April 24, 2024

Waiting Here For You

September 23, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

If faith can move the mountains
Let the mountains move
We come with expectation
Waiting here for You
I’m waiting here for You

You’re the Lord of all creation
And still You know my heart
The Author of Salvation
You’ve loved me from the start

Waiting here for You
With our hands lifted high in praise
And it’s You we adore
Singing Alleluia

You are everything You’ve promised
Your faithfulness is true
And we’re desperate for Your presence
All we need is You

Martin Smith and Sarah Bird
Songwriters: Chris Tomlin, Jesse Reeves, Martin Smith

 *   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   * 

This song sings of the proper heart-attitude of one who is waiting in expectation of God’s blessing.  It sings of quiet confidence in the Creator of the heavens and the earth…and His not being so big to not know the depths of each of our hearts.  It tells of desperately needing, yet expectantly waiting,  for God.  It speaks the praises of one who is convinced that God is present and faithful and loving.  It speaks the heart of one who loves and adores this great God.

As I’ve been listening again (and again) to this song, I’ve thought of some folks I know who are currently praying and waiting.  Their desires and expectations run quite the gamut as they wait…

  • as a loved one is dying, and expecting God to give them relief and comfort
  • for God’s provision in the area of their finances
  • for God’s blessing and healing of division in their marriage
  • for the safety and return of a loved one serving in the military overseas
  • to see God provide reconciliation amongst family members
  • on God’s timing to move their family cross-country
  • for miraculous healing from cancer
  • for the birth of their first child

Their needs are varied and their needs are great.  These are not small, inconsequential matters.  Yet each one remains convinced that God will provide and is waiting expectantly.  Their hope and trust is in Him.

My soul, wait only upon God and silently submit to Him;
for my hope and expectation are from Him.
He only is my Rock and my Salvation;
He is my Defense and my Fortress, I shall not be moved.
With God rests my salvation and my glory;
He is my Rock of unyielding strength and impenetrable hardness, and my refuge is in God!
Trust in, lean on, rely on, and have confidence in Him at all times, you people;
Pour out your hearts before Him.
God is a refuge for us (a fortress and a high tower). Selah
Psalms 62:5-8

And we wait also for the <soon> return of our Lord to the earth to gather the saints.  This is a constant yearning and expectation of ours!  {Come quickly, Lord Jesus!}

…So Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time,
not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
Hebrews 9:28

Perhaps, there is something that you are waiting for God to do in your life. Just as Jesus will faithfully fulfil His promise to return to the Earth, He will also fulfill His promises for your life.  We always base our expectations and our hope on the Truth—God’s Holy Word.  God will bring every promise He has ever made to pass.  He is faithful.

Yes, in the path of Your judgments, O Lord, we wait [expectantly] for You;
our heartfelt desire is for Your name and for the remembrance of You.
Isaiah 26:8

Just as Isaiah encouraged the people of Israel, so the same Truth applies to our hearts as we endeavor to faithfully walk as we wait on the fulfillment of God’s promises.  Isaiah 40:28-31 says,

Do you not know?  Have you not heard?  The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.  He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom.  He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.  Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

 *   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   * 

I pray that you will have courage and strength as you wait upon the Lord for deliverance and for Him to fulfil His plans and purpose for your life.  No matter where you are today in your waiting for the Lord…if you have been waiting one day or one year…I pray you remain filled with expectation!  No matter how large and life-changing your need might be, or perhaps it is very small and intimate—known only to you and your heavenly Father, I pray that You are filled with expectation.  I pray that your expectation is focused solely on the goodness, the grace, the mercy, the lovingkindness of the Great I AM.  I pray that you sing HalleluJAH in worship-filled praise today as you wait…and that you will sing HALLELUJAH! when your expectation is fulfilled by His love and grace.

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Help Me Find It

August 25, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

I don’t know where to go from here
It all used to seem so clear
I’m finding I can’t do this on my own

I don’t know where to go from here
As long as I know that You are near
I’m done fighting, I’m finally letting go

I will trust in You
You’ve never failed before
I will trust in You

If there’s a road I should walk
Help me find it
If I need to be still
Give me peace for the moment
Whatever Your will
Whatever Your will
Can You help me find it?
Can You help me find it?

