I read a remarkable story today about a lady who was determined God was calling her away to bible school and that He would provide the means for this. She planned, prayed, and prepared. She still did not have the full amount of money the morning she was to get on a ship and head off to school. Her mom and her went to the docks and trusted God to pay the way. The girl went to the ticket booth and the man at the ticket booth turned her away, she did not have enough money. She went back to the car and prayed with her mother, reviewing and meditating on the verses God had laid on her heart throughout the journey thus far. Before they knew it, there was a knock on the door from a trusted and faithful friend in the Lord and he told them that the Lord had sent him to come with this money to give to her. God provided. He also provided along the rest of her journey. This is Facona Pratney's story. This story was a commentary reflecting the verse 1 Thessalonians 5:24 "He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it." If God promised you something, He will do it. When? How? Where? Why? all these questions we will naturally have along the way. But what we need to focus on is HIM. If it is a promise, His will, He will fulfill it!
I remember waiting and questioning God as my heart laid broken. I was facing some realities that were difficult to accept. A broken family relationship, the terminal illness of a good friend, another year spent single, facing the pain of my past and coming to grips with it so it would stop controlling my life. All of these circumstances had me feeling torn, confused and empty. Yet when God shined the light of His Word into these circumstances there seemed to be an unexplained kind of hope; A glimmer of light. God began to speak His promises, through His Word, into these broken, scarey places. Surrendering to God in these places was and is the best choice I can make. He promises to restore and He has. He promises to comfort and He does and is. He promises to be my strength, my peace, my patience, my tolerance, and my hope. He has done it, and continues to do it.
What is it that you are facing? What has God promised you as you wait for it? A restored relationship? The coming home of a wayward child? Healing to an ill body? The process of grief to take its course? Whatever it is that you are waiting for God on, hold on. Wait. Pray!
There have been many nights where I have waited for God to come through and heal the brokenness inside. Was it painful? Yes. Grieving in any case, is a process and a difficult one at that... Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Sadness, and Acceptance. We don't necessarily experience these stages in order, but they will be experienced at some point. If you are stuck in one of them, ask God to show you the way out. Ask Him to reveal His promises to you. He will. After all, He is a faithful God. Think of what it is that is holding you back -- what pain you haven't let go of or that you're facing now --If it's hard to believe that this specific problem or hurt can be changed, trust me, better yet, trust HIM to do a good work in your life. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, think back to other things in your life that He has brought you through with victory. "Whoever is wise will remember these things and will think about the love of the Lord." Psalm 107:43 Remember. If you don't have a relationship with Jesus and are waiting for Him to move. Cry out to Him. He will meet you where you are at. Believe.
You may not be waiting at the boat dock for a ticket, but metaphorically you may be. Waiting for God to provide that ticket. A ticket to healing, a ticket to restoration, a ticket to freedom. Go. Ask. Wait. Pray.
Check out this video -- this reflect my heart in this blog (And gave me the idea for the title of this post!)
