waiting

Come On, Let’s Go!

Published on September 7, 2024September 6, 2024 by amylinnea3 Comments

For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. Psalm 62:5

My first phrase as a child, was something like, “Come on, group, let’s go!”

I’ve always wanted to keep the move on.

Forget ahead.

Time is wasting!

Are you waiting on God for anything?

Usually we are as we always want something.

Are you waiting for God’s timing on something specific?

Or directions as you know something is about to change?

When waiting on God, we tend to wrap ourselves up in what we want.

What we want when we want it.

And that’s like now, right?

Or yesterday!

But there’s more.

When we are waiting on God, we tend to become anxious or worried as things are not moving fast enough for us.

And we become anxious because we think we know best.

Better than God.

And when we dwell on what we think should happen, and begin to feel anxious as we wait, fear moves right on in.

Worry and anxiety do not reveal God’s plans, instead keeping us bound to fear.

Do you want to see God’s plans?

Keep trusting Him, asking Him to reveal them to you in His perfect timing.

In the mean time, trust.

Trust He’s on the move.

Trust He’s got the plans.

And trust He knows best for you.

He’ll nudge you to move here and there.

And when He does, make sure to pay attention.

Don’t just sit there as a lump on the log, waiting for God to do everything for you.

When you pray and wait, actively participate in His plan. His solution.

Allow Him to work through you as you wait and as you walk into His future planned just for you.

Photos by Scott Higdon, Pawel Tadejko, Max Goncharov, & Daiga Ellaby on Unsplash

Waiting for You

Published on March 16, 2024 by amylinnea4 Comments

Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him. Isaiah 30:18

Morning dawned, and her alarm sounded.

Waking, the girl opened her eyes.

She stumbled out of bed, beginning her day.

Jesus was sitting on a chair by her bed. Waiting.

Returning to her room, she thought of opening her Bible and praying.

She wanted to, but realized she didn’t have the time. She was late.

And Jesus still sat, waiting.

After school the girl returned, but her phone begged for her attention.

Flopping down on the bed, she ignored the thoughts of reading the Bible.

Jesus was still there, waiting.

Dinner came and went. TV shows were watched. Homework completed.

Climbing into bed at the end of the day, the girl glanced at her Bible.

She wanted to read it, but her flesh cried out for sleep.

She mumbled a prayer as she closed her eyes.

And Jesus was still there, waiting.

He waited in her room every day.

He longed for a deeper relationship; He loved her so.

As the years went by, she changed houses and rooms, yet Jesus was always there. Waiting.

She had always grown up believing in Him, asking Him into her heart when she was young.

However, she had never really developed her relationship with God, putting it off even though she felt badly.

But Jesus never left. He was always there, waiting for her.

Did she sit with Him? That all depends. Do you?

Photos by Ben White & Amira Aboalnaga on Unsplash

Always by Your Side

Published on December 9, 2023December 8, 2023 by amylinnea2 Comments

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10

He’s here.

Picture Jesus sitting right here.

In the chair beside you.

He’s as near as your very breath.

He’s waiting for you to need Him.

He knows you need Him, more than you even realize, but He gives you that choice.

He knows your heart belongs to Him, but sometimes it wanders away a bit.

When your heart wanders, it seeks after things of this world instead of God.

Jesus is seeking the Father on your behalf.

Always in prayer for you.

Your needs. Your health.

Your very life.

Anticipating your sigh, He looks at you.

Love and sympathy pour from His eyes.

He sees you.

He knows you.

He has a plan for all your days.

Good things, hard things, and everything in between.

He longs to hear your heart.

To carry your burdens, big or small.

As you labor through this life, reach out to Jesus.

Tell Him your joys.

Your sorrows.

Your hopes and dreams.

By the way, He already knows them all.

Reach out to Him afresh today.

He’s right here waiting for you.

Photos by Joshua Lawrence, Andrew Shelley, eduard, & Ben White on Unsplash

Listening

Published on March 30, 2019June 9, 2023 by amylinneaLeave a comment

My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. Proverbs 4:20

How are you listening to God?

Are you even listening?

Or are you talking to God, demanding what you wish to be…?

We all have plans in our head of how we wish life to unfold.

