrendering our pain to God.

Even if it's a feeble prayer - maybe just a few words - God knows your heart and He knows your intention. In fact, Romans 8:26 tells us In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.

When you can't think of the words to say, simply placing your heart before God is enough. The Holy Spirit will intercede for you. And sometimes, I just write my prayer out. I keep a prayer journal that has become a great help when I can't find the words or just can't get them out of my mouth because the emotions overwhelm my ability to speak.

God created us to be in fellowship with each other. He knew we would need the support of friends to help us maneuver through the jungles of life. Paul wrote in Romans 12:15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. We need each other - sometimes more than other times. Don't hesitate to ask a friend (or a few of them) to pray with you and for you. 

It's okay not to be okay, but it's better to give it to God and let it go. He's got this. He's got you, and He cannot fail.