Today I thought about the disciples waiting in the Upper Room as Jesus instructed them to not leave Jerusalem (Acts 1:4). I wondered how they felt sitting there together waiting. Did it feel like the time spent waiting seemed like forever? Were they excited? Clearly, they understood that Jesus did not tell them to wait and do nothing. They prayed (Acts 1:14) as well as got busy picking a new disciple as the Word tells us in Acts 1:26.
No doubt it was a highlight of their entire lives when the Holy Spirit descended upon them (Acts 2-1-4)! Can you even imagine it? No doubt they paced, but they were praying too. They were preparing. They were purposeful - and productive.
During our August Springs For Life https://springsoflife7.wixsite.com/john414 Tuesday evening time of prayer, my sister in Christ Fay me of Ecclesiastes 3. It is so good I have to share it here and now!
A Time for Everything
1For everything there is a season,
a time for every activity under heaven.
2A time to be born and a time to die.
A time to plant and a time to harvest.
3A time to kill and a time to heal.
A time to tear down and a time to build up.
4A time to cry and a time to laugh.
A time to grieve and a time to dance.
5A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
6A time to search and a time to quit searching.
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
7A time to tear and a time to mend.
A time to be quiet and a time to speak.
8A time to love and a time to hate.
A time for war and a time for peace.
9What do people really get for all their hard work? 10I have seen the burden God has placed on us all. 11Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. 12So I concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can. 13And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God.
14And I know that whatever God does is final. Nothing can be added to it or taken from it. God’s purpose is that people should fear him. 15What is happening now has happened before, and what will happen in the future has happened before, because God makes the same things happen over and over again.
The Injustices of Life
16I also noticed that under the sun there is evil in the courtroom. Yes, even the courts of law are corrupt! 17I said to myself, “In due season God will judge everyone, both good and bad, for all their deeds.”
18I also thought about the human condition—how God proves to people that they are like animals. 19For people and animals share the same fate—both breathea and both must die. So people have no real advantage over the animals. How meaningless! 20Both go to the same place—they came from dust and they return to dust. 21For who can prove that the human spirit goes up and the spirit of animals goes down into the earth?22So I saw that there is nothing better for people than to be happy in their work. That is our lot in life. And no one can bring us back to see what happens after we die.
Footnotes:
a
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015
by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.,
Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
In this recent past season of my life, God had been allowing me
to have a struggle with hot flashes. I know, I know, this is part of
Perimenopause! However, I had been managing it with supplements quite well but
unfortunately had tried a different supplement which did not work so well for
my thyroid. And so, my hair started to fall out and worse than that, I was
restless every night with hot and cold and just sleepless nights. The second
week into this "season", I just surrendered to trying to sleep at
all. With my 8 animals snoring around me and my hubby deep in sleep, I
determined instead of being upset that I was awake and alone, I prayed.
I prayed for so many needs and when I ran out of people to pray
for, I asked God to bring needs to mind. I actually fell asleep about 4:30
every morning after being woken just about the same time every night at 2:00
am. The funny part is that when I initially went to bed, I slept soundly for
about 4 hours. Looking back, I see God was giving me enough rest to wake me up
so that I could lift others up. I also realized I was not praying for myself.
Yes, I prayed for everyone but myself. In the wee morning hours one day, God
taught me that I must pray for myself as well as others.
Now having good sleep, looking back - I know that this was a
blessing. For I had been waiting to go back to sleep every night for two weeks
without thinking of anyone but myself. And how I would be tired in the morning.
Instead I learned to actually pray for myself and others. And I was never tired
in the morning after that but fully refreshed and with a pep in my step!
I encourage you if you are in a season of waiting on God for no
matter what - - that you get busy praying. Talk to God out loud even if you
can. Like a friend. But He is so much more. And He will share with you in the
waiting How Wonderful, How Magnificent He is! Yeah, counting sheep sounds like
the solution, but really - - so much more can come out of spending time in
prayer - - - while you wait.
Dear God,
Thank you for teaching us while we wait that we can be focused
on others in prayer. Thank you for allowing us to be excited about seasons of
waiting - whether it is waiting to fall asleep, waiting for a bus or waiting
for something which is not fun to end. So many of us struggle while we wait
when You have given us waiting as a time to reveal Your handiwork in each
of our lives. That we would not waste time but redeem the time - no matter in
the early am hours, in college or in the days of old in Pentecost as in Acts. We
love you Lord and are so grateful You love us right back! In Jesus Name, Amen.
And Amen.
Please consider joining Springs
Of Life (S.O.L) for monthly prayer. We meet via Zoom.us monthly on the
second Tuesday of each week for 30 minutes beginning promptly at 7:00 pm est.
For more information please visit www.bluewaterbro.com and see the Springs
Of Life link on the homepage or visit us directly at https://springsoflife7.wixsite.com/john414
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