I Have To Wait?

Week of February 16, 2024

“Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait I say, on the Lord. Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” Psalm 27:14

Have you discovered that waiting is incredibly difficult? We live in a society that doesn’t wait for anything. Or should I say, doesn’t like to wait for anything? God uses the discipline of waiting to teach us lessons that we probably wouldn’t learn any other way.

God can get our attention when he puts the breaks on our plans. What might he be saying when he does? Maybe I want you to go in a different direction. Maybe I want to bring additional clarity for the path you’re on. Have you ever been convinced that you were headed in the right direction but God stopped you in your tracks? You came to realize that God knew better, I was about to have a train wreck. God intervened, thank you Lord! Waiting can be difficult but I believe God is always working behind the scenes in areas that we know nothing about. God may be preparing a person or a situation so when we get out of the holding pattern he can work powerfully in our life.

Maybe you think that waiting is a waste. Never lose sight that God has a plan and is working in ways you probably don’t realize. Pursue God with all of your heart, God may just show you the reason he wants you to wait. Remember His timing will prove to be best for your life.

God Bless, Pastor Rick

Enlightened Eyes

Week of February 9, 2024

“The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.” Psalm 19:8

We all would like to be wise in our decisions. Whether it’s our personal life, our job, or our family we want to follow God. I want God to bless these areas. What is the solution to being wise in our decisions? The scripture says we have to make the word of God part of our life. Listen to Jeremiah 15:16 “When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, LORD God Almighty.” Jeremiah’s eating of the word was not a physical eating but a spiritual receiving the Word of God. We take in the Word of God. What’s the result according the Psalms 19:8? It brings joy to our hearts and it enlightens the eyes. Now this doesn’t mean that we can see into the future or that I know everything that God is up to all the time. But we do gain insight about the ways and the will of God.

When a road block comes we aren’t shocked by it, we realize that God often uses road blocks to redirect us. If God doesn’t answer our prayers we don’t lose heart because we realize sometimes God has a different agenda that is bigger than ours.

Learning to see through the scripture takes effort and your time. Think for a moment of those things that you devote yourself to, activities that take your time and effort but promise for less. Is having God enlighten your eyes appealing to you? The price is to take in the Word of God.

God Bless, Pastor Rick

Listen Up

Week of February 2, 2024

“Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”  Isaiah 3:21 (NKJV).

Many people like having the TV or radio on while talking to others or when they are busy doing other things. “No, that doesn’t distract me; I don’t even hear it.”

In the same way, we can tune out the Holy Spirit; we can become unaware that He is speaking to us. The children of Israel had come to a place where they were tired of the prophets talking to them about God. Isaiah 30:11 says, “Cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us.” In other words, “Stop telling us about your Holy One of Israel.” But God kept speaking to them anyway. At some point, we may have been guilty of tuning God out, but He doesn’t tune us out.  The Bible says in Isaiah 30:21, “ a word behind” the Holy Spirit keeps reminding us of the truth of God’s word.

Does the noise of culture drown out the voice of the Holy Spirit? Or maybe your busy schedule, the demands of work and home, or the stress in your life? Do we need to wise up to the fact that in a world like today, we need to hear the voice of God for direction? Make time to be alone and quiet and truly listen to God. I can tell you that He is still speaking. If we practice the art of listening, we will hear God sharing His directions with us.

God Bless, Pastor Rick