August 26, 2016
Living in the Now
Kelly Balarie
We hope you are enjoying the Girlfriends in God daily devotions. We (Mary, Sharon, and Gwen) would like to introduce you to some of our special friends. From time-to-time, the Friday devotions will be written by one of our friends in ministry. We call them our “Friday Friends.” So grab your Bible and a fresh cup of coffee and drink in the words from our “Friday Friend,” Kelly Balarie.
Today’s Truth
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you (Psalm 32:8).
Friend to Friend
My mind has been set on a future dream. I can almost see it coming to life. It will be fantastic, magnificent and more than I ever dreamed.
I assure myself of this.
I will sip an iced tea on a screened in porch. I will have the ability to lay back a bit easier. I will head to the beach within a split-second drive. The weather will make me warm both inside and out. Friends will be abundant and hospitable.
I assure myself of this. Now God, you need to come through.
But, He hasn’t. He hasn’t answered my request. He hasn’t run to my rescue to move my dwelling place somewhere warm and somewhere south. He has been silent. He has been inactive, or so it seems.
Where did you go, God?
Like me, do you feel God has gone silent on a dream, a hope, or a prayer request that you’re confident will bring you life, joy or peace?
Living in the Land of Wait can feel like it controls your so-called fate. It can seem that everything hinges on this one thing coming true. It can seem like you are being held back from greatness.
And, maybe, that is just the problem. You see, I have noticed that when I live with the demands of the future, I end up missing the blessings of now.
I miss the smiles of the ones who want to connect.
I miss the opportunities to extend service.
I miss the endurance forged through patience.
I miss the great wisdom God wants me to witness.
I miss the peace of knowing I am exactly where I should be.
I miss waiting love and replace it with the overhanging fear that God is not near.
Do you feel that God has left shop to leave you standing with a bill of goods you hate?
Sisters, friends, fellow strugglers, here is truth: He has not left. He is instructing us. He is teaching us. He is leading us in the way we should go. There is not one day His loving eye is not on us (Psalm 32:8). He knows.
He knows what the future is.
He knows what our heart needs.
He knows what will make us more like Christ.
He knows what our part is in the mission field around us.
He knows that pain sometimes brings about our greatest gain.
He knows the value of creating virtues like patience and kindness for they will one day be the currency of heaven.
Will we trust Him?
Let’s Pray
Dear Lord, when we don’t hear You, we often hear fear. We get afraid that we will be left hurt. Please help us draw near to You. Help us to know Your voice. Help us to know that You care for us far more than we can even think or imagine. Bask us in Your love. Drown us in Your compassion. Soak us in all things You. We want to do Your will. Give us faith to follow through.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
What is your wait? Redefine it. Rather than thinking of it as a time of grueling hours that hold you back, see it as:
Waiting
Abiding
In God’s Perfect
Timing
More from the Girlfriends
Kelly Balarie, a blogger at Purposeful Faith, is passionate about joining hands with women who often find themselves stuck in the pits of life. Step-by-step, word-by-word, her dream is that together they can emerge better - fear, fret and panic-free. Get all of Kelly’s Purposeful Faith blog posts by emailfor a dose of inspiration and encouragement.
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