We all have ideas of where we’d like to go in this one life.

Ever think about what you pray for?

Do you spend most of your time asking God for things?

Showing Him your laundry list?

How much time do you spend praising Who He is?

Reminding yourself of the absolute awe you should feel?

Or listening?

How much time do you spend silent, listening to His whispers to your heart?

In life, the rule is to listen more than you speak.

How about in prayer?

We should listen more than we speak.

Listen to the heart of God.

Yes, ask Him for His provision, protection, and peace.

But devote most of your prayer to listening.

If you’re too busy talking, you might even miss your answer.

Our Job

Published on January 26, 2019June 9, 2023 by amylinneaLeave a comment

I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. Psalm 16:8

Sometimes I say, “Really, God?”

“Really?”

Sometimes I wonder just what He’s thinking.

Sometimes, I say, “Don’t you want to try this instead?”

“Seriously, don’t you?”

Sometimes I wonder just what He’s doing.

Sometimes, I throw up my hands and say, “I have no idea how You will solve this doozy of a problem.”

“Seriously, how do You plan on fixing it?”

Sometimes, I wonder just what He’s planning.

We wonder because we want to know.

We want to be in control.

We want to give Him input.

May we be reminded that God is God and we are not.

May we ask Him to guide our mouths and every step.

And may we never forget just how much we matter to God.

Our every detail matters to Him.

Nothing is overlooked.

He has already gone before us.

We need only to pray and trust.

Photo credits by George Mihaila & Igor Kasalovic on Unsplash

Will You?

Published on November 17, 2018June 9, 2023 by amylinnea2 Comments

The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth. Psalm 145:18

Will you keep trusting God when all looks wrong?

Will you keep your faith as it looks like God has turned His back on you?

Remember Job?

Job kept his faith even as his entire life fell apart.

Life as he knew it melted away.

All of his children died.

His business failed.

His home burned.

His possessions were a total loss.

His wife was livid as she blamed Job for it all.

His friends gave him bad advice.

He was alone.

He felt God had turned His back on him.

But Job’s faith never faltered.

He stayed faithful.

He never wavered.

And God restored him.

In God’s perfect timing, Job was completely restored.

Do you have that kind of faith?

If God took away everything in this life, would you trust Him still?

God’s not likely to do just that.

However, life will sometimes look like God is absent.

Gone.

Not with you.

But He is here.

Always.

Rest assured, God is in complete control.

God never lost control in Job’s life.

God simply allowed Satan to test Job.

God had Job’s back.

And God has your back.

Always.

When your life feels as though God has left, will you trust Him still?

You should, because He is faithful.

He restored Job and He will restore you.

Completely.

But you must be faithful.

Trusting.

Completely.

Like Job.

Allow God to work.

And rest in the knowledge that He is sovereign over all.

Even you.

He sees you.

Every little thing.

Hallelujah.

Photos by Marita Kavelashvili, Federico Bottos, Katie Drazdauskaite, & Paweł Czerwiński on Unsplash

Wait for the Lord

Published on August 25, 2018June 9, 2023 by amylinnea3 Comments

Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. Psalm 27:14

David wrote the phrase “wait for the Lord” twice.

Think it was because he was having trouble himself?

It’s easy to view Bible characters as unusually godly.

After all, their words are quoted in the Bible we still read today.

But they were human.

Flawed, just like you and me.

And apparently David needed to really remind himself to wait for the Lord.

Do you?

Do you need to be reminded to wait for God’s timing?

Wait for the Lord means just that.

To wait.

And wait.

Waiting for His timing.

And in the mean time, David encourages us to be strong and take heart.

Why?

Because he knew that it takes strength to wait for the Lord.

God’s strength.

It also takes heart, meaning your will and determination, yielding your love to God.

Yielding your trust in Him.

In His perfect way and timing, however slow you may think that is.

When God is working, which rest assured, He always is, it’s the waiting that is hard.

Hard for Bible characters then, and hard for us today.

So take comfort.

You’re in good company.

While waiting on the Lord, be strong and take heart.

He is working and will always finish what He has begun.

Photos by KaLisa , Usukhbayar , Darya , Daiga , Lauren , & Nick on Unsplash

Wise Men

Published on December 16, 2017June 14, 2023 by amylinnea1 Comment

When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. Matthew 2:9-10

Has God ever asked something of you?