I’m giving You fear and You give faith
I giving You doubt, You give me grace
For every step I’ve never been alone

Even when it hurts You’ll have Your way
Even in the valley I will say
With every breath You’ve never let me go

I will wait for You
You’ve never failed before
I will wait for You

I lift my empty hands (come fill me up again)
Have Your way my King (I give my all to You)
I lift my eyes again (was blind but now I see)
‘Cause You are all I need

Sidewalk Prophets – David Frey / Ben McDonald / Jason Ingram

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

This is my ‘go to’ song—every time I find myself struggling with a decision, or wondering which path to take.  It is a reminder that God is in control (are you humming “God is in Control” by Twila Paris now?) and I need to seek His will instead of trying to solve the problem on my own.  Ephesians 1:17 (NLT) encourages us to ask “God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give <us> spiritual wisdom and insight so that <we> might grow in our knowledge of God.”  James 1:5 (NASB) states if we lack wisdom we are to “…ask of God, Who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given….”  God will help us find His will.

Often that requires patience.  I joke that I am not a very virtuous person because patience is not my strongsuit.  Pain, doubt and hurt make us want to rush ahead. We don’t like being in that valley.  But, many times, that is where we grow the most in our relationship with Christ.  He gives us faith and grace in those valleys. He never lets us go, He is always with us, as Deuteronomy 31:6 and 8 HCSB remind us:

Be strong and courageous; don’t be terrified or afraid of them.
For it is the Lord your God who goes with you; He will not leave you or forsake you.
The Lord is the One who will go before you.
He will be with you; He will not leave you or forsake you.
Do not be afraid or discouraged.

Sidewalk Prophets used the following Scriptures as a basis for this song:

  • Be still, and know that I am God; (the NASB version says “Cease striving”)

 Psalm 46:10a NIV

  • Your Word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path.

Psalm 119:105 HCSB

  • Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.  In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6 AMP

I love the Amplified version of Proverbs 3:6— “HE will direct and make straight and PLAIN your paths.”  If only we are willing to wait.

This quote from Bishop T.D. Jakes is a good reminder of what can happen if we don’t wait:

“People who don’t understand God’s timing, don’t get His rhythm.  They birth things prematurely, threatening the very lives of their God-given dreams.”

Waiting can be scary.  But I am more terrified of making the wrong decision.  So I gladly sing:

“I will wait for You
You’ve never failed before
I will wait for You
If there’s a road I should walk
Help me find it
If I need to be still
Give me peace for the moment
Whatever Your will
Whatever Your will
Can You help me find it?
Can You help me find it?”

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

Thank You, Lord, that Your ways are not our own, that Your ways are higher, beyond our comprehension.  Thank You for directing our paths.  Teach us to wait for You…to seek Your wisdom and guidance instead of striving to resolve our issues on our own.  Your timing is perfect and You have such great plans for us.  In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen – it IS so!

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Waiting Here For You

July 13, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

If faith can move the mountains
Let the mountains move
We come with expectation
Waiting here for you, I’m waiting here for you

You’re the Lord of all creation
And still You know my heart
The Author of Salvation
You’ve loved us from the start

Waiting here for You
With our hands lifted high in praise
And it’s You we adore
Singing Alleluia

You are everything You’ve promised
Your faithfulness is true
And we’re desperate for Your presence
All we need is You

Waiting here for You
With our hands lifted high in praise
And it’s You we adore
Singing Alleluia
Singing Alleluia

Songwriters: Chris Tomlin, Jesse Reeves, Martin Smith

Performed by Martin Smith and Jesus Culture

 *   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   * 

This song sings of the proper heart-attitude of one who is waiting in expectation of God’s blessing. It sings of quiet confidence in the Creator of the heavens and the earth…and His not being so big to not know the depths of each of our hearts. It tells of desperately needing yet expectantly waiting for God. It speaks the praises of one who is convinced that God is present and faithful and loving.

As I’ve been listening again (and again) to this song, I’ve thought of some folks I know who are currently praying and waiting. Their desires and expectations run quite the gamut as they wait…

  • as a loved one is dying, and expecting God to give them relief and comfort
  • for God’s provision in the area of their finances
  • for God’s blessing and healing of division in their marriage
  • for the safety and return of a loved one serving in the military overseas
  • to see God provide reconciliation amongst family members
  • on God’s timing to move their family cross-country
  • for miraculous healing from cancer
  • for the birth of their first child

Their needs are varied and their needs are great.  These are not small, inconsequential matters.  Yet each one is waiting expectantly and remain convinced that God will provide. Their hope is in Him.

My soul, wait only upon God and silently submit to Him;
for my hope and expectation are from Him.
He only is my Rock and my Salvation;
He is my Defense and my Fortress, I shall not be moved.
With God rests my salvation and my glory;
He is my Rock of unyielding strength and impenetrable hardness, and my refuge is in God!
Trust in, lean on, rely on, and have confidence in Him at all times, you people;
Pour out your hearts before Him.
God is a refuge for us (a fortress and a high tower). Selah
Psalms 62:5-8

And we wait also for the <soon> return of our Lord to the earth to gather the saints.  This is a constant yearning expectation of ours!  Come quickly, Lord Jesus!

