[DISPLAY_ULTIMATE_SOCIAL_ICONS]
Today: Psalms 33:12-22; Luke 1:26-38; Numbers 1; Numbers 2:1-9
Psalms 33 – Wait on the Lord
In January, I had a vision of my Dad, who died six years ago, standing in front of me telling me emphatically to “WAIT!” At the time, I had no idea what that message meant. Now I think I understand…
We were driving to Florida to visit Craig’s mom when I had that vision. One of Craig’s daughters and her fiancee met us in Florida as well and we had a marvelous vacation. During our visit there, God simultaneously gave both Craig and I very surprising instructions. He told us both this same, exceedingly clear message, separate from each other, at exactly the same time (I love it when He does that!). The directions were to sell our city house and our country properties and move across the state to live closer to some of our family. We’ll be living in our condo (that we bought last year to rent out on AirBnB) while we look for new property.
Now this was terrifying and bittersweet news for us. The moving closer to family part was wonderful. But the selling everything part made us very sad. We love our beautiful historic home in St. Charles and our peaceful 34 acres and off grid cabin in the country. We have poured thousands of hours of sweat and soul into both places.
Craig and I are planners. We don’t normally jump to the next life step until it is all neatly organized and ready for our feet. We do not make impulsive moves. We would never opt to sell our house until the next one is all lined up. So selling our homes, putting our belongings in storage and living in a little apartment for an undetermined length of time is way outside of our comfort zone.
This will be a time with no land, no real home, no garden or woods… These are all the things we love and were expecting to be a part of our immediate future when Craig retires in three weeks (THREE WEEKS!). And there is no concrete end date to this holding pattern. We will be in a position where we have no option but to wait on God to reveal the next step.
But God’s directions were mercifully unambiguous. We are both committed to follow them regardless of our feelings or fears. And God gave me a vision of my Dad telling me to “WAIT!”
And that is what we are determined to do, as long as it takes for God to guide us to His new home for us. Our souls are waiting for the Lord, as David did in Psalm 33. We are waiting for His faithfulness. No matter how long this season may be, we trust in His holy name. And we will “WAIT!”
Luke 1
Did you ever notice that it is the same angel, Gabriel, who delivers God’s prophetic message to both Zechariah (John the Baptist’s father) and Mary? What an awesome assignment from the Lord Gabriel was given!
“Behold, the Lord’s bondservant, may it be done to me according to Your word.” Luke 1:38
This prayer of Mary’s is my favorite prayer in the entire Bible. It is a prayer I pray for myself every day… to be the servant of the Lord and for His will to be done in my life.
Repeatedly in the Scriptures we see God mercifully giving prophetic words to people who refuse to believe the prophecy. But not Mary. She was given the most outrageous, unbelievable prophecy of them all — she, a virgin, would conceive the Son of God!!! Yet she believed and did not doubt. Truly Mary is the most blessed beautiful woman to have ever lived. May we honor her obedient faith just as God did!
Numbers 1
The book of Numbers can get a bit tedious. But there are some real gems hidden in there if you dig for them. God told Moses to take a census of the Israelites and assemble them into armies. He gives Moses the heads of each tribe BY NAME. I love that God listed them for Moses by name. God is indeed a personal God. He knows each one of us BY NAME!
Over and over we are told that “the sons of Israel did so; in accordance with all that the LORD had commanded Moses.” (v.54) There are plenty of other examples when the did NOT obey God. But during those times when they did obey, God poured out His blessings upon them.
