{"id":14862,"date":"2013-10-02T01:00:00","date_gmt":"2013-10-02T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/?p=14862"},"modified":"2013-10-01T16:00:51","modified_gmt":"2013-10-01T21:00:51","slug":"esther-chapter-56-8","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/2013\/10\/02\/esther-chapter-56-8\/","title":{"rendered":"Esther – Chapter 5:6-8"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Wk5_Esther_Caddell\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Waiting.\u00a0 I\u2019m going to admit something that probably only my family and closest friends know \u2013 I\u2019m not the most patient person.\u00a0 In fact, I quit<\/i> praying for patience, because God answered my prayers by putting me in positions that required me to be patient.\u00a0 (You understand that is how it works, right?\u00a0 If you pray for something like patience \u2013 you will not wake up with an unbelievable measure of patience \u2013 you will be placed in situations where your patience is going to be developed.\u00a0 God is concerned with your character<\/i>, not your convenience.<\/i>)\u00a0 God, however, is not fooled \u2013 He continues to place me in situations to develop my patience, because it is in my best interest.\u00a0\u00a0 If I appear patient, it\u2019s because I work on it every day.<\/p>\n

Is it hard for you to wait? More importantly \u2013 did you know that you will often have to wait for the Lord?\u00a0 Did you also\u00a0know\u00a0waiting would test your strength and courage?<\/p>\n

We often have a “microwave mentality.” \u00a0We want our food…and we want it now. \u00a0I don\u2019t want to wait an hour for a baked potato \u2013 I want it in 5 minutes. My popcorn package says 2:30, but at 2:10 the bag is out of there \u2013 I\u2019m ready to eat!\u00a0 How often are we like that with God?\u00a0” God \u2013 give me patience \u2013 and give it to me right now<\/b>!”\u00a0 We want to see evidence of God working in our lives immediately. We want proof our prayers are answered today<\/i>.\u00a0 But if we believe Romans 8:28, “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His<\/i> purpose” then we must believe that in God\u2019s timing<\/i> we will see the proof that He is working in our lives.<\/p>\n

In Esther 5:6-8 we see the setup that will be evidenced in the coming verses and chapters.\u00a0 Esther has a plan to present her request before the King, but postpones her request until the banquet the next day.\u00a0 We will see how the delay in her request is then timed perfectly with God\u2019s plan for honoring Mordecai and saving the Jews.\u00a0 If you look through the Bible you will see many more examples of God\u2019s timing.\u00a0 Think about Abraham: God called him to leave his country and follow him. He told Abraham that He would make him a father of many nations.\u00a0 Do you know how long Abraham had to wait for God to fulfill that promise and send him Isaac?\u00a0 Over 40 years!\u00a0\u00a0 What about David?\u00a0 He was anointed King of Israel as a boy<\/i>, yet he had to wait over 30 years to be crowned King \u2013 and many of those years were filled with despair and fear for his life from the reigning King of Israel!<\/p>\n

Ladies, if you will allow me, I want to share something personal with you.\u00a0 About two years ago I went through a fairly challenging year spiritually.\u00a0 You see, I have felt the call of God very strongly on my life for several years, but I couldn\u2019t quite figure out what He wanted of me. I began the year by again surrendering\u00a0everything to God, and said that He could use me any way He wanted. \u00a0I prayed. \u00a0I fasted. \u00a0I studied the Scripture.\u00a0 And I felt\u2026nothing.\u00a0 No urging.\u00a0 No assignment.\u00a0 There were things that I felt He laid on my heart to study, however, and so I did. \u00a0I poured myself into the Scriptures daily. \u00a0I was faithful to what He put in my path.<\/p>\n

As the year progressed, I became discouraged \u2013 did God not want anything from me?\u00a0 \u00a0Was I not strong enough?\u00a0 Did I not know enough? \u00a0Was I always going to be mediocre?\u00a0 I felt as if I was in God\u2019s classroom and He was calling for helpers \u2013 and no matter how often I raised my hand He picked someone else.\u00a0 <\/i>I felt this way for an entire year. \u00a0<\/i>But then, one day, two women came into my small group who had serious issues: addictions, chaos in the home, doubt as to their worth in God\u2019s eyes (one had in the past been suicidal).\u00a0 And, through the Holy Spirit, I knew how to speak to them. \u00a0(They are still active friends in my life, by the way, and God is working MIGHTILY in their lives \u2013 praise God!)\u00a0 I was amazed at how I responded!\u00a0 And on my way home from church, God revealed Himself to me so strongly it felt like a punch in the chest \u2013 THIS is what He prepared me for. \u00a0I am an encourager<\/em> \u2013 this is my primary gifting. \u00a0This is why He spent a year preparing me (and continues to prepare me) – \u201cto know the word that sustains the weary\u201d (Isaiah 50:4, NIV).\u00a0 I learned about spiritual warfare and strengthened my prayer life so that I would be an intercessor, a watchman on the wall.\u00a0\u00a0 God sends me broken people \u2013 and it\u2019s my job (and privilege) to care for them.<\/p>\n

What is God preparing YOU<\/b> for?\u00a0 Will you reject this time of waiting because you need immediate proof?\u00a0 Or will you ask God to strengthen you, to teach you, to grow you, to prepare you while you are waiting for His promises in your life to be fulfilled?<\/p>\n