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HE SAID ...

January 28, 2019

Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD! (Psalms 27:14 ESV)

  In my anger He said it.  In my turmoil He said it.  In my confusion He said it. To my question of what action should I take He said it. In my agony and fear that I would mistakenly hurt and judge others He said it.  He said it and it brought peace to my soul.  He said it and I felt He gave me direction.  He said it and I felt He brought me into His sanctuary, a place of safety.  He said it and I felt He brought me to a place near and dear to my heart, a place where my weary soul is restored.  He said it and I felt Him give me a clear action plan, but as with all His plans it required my faith to obey Him.  Faith in God’s voice is always challenged by competing voices ... voices that stir up, slander, accuse, anger, and tell me that I am foolish to trust God’s voice.  But faith also opens my eyes to another message that builds on the first one.  It helps me see down the road that there is a plan in place that leads to good, for His voice always leads us to good if it is obeyed.  So, what did He say to me that did all the things I mentioned.  He said....

“DO NOTHING”

I asked again, and He said again ...  

“DO NOTHING”

  So I obeyed and did nothing.  I mentioned that obedience by faith often allows God to give us a second message.  He did this to me. His voice then said to me...

“I WILL DO THE RIGHT THING”

  As I thought on these messages I felt God’s assurance that He would walk me through my difficult path.  I felt Him lift a heavy burden that I’ve been carrying lately, even for years.  The burden of responsibility and the need to take action when a wrong occurs was my burden.  I was told in essence by God …  

“I’VE GOT THIS”

  What did I learn from my doing nothing to wait on God to do the right thing?  I learned that good can come from bad if I don’t get in the way of God’s work in making it good.  I learned that my involvement with the “responsibility issue” is best done when I turn my anger, my fear, and my need to control an outcome to prayer, and then allow God to do what He can do  I learned that God can do a mighty work through a man, provided the man doesn’t get in the way of Him working through his life. I believe obedience and working with God is high on His values list and it enables God to do the impossible. I want this, and He has shown me that it can be done, if I don’t get in the way.   I also learned that doing nothing is not doing nothing.  Confused? Let me clear it up.  It takes an act of faith, an act of obedience, and an act of fighting our need to control things to do nothing.  In fact, to do nothing is the hardest thing I’ve had to not do … or even to do, to not do.  Confused? Think about it.  It’s hard, spiritual work to do nothing, and I often cry out if I can be released to tell them just how I feel, and to take matters in my own hands.  But then the voice says …  

“GO AHEAD AND SEE WHERE IT LEADS”

  Then I remember the sorrowful times that I took things recklessly into my own hands and did what I wanted to do only to have remorse for doing it.  I remember my famous words from those times.  “Oh how I wish I hadn’t said that or done that!” This remembrance tells me why I’ve been told to do nothing. It is so I can hide behind God’s protective shield and allow Him to do the right things that need to be done.  If I will play any part in it, it will be when He says, “Now act,” and I will be prepared with what to say and do, and the listener will be prepared to hear and respond.  That is how doing nothing works.  It is so God can orchestrate all things that needs to be done, and that is why doing nothing often does everything and this leads to good.