Happy Monday!

I spent the day preparing for my Old Testament mid-term on Thursday. I spent so much time sitting today that when Bruce and I went to put gas in the cars, I parked at the back in the parking lot of Kroger just for the walk.

Prayer: “Lord, this morning I wait with eager anticipation to see what You have in store for this day. Help me to find my hope in You and Your Word. Teach me to wait for Your perfect will to be done. Thank you for waking me this morning with another opportunity to live for You. Amen.”

Psalm 130: 5,6 “I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word I do hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning.”

“Wait and hope.” Here are the two words on which the psalmist is asking us to meditate on today. I don’t know about you but I am pretty good at hope, but not as good at waiting. We live currently in a time where waiting is almost a thing of the past. We no longer have to wait to do much of anything. We do not have to wait to eat for fast food is on every corner and a microwave in each home. We don’t have to wait to talk with someone because we all have cell phones that will connect us around the world or even from room to room in our own house. Mail is not something we really wait for any more because of email, instant messaging, Facebook, twitter and a host of other communication devices. We don’t even have to wait for deposits to our bank accounts anymore because companies automatically deposit pay checks directly into our accounts and phones can take pictures of checks and make deposits from your car or wherever you are. We really don’t have to wait on much anymore.

But hope is another story. When we hope for something we are stepping out on our faith believing that the right things will occur. Hope is connected to waiting in interesting ways. When Geni was interviewing for teaching jobs we waited for someone to call her in the hope they would hire her.

God answers our prayers in three ways: yes, no and wait. When the first two answers are not immediately forthcoming then we must in faith believe that God’s answer is worth the wait. God hears and answers each one of our prayers in our best interest and for His glory. Sometimes when the day is really dark and we think all hope is lost we need to remember that God promised through Jesus that He would never leave us or forsake us. Placing our hope in Him is the light we look to even when the day seems very dark. Hebrews 11: 1 “Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.”

Take joy in the journey. Wear comfortable shoes (I am wearing boots and a hoodie tomorrow). Count your blessings and say your prayers. My friends, stand on God’s Word and live in holy ease! Love you all, Bruce, Gaylene, Geni and Travis.

Gcapplenotes@aol.com

I am not moved by what I see. I am not moved by what I feel. I am only moved by what I believe and I believe God.