And He’s been a little vague, but you know He is leading you in a certain direction?

So you decide to follow the direction He has for you, but it is certainly not fast.

In fact, it’s been a few months or a couple of years and you seem to be going nowhere new.

Are you still trusting Him?

Still believing what He has in store for you?

When God leads you to walk down a certain path, it’s sure easy at the beginning, isn’t it?

You are fresh, full of ideas, and hope spills over in your heart.

Flash forward a couple of years.

You are a bit weary, irritated, and more times then you care to admit, you listen to lies telling you how foolish you are to keep trusting God.

Sound familiar?

Look at the wise men who came from afar, bringing gifts to Jesus.

History shows these important men traveled a very long time to their destination.

Months or years, historians differ in their interpretation of the time.

But here is the point.

They kept going until their journey was complete.

They were faithful.

Are you?

When God leads you down a path, are you faithful to Him?

God’s timetable is not ours.

His plan includes your salvation.

And the salvation of others.

Even when progress seems to be at a standstill, keep walking.

Keep trusting God in the process.

God’s answers for you are waiting.

But only if you keep following Him.

Photos by Inbal Malca, Mariam Soliman & Jamie Templeton on Unsplash

Arrogance

Published on November 11, 2017June 8, 2023 by amylinneaLeave a comment

For by grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. Romans 12:3

How arrogant are we?

Shaking our fist at God when things don’t go our way?

Pointing out declared errors to the Creator of all things?

We do make a fuss, don’t we?

How arrogant are we?

If He gives us something, then almost immediately takes it away, we whine.

If He shuts a door we wish would open, we beg.

If He changes our circumstances away from what we believe our heart desires, we stomp our feet.

How arrogant are we?

Sometimes we act like the children we parent, with no shining examples or mature reactions.

When God seemingly takes something away, we have 2 choices: allow death and despair to flood our every thought, or focus on how good God is.

When we allow sadness to become our god, we render ourselves useless and selfish, full of self pity.

Frozen with fear, probably fear of loosing control.

But when we choose to focus on God, we allow His peace and healing power to fill us with every good thing.

We remain filled with faith, steadfast in our walk with God.

Firmly planted with confidence and joy.

From the balcony of heaven, will it matter if God takes something away?

If He changes your job, you’ll look back and see His hand.

If He changes your location, you’ll look back and see His purpose.

If He changes your family, you’ll look back and see His shepherding.

The Lord is My Shepherd.

He takes things away, yet replaces them with His goodness.

What if that is His purpose?

What?

What if His purpose in taking things away is to remind you of your focus?

I might tell Him I don’t need that reminder, thank you very much.

Can He just tell me in other ways?

But that would be arrogant.

I cannot tell my Lord what He should do.

He knows the complete best for me.

He knows exactly what I need even better then I do.

That, my friend, is the reward.

God, who knows all things from the beginning to the end, is in control, not me.

God, who sent His son to die for ME, loves me and has my back.

Rest in that peace.

Choose to remember, focusing on Him.

And your arrogance will disappear.

Photos by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Contentment

Published on August 4, 2014April 30, 2023 by amylinneaLeave a comment

Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4

Waiting on God.

Trusting the process.

Surrendering – and finding peace along the way.

That’s contentment.

Are you content?

Peaceful?

Or are you filled with anxious thoughts?

What if nothing ever changed in your life ever again.

What then.

Would you be miserable all the rest of your born days?

Maybe. Some people are like that.

They hate their life and refuse to do anything about it.

Or they hate their lot in life and unless they wake up in a new body and lifestyle with everything going their way, they will never be content.

So what if God told you this was as good as it was going to get?

Would you be utterly disappointed?

I have to admit I would be.

I have things I’d really love to do.

Living on the beach is at the top of my list!

Don’t laugh, it is, but that in itself would not cause me my greatest disappointment.

But that will be solved in a matter of days when I marry my beloved. !

Psalm 37 reminds us if we trust in God, He will give us the desires of our heart.

When you align yourself with God’s heart, the desires He places in you are His.

But it doesn’t say He gives us the desires of our hearts whenever we demand them.