…So Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time,
not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
Hebrews 9:28

Perhaps, there is something that you are waiting for God to do in your life. Just as Jesus will faithfully fulfil His promise to return to the Earth, He will also fulfill His promises for your life. We always base our expectations and our hope on the Truth—God’s Holy Word. God will bring every promise He has ever made to pass. He is faithful.

Yes, in the path of Your judgments, O Lord, we wait [expectantly] for You;
our heartfelt desire is for Your name and for the remembrance of You.
Isaiah 26:8

Just as Isaiah encouraged the people of Israel, so the same Truth applies to our hearts as we endeavor to faithfully walk as we wait on the fulfillment of God’s promises.

Isaiah 40:28-31 says,

Do you not know?  Have you not heard?  The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.  He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom.  He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.  Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

 *   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   * 

I pray for you that you will have courage and strength as you wait upon the Lord for deliverance and for Him to fulfil His plans and purpose for your life.  No matter where you are today in your waiting for the Lord…if you have been waiting one day or one year…I pray you are filled with expectation!  No matter how large and life-changing your need might be, or perhaps it is very small and intimate—known only to you and your heavenly Father, I pray that You are filled with expectation.  I pray that your expectation is focused solely on the goodness, the grace, the mercy, the lovingkindness of the Great I AM.  I pray that you sing HalleluJAH in worship-filled praise today as you wait…and that you will sing HALLELUJAH! when your expectation is fulfilled by His love and grace.

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

16 Day Love Challenge: Chapter 1 – Patience

November 4, 2013 by

16daypatience

 

To Walk or Stay

I have a friend who is struggling with a situation in her life. The enemy is trying his best to steal, kill, and destroy all that she has. In the midst of this, God is reaching out to her and asking if she will walk in patience with Him. Will she give Him the time needed to turn this around?

We understand patience when the context is to be patient with our loved ones or others. But to be patient with God for the purpose of giving Him time to turn our situation around—this is asking a lot of a person, especially when they are looking back as a witness on the destruction of something that was once so promising.

I wonder if this post has found you in a place where God is asking you the same question: “Do you have the strength (patience) to turn to Me and let Me walk you through this?”

One of the most powerful things I have learned in my walk with God is that my trials tend to unmask my weaknesses. Once my weaknesses are revealed, I am left with a decision to make.

Will I walk away from the person and the situation or can I stand still and let God work to save my relationship?

In my pain and anger, I feel walking away would be the easy decision. After all, I have been hurt by this person and have a right to walk away. Entangled in my thoughts of leaving, I hear God’s voice softly speak to my heart.

The thing I LOVE about God is the fact that He is not demanding. He understands the hurt we have been through. He gets that our hearts can only take so much. So He gently asks us, “Will you walk away or can you stand still and wait for Me to turn your situation around?” James tells us why we should consider God’s request:

This you know, my beloved brethren. But let everyone be quick to hear,
slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man
does not achieve the righteousness of God.
James 1:19-20

Our anger (though understandable) will not achieve the righteousness God is looking for. He wants to develop Righteousness in our character and will use our trial as the vehicle to use when we are willing. Standing still means we are willing to not only be patient with Him, it says we are willing to recognize our weaknesses and walk through them -one by one.

Facing our unrighteousness can be tough. Sometimes this reveals where we are wrong in the situation. Facing ourselves means we are putting a Holy mirror in front of us. God’s Holiness reveals the areas we need to change. But God gives strength to those who are willing to be patient with Him…

But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:31

God’s Word tells us that if we will wait on the Lord, He will renew our strength. We will mount up with wings like eagles. God spoke to my heart once again as I read this verse. Mounting up with wings is a promise to those of us who choose to walk in patience with Him to the end. The wings represent flight, or an easy flow of things. Once we overcome one of our weaknesses, the road ahead will be so much easier to navigate. Our character is strengthened and our relationship has the chance to turn around, as God is now able to use us as His vessels.

To the one who is reading this post and facing a trial of your own, I ask you the question: Will you walk or will you stand?  I pray you will choose to stand and let God turn your situation around.

