“Part of waiting on God includes praising him that providence refuses to give us more . . . if getting more would actually create a spiritual vacuum in our hearts.”- Dr. Wayne Stiles Wayne Stiles continues Chapter 8 of Waiting on God by commenting that “God’s love and protection come just as much from what […]
“But I’ve discovered that entering the “what-ifs” room gives a person nowhere to stand. . . . What-ifs only intensify grief and invite blame-shifting.”- Wayne Stiles “When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise.”- 2 Corinthians 10:12 (NIV) In Chapter 8 (“A Long Resolution”) of Waiting on God, […]
“We can disregard most warning lights in our lives for a while. In fact, they can blink so often we come to see them as normal- and we ignore them. Then one day that area of our life shuts down . . .”- Dr. Wayne Stiles As Wayne Stiles concludes Chapter 7 of Waiting on […]
“Following God is not an escape from pain but a preparation through pain for a future made greater by it.”- Dr. Wayne Stiles Dr. Wayne Stiles concludes Chapter 7 of Waiting on God by emphasizing that God’s will for our lives rarely follows a smooth path. That’s because “when we refuse to trust and obey […]
“The hard facts of life, which knock some of the nonsense out of us, are God’s facts and his appointed school of character; they are not alternatives to His grace, but a means of it.”- Derek Kidner, Proverbs: An Introduction and Commentary And Jacob their father said to them, “You have bereaved me of my […]
“Honestly, most of the tests God issues come as sucker punches to our pride followed by a spinning Bruce Lee- style kick to our hypocrisy.”- Wayne Stiles In Chapter 7 (“The Surprising Place Where Waiting Begins”) of Waiting on God, Dr. Wayne Stiles summarizes our daily walk with God. Dr. Stiles writes: “Our daily walk […]
“I know that I’m not strong enough to be everything I’m supposed to be.”- Matthew West “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”- Philippians 4:13 “Strength is the capacity to break a chocolate bar into four pieces with your bare hands- and then just eat one of the pieces.”- Judith Viorst, children’s […]
“Slammed doors do more than bend your nose; they keep your heart pliable, sensitive, and available to God’s leading.”-Wayne Stiles Dr. Wayne Stiles concludes Chapter 6 of Waiting on God by observing that “circumstances always change our minds about God.” Circumstances either (a) tempt us to doubt God’s promises or (b) draw us closer to […]
“Moses warned his nation (Deuteronomy 6:10-12) of prosperity’s greatest temptation: to forget God, who redeemed them from slavery.”- Wayne Stiles As Wayne Stiles continues Chapter 6 of Waiting on God, he notes that Joseph made no personal requests when he stood before Pharaoh. Most noteworthy, Joseph said nothing of the injustices he’d endured. Furthermore, he […]
“. . . we mustn’t equate his [God’s] delay with a deaf ear.”- Dr. Wayne Stiles Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” “I cannot do it,” Joseph replied to […]
“Joseph saw what seemed to contradict God’s promise as an opportunity to demonstrate faith- not a reason to doubt or abandon it.”- Wayne Stiles Dr. Wayne Stiles continues Chapter 6 of Waiting on God by empathizing that there will be days in life where you truly believe you can’t hold out. As the author poignantly […]
” . . . such a view [God’s presence=no pain] treats Scripture as a buffet lunch where we pick and choose what we want to swallow about God.”- Dr. Wayne Stiles As Wayne Stiles continues Chapter 6 of Waiting on God, he asks you to say the following statement out loud. To really make the statement […]