God will deem the perfect time to reveal His plan for you.

In the mean time, are you content in waiting?

Happy to let God be God?

Or are you griping at every passing unfulfilled moment.

Maybe, just maybe, God is refining you in the process.

Maybe He is teaching you to trust.

Maybe He is testing you.

Pass the test with flying colors.

Then, when you least expect it, God will be there in the midst of your contentment, handing you His plan on a silver platter.

And the timing will be perfect.

Photos by Mark König, José Pinto, & Krists Luhaers on Unsplash

Unseen Footprints

Published on June 5, 2014April 30, 2023 by amylinnea2 Comments

Your way way was through the sea, Your path through the great waters; Yet your footprints were unseen. You led Your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron. Psalm 77:19-20

God guides us by His hand using His plan.

His plan isn’t always what we think He should do, yet He is with us every step of the way.

He guides us and is not seen – but His miracles are.

He works through us to redeem ugly situations.

He guides us through the most unlikely places and leads us safely to the other side.

Imagine the Red Sea and the Israelites standing there, trapped.

Impossible situation in the world’s eyes.

But God is all about doing the impossible.

Step into their shoes and imagine the panic – the fear that would have gripped them,

doubting that God really knew what He was doing when He brought them out of Egypt.

Then, at the last minute, God delivered a miracle we still talk about today.

Life is like that.

Our situation may seem completely impossible – no options, doors all tightly closed.

But God comes through in a mighty way.

We simply must trust He is here with us, going before us.

That’s what trust is – believing in the unseen. The unknown.

God’s fingerprints are on your life. His footprints are next to you.

And He has your back as you trust in His unfailing love for you.

Look for Him today. He’s here.

Photos by Michelle Francisca Lee, Bruno Nascimento, & Hugues de BUYER-MIMEURE on Unsplash

Published on May 31, 2014April 30, 2023 by amylinnea6 Comments

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me; Your steadfast love, O Lord, ensures forever. Psalm 138:8

Ugh. I really don’t like even the word.

Who does?

Wait.

Our children detest the word.

When they ask us something and we say ‘wait’, their faces usually fall, because they just know.

Society buys cars with loans, we buy things on credit, and we don’t bat an eyelash.

Why? Because we want things now.

We simply cannot wait to save up the money.

Really?

It’s similar when we need to wait for life.

Pregnancy comes to mind – 9 LONG months of waiting.

Anticipation.

Or when you’re waiting for a planned vacation.

Or, sigh, your wedding day.

It’s one thing to wait when you have an end in sight – a date in the future when things will change.

Your baby’s due date.

Your vacation date.

Your wedding date.

It’s an entirely different matter when waiting involves the unknown.

You want a baby, but you’re still waiting on God.

You want to marry, but God has not brought the right person, or He has and you’re waiting for God’s perfect timing.

You want a new job, but it hasn’t found you yet.

You want life to change…you want to accomplish His will for your life, but you are still waiting.

The wait can seem simply unbearable.

You are waiting….for what? When?

Life can almost come to a standstill.

Don’t let it.

Go back to trust.

Rest in the truth of His Word.

Keep surrendering your dreams to Him and allow Him to reveal them in His timing.

His perfect timing.

Force yourself to remember God has a plan.

Not just any plan,but one just perfect for you and you alone.

Meanwhile, we must wait.

Ugh, I know, still not crazy about that word at all.

But think about this: God loves you and you are on His mind.

Wait with a smile on your face knowing He has great things planned for you.

Lean back into His arms and smile.

Before long, the wait will be a distant memory.

My family recently waited hours (yes, I did say hours) for my Mother’s Day lunch.

Won’t pick that restaurant again. But you know what?

We now all laugh and roll our eyeballs at the ridiculous situation!

It’s funny NOW – because we’re no longer waiting.

It’s over.

That’s how it will be with what you’re waiting for.

Soon, your wait will be a distant memory.

And all of the worry in the world won’t have made a bit of difference.

Take your peace and wait.

And remember – each day you wait, you are one day closer to your precious answer.

