I PETER 5:6-9: “So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.” NLT
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OBSERVATION: Do you have difficulty waiting? Does your faith weaken when it is put to the test of time? Do you find yourself questioning God’s timing for your life? Are you tempted this very moment to take matters into your own hands? If you have identified with any of these questions these verses from I Peter remind us…

FAITH WAITS!

Everyone has worries and concerns that they carry in life. There is the present battle of life and the hope for the future. We have prayers that seem to remain unanswered and concerns that seem to grow with the passing of time. What do we do amid all these struggles?

• “So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”

Peter calls us to humble ourselves before God. Yet, he is more specific in this exhortation. We are to humble ourselves under the mighty power of God. Humility is understanding our personal limitations and God’s ultimate power. When we place ourselves under His power we are assured that at the right time God will lift us up!

Therein is the call to faith that waits. This is the part that I personally struggle with. I am conditioned by the instant culture in which I live. I want fast food, the fast lane, the shortest distance between two points. I don’t want to wait for my hamburger and I surely don’t want to wait for God’s answer to my prayers! Yet, humility, true humility, is ultimately a call to faith. When I humble myself under the mighty power of God I must also realize that,

FAITH WAITS!

Faith waits for God’s – “…at the right time.” It surrenders the wheel of our lives to God’s faithful care. It confesses that He is in charge of both the answer and the timing. And, it keeps surrendering through the process. In this process, we have a great and powerful promise!

• “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”

God knows how hard the process is for us. Yet, He wants us to grow in faith and trust. He has purposes that supersede our immediate needs. And, in the waiting, He offers to carry the weight of our burden during the process. Why does He do this? It is because He cares for us. He loves us. He died for us. He has promised never to leave or forsake us. What a wonderful love! What a powerful love! What amazing grace!

Yet, the enemy of our souls knows our weakness. He does not want us to abide under the mighty power of God. He delights in seeing us burdened down in worry and care. This is why Peter exhorts us,

• “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith.”

The enemy wants to pick us off at every turn. He wants to whisper in our ears – “God doesn’t really care! If He cared, then why are you still waiting?” Satan loves to push the easy button. Corrie Ten Boom once said, “If the enemy cannot keep us from walking with Jesus he will try to get us to move ahead of His timing for our lives.” When he comes in like a roaring lion with all of his accusations, we must remember…

FAITH WAITS!

How do we resist the devil? How do we stay alert? How do we stand firmly against his attacks? We remain strong in our faith. In context this means that we remain humble, placing our lives under the mighty hand of God, casting all our care upon Him, and waiting for His – “…at the right time.”

Oh, how many times have I missed the mark by rushing ahead of God’s timing. How many lives have I seen that have been shipwrecked by stubbornly rushing ahead of God’s will and pursuing the wrong path? God has given us His provision of grace and His promise. Yet, it takes faith to resist these temptations to take a shortcut around God’s timing and will. It takes…

FAITH THAT WAITS!

As we walk through these times of waiting, we are not alone. This is the call of every son and daughter of God.

• “Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.”

And, here is one truth that I have learned over the years. It is easier to wait for God’s timing within the family of God than it is to try and do this alone. We need each other. We are called to gather together to support and encourage each other. The call to humble ourselves before God is not just an individual call – it is a call to the entire Body of Christ. It is a reminder to all of God’s people that,

FAITH WAITS!

Heavenly Father, forgive me for the times when I have rushed ahead of Your timing and right into the lion’s roar. This morning I humble myself under Your mighty power. I cast all my cares upon You anew. I rest in Your faithfulness and perfect timing. And, I walk in the safety of the family of God as I do!

In Jesus Name!