“But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint” ( Isaiah 40: 31)
Think of a situation where you are in a boat rocked by ugly winds and almost drowning! It is hard to remain silent. One day the disciples when the boat they were in was hit by storms cried out to him for help ( Mark 4:38). Of course, it is only human to cry out for help when life is at crossroads; you are in the middle of some wicked storm, what else but scream for relief.
But while this is all true, one could also be silent, especially once one has made his case to the Lord. Psalm 62:1-2, says, “Truly my soul silently waits for God; from Him comes my salvation. He is my rock and salvation. He is my defense; I shall not be moved.” The preacher and writer Charles Spurgeon ( 1834- 1892) once observed that after we have cried out to God, sometimes, like David, we wait upon God in silence, because our faith is steadfast in Him. Our silence is not a sign of abdication. We are silent because we know the Lord has heard our prayers and is in control.
We are silent because looking back we know the Lord has come through and rescued us from peril over and over again. True, the storms may still be raging, and the boat we are in is being tossed up and down, but we know the Lord has heard our pleas and he will come calling in time.
We remember that while undergoing storms of all nature David wrote, “The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, And I am saved from my enemies” ( Psalm 18:2-3).
Perhaps you are going through some storms. Cry out to God as indeed you should. But after, remember what He has said, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth” ( Psalm 46:10). The Lord is in control.
Prayer today: Lord Father God of Abraham, maker of heaven and earth, in the midst of storms I cry out to you and remain silent knowing that you have heard me and in your time shall bring deliverance because I have waited upon you, this I pray in Jesus’s name.
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08/05/2024 - 09/05/2024 All day“Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15)
The culture of sharing gifts runs through scriptures and is at the heart of the Gospel. Upon realizing that Jesus Christ had been born the three wise main did not just go empty handed. “On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh” (Mathew 2:11).
When Jacob decided to return to his country, he went with gifts to soften the heart of his twin brother Esau, whom he had left maddened at him for various wrongs. “Then he selected these gifts from his possessions to present to his brother, Esau: 200 female goats, 20 male goats, 200 ewes, 20 rams, 30 female camels with their young, 40 cows, 10 bulls, 20 female donkeys, and 10 male donkeys” ( Genesis 32: 13-15). The reason was, Jacob thought, “I will try to appease him by sending gifts ahead of me. When I see him in person, perhaps he will be friendly to me.” So the gifts were sent on ahead, while Jacob himself spent that night in the camp” (vv 2—21).
Esau was already a wealthy man and had no need of the gifts presented. But Jacob pleaded with him. “Please take this gift I have brought you, for God has been very gracious to me. I have more than enough.” And because Jacob insisted, Esau finally accepted the gift” (Genesis 33: 11). This symbol of good touched Esau, brightened his heart, burying the old acrimonious relation.
Taking after these two instances believers should be in the habit of sharing gifts. We should visit each other not empty handed but like the wise men with gifts, not so much that those we are gifting are lacking, but as a way of blessing them. Proverbs 11:25-26, says, “Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.”
Most importantly we bless each other with gifts because we have received the most important gift there is in life, the gift of salvation. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
Prayer for today: Lord Father God of Abraham, maker of heaven and earth, today I thank you for the most precious gift of all that you gave me of eternal life through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, and so I pray that I may not hesitate to share this gift and bless those with as much whom you enable me to meet, this I pray in Jesus’ name.
