FollowingGod’sPlan for You

When God brings the blank space, see that you do not fill it in, but wait.

Oswald Chambers
My Utmost For His Highest
January 4th

If you have a copy of this devotional lying around, please pick it up and read the entry for January 4th. If you do not, go here and read it online.

I bring your attention to it because it lines up with my own experience of God’s leading in my life, and how utterly important it is to be patient and wait on the Lord. If you read, you’ll find that not only when we don’t know what God’s will is, but especially when we do, that even then we are ill advised to jump into action. There is a time for knowing, and there is a time for doing. These are two distinct steps to fulfilling God’s will for our lives, because not only must we do what God wants, but we must do what God wants God’s way. We must do what God wants God’s way and at God’s time. We must do what God wants in God’s way at God’s time and with God’s heart. And while these four distinct steps overlap each other, they are yet distinct and capable of omission one or all. The right thing, in the right way, at the right time, and with the right heart. To be truly Christ-like we must have all four operating in everything we presume to be doing as led of the Lord, or we are not being led of Him, at least not fully.

Of all that we do, it seems that waiting taxes us the most. I believe that, for us, waiting is a cross we must bear, for our flesh is what cries out when it cannot be active to attain some sort of gratification. What is death but a ceasing? When we wait, we cease. When we wait, we exercise our faith! Blessed paradox. Jn. 12:24. Faith is death to our flesh, but life to our spirit.

Related:
• Oswald Chambers
• My Utmost For His Highest
• 

Note: This was originally published on my old blog, January 4, 2008