Photos by Zwaddi, Stefano Intintoli, Todd Quackenbush, Liane Metzler, Derek Thomson, & Unsplash Photo by Kristaps Ungurs on Unsplash

Thankfulness

Published on May 18, 2014April 10, 2023 by amylinnea1 Comment

I will give thanks to you, O Lord, my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever. Psalm 86:12

It’s easy to thank God when times are good.

When life is smooth, it’s easy to raise our hands to heaven, thanking the One who created all things.

How ’bout when life turns ugly?

When your life hits a speed bump and you are thrown to the ground, what then?

Are we still required to give thanks during those winter months?

Yep.

Seriously?

Uh-huh.

When God places a boulder in your path, thank Him for giving you directions around it.

When God moves you firmly out of one job into another, thank Him for rescuing you.

When God lifts you up and places you down in an entirely different life, thank Him for His protection.

You have no idea what God is protecting you from when He changes your course….your direction.

Thank Him.

He knows all things and is more aware than you realize.

Change your perspective. Begin thanking Him for the storms in your life.

Storms are when God shows up in powerful ways.

Sure, He’s there in times of sunshine as well, it’s just harder to see Him work.

When life is smooth sailing, you don’t need God as much.

When life is hunky dory, dependence on yourself increases. You become less thankful of the good things, because they surround you.

During storms, little pops of glory are obvious, filling our thankful hearts with hope.

Cultivate a heart of thankfulness. Regularly communicate your gratitude during your constant conversation with the One who created all things. The One who orchestrates the music of the universe.

I guarantee your attitude will shift and peace will return to your soul.

God has a plan. And He will reveal it to you in due time.

In the meantime, thank Him. Because we owe Him everything.

Everything.

Photos by Ben White, Vladimir Fedotov, & Zwaddi on Unsplash

Already On Its Way

Published on April 20, 2014April 9, 2023 by amylinneaLeave a comment

But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children’s children, to those who keep His covenant and remember to do His commandments. Psalm 103:17-18

Since God has our back and He knows our every thought…

our every need…

our every heart’s desire…

Did you ever think about the fact that His help is already on its way?

Before we even think of our need.

Before we bow our knees in prayer.

His answer is on its way.

Coming at His perfect timing.

Not our timing.

But His.

Unexpectedly wonderful things.

Redeeming us.

Bringing us blessings in all the right places.

He sets things in motion before our first prayer is uttered.

He knows the beginning from the end.

If your heart truly rests with the heart of God, you can be assured help is on the way.

It’s been coming ever since God thought of it.

Which was a long time ago.

He knows all things.

He knows what is best.

And He loves you like crazy.

As you pray and trust God’s provision, be looking for that help to come.

And smile.

Because its already on the way.

Photos by Ümit Bulut, Jonathan Borba, & 🇸🇮 Janko Ferlič on Unsplash

Waiting for Perfection

Published on March 27, 2014April 9, 2023 by amylinnea1 Comment

Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord! Psalm 27:14

Stuck in the mud because you are waiting for something without flaws?

Asking God for His plan, but waiting until every single duck is in a row?

Hate to burst your bubble – but you’ll be waiting for years.

Forever.

We live in a broken world and nothing is perfect.

No plan, no situation, no person.

We pray and pray for God to reveal His plan to us.

To take our heart’s desires and bring us His blessings.

We expect God to go over our list and produce perfection.

And we wait until He has dotted every “i” and crossed every “t”.

On our list.

When God answers you, He may not provide you with a perfect dish.

His answer might not look exactly like you pictured.

Change your picture. Ask God to fill you with His plan.

Ask Him to fill you with the desires of His heart for you.

Change that pronoun from “my picture” to “His picture”.

The job or plan He has for you may involve something not exactly ideal.

But you just know it’s for you when God lays it on your heart. In His timing.

Sometimes we end up waiting longer than God intends simply because the answer is not perfect.

His answer does not match our list exactly. Ouch.

We assume if it’s God’s will, everything will be in perfect order.

The heavens will open up and Glory Hallelujah will be ringing in our ears.

Don’t wait for perfection.

Pray and trust God will show you His way.

And when He delivers, make sure you’re home.

Or you’ll miss it and wonder why He never came.

Photos by Mikael Kristenson, Danylo Suprun, & Naassom Azevedo on Unsplash

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