* * * * * * *

Here are a few more verses to further encourage you:

And let us not lose heart in doing good,
for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary.
Galatians 6:9

And we urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly,
encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with all men.
1 Thessalonians 5:14

Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him;
Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath;
Do not fret, it leads only to evildoing.
For evildoers will be cut off,
But those who wait for the LORD, they will inherit the land.
Psalms 37:7-9

Cease striving and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.
Psalm 46:10

I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, entreat you to walk
in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,
with all humility and gentleness, with patience,
showing forbearance to one another in love,
Ephesians 4:1-2

Filed Under: Women's Ministry Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

A Daughter’s Worth: Week 11 / Day 5 – Be Confident of God’s Involvement

December 14, 2012 by

Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart

         and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.

  Proverbs 3:5-6

How many of you know that it is difficult to let go of certain things that concern us personally? To be honest with you, it use to be almost impossible for me to let go of anything that concerned me in any way. I use to feel like I was the only one who would be able to fix whatever needed fixing.

Well, I was busy with a process that involved the future of me and my immediate family. Although I prayed about this process and what needed to be done, I was all over the place. I did endless research; I read whatever was said about this process we were involved in. I worried whenever I submitted something, and I use to get agitated with my husband whenever he took too long completing some paperwork. Well, needless to say that we were not successful completing the process.

Things only started to fall in place once I surrendered everything, and I mean everything to God and admitted that I did not understand what is going on and need Him to direct my path.

What you have to understand is that God only wants what is best for His children. We might think that a certain person will make us happy, or if we can just get a particular outfit or whatever we are into at the moment; but God knows exactly what we need, and His plans for our lives are far more awesome than what we can ever imagine.

I was so inspired by the following scripture in the Amplified Bible. Hebrews 13:5

Let your character or moral disposition be free from love of money [including greed, avarice, lust, and craving for earthly possessions] and be satisfied with your present [circumstances and with what you have]; for he [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [ Assuredly not!]

Oh my, what an  awesome assurance!!!!

Girls, I want to challenge you today to be confident of God’s involvement in your lives. Know that God has your best interest at heart.

Let’s Pray:

Father, thank You for each girl who will read this blog. Thank You that we don’t have to be worry about anything and that we can trust You with our every need. We admit today that we need You to guide us and be with us in all of our endeavors.   Amen.

If you are interested in joining us in our GCH:decaf Teen Girls Ministry, please click the sign-up form button at the top of our webpage. Just follow the instructions on the form and hit submit. We’ll be happy to add you to one of our Online Bible Study Groups! Please email GCH_Decaf@girlfriendscoffeehour.com for more information.

Filed Under: Teens Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

A Daughter’s Worth: Week 11/ Day 4 – Be Willing to Accept “Yes” or “No”

December 13, 2012 by

Girls let me start off first by saying that when we write our blogs every week, the messages that we are assigned to write about in the book are messages that go to us first. What I mean by that is, (I am sure that the other Bloggers will say the same thing), what we have to write about is usually something that God is working with us on, in our own lives and to say it best…we have to take our own medicine, first. It reminds me of what my old Pastor used to say…”First to the messenger.” We have all been wowed by our Blog titles and subjects during this study! God is amazing like that!

Today’s topic, “be willing to accept yes or no”, was one that I really needed myself and so, I can better write about it because it is truly something that I am dealing with now. It can be hard to wait on God’s answer to a prayer that you really want Him to answer! You pray and then you wait: ( I can’t begin to tell you how hard it is trying to hear what God’s answer is to a request. I have learned over the years that you CAN NOT rush God! He is ALWAYS going to move when He is ready! He is going to move in His own timing! He knows what is best for us and we have to keep on trusting Him.

God KNOWS what is BEST for YOU! : ) I think that getting an answer of “No” from God is the hardest answer to receive from Him, but when your prayers aren’t answered the way that you think they should be, God provides comfort. I love how the author of this book, Ava Sturgeon, says that when the answer is “no”…”He’s promised never to leave you”, even when the answer is “no”.  Whatever His answer is, it will always be the BEST thing for us in the long run.

1 Thessalonians 5:18

1 Thessalonians 5:18

 

God wants you to come to Him for EVERYTHING! He wants to be included in EVERY aspect of your life! He loves you so much!! Talk to Him like you talk with your friends and family. He doesn’t want to be left out : (

Let’s pray:

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for always having our best interest at heart. Help us to be able to receive Your answers to our prayers whether it is a yes or a no. We know that You love us and want what is best for us. Help us to have a heart that trusts You dear Lord. We thank You in advance and we are asking these things in Your darling Son Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.

Love, Ms. Tonya : )

If you are interested in joining us in our GCH:decaf Teen Girls Ministry, please click the sign-up form button at the top of our webpage. Just follow the instructions on the form and hit submit. We’ll be happy to add you to one of our Online Bible Study Groups! Please email GCH_Decaf@girlfriendscoffeehour.com for more information.

Filed Under: Teens Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,