“We need to view our waiting in the difficulties of our daily living as opportunities to demonstrate faith in a future promised by our sovereign God.”- Dr. Wayne Stiles
Wayne Stiles concludes Chapter 11 of Waiting on God by acknowledging that we need affirmation of our hope. During Joseph’s life, God gave him encouragement all along the way. Similarly, Wayne emphasizes, “if we keep both eyes open, and stay ready for God’s encouragement, we will see it.”
After you buy a new car, the author observes, you being to see that car everywhere. Your make and model of car didn’t just suddenly appear on the streets. You simply became more aware of its presence.
However, too often we find ourselves waiting on God for earthly solutions. Yet, the majority of the hopes we wait on God to fulfill don’t happen until our resurrection. Not an easy pill to choke down. Wayne admits. Hence, the life of faith enables us to swallow hard and look beyond our earthly life to the reality of heaven.
As Dr. Stiles reminds us, it takes both eyeballs to keep eternity in view:
“A godly mind looks at the hard facts of today, but it also looks beyond them to facts just as true. That’s faith. Faith takes the long view and makes decision based on long-term results.”
In conclusion, Wayne reminds us that the Bible doesn’t tell us everything. But the Bible tells us what we need to know:
“The Bible doesn’t tell us everything. It doesn’t need to. It tells us all we need to know in order to live a life of faith. The rest, we wait for.”
Today’s question: what opportunities to demonstrate faith has God provided following your ministry downsizing or vocation loss? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: the new Short Meditation, “Our Christian colors”
