Seek & Wait? Whatever!
How many times has a well-meaning friend said, "Seek the Lord!" or "Wait on the Lord!" in answer to your prayer request? Do you want to scream, "WHATEVER!" and "Thanks for the support." Of course no one is trying to be simplistic or unsympathetic to a painful circumstance, they just don't have a better answer to give.
Just such a circumstance has plagued me for over six months. That's when we put our house on the market. Just in time for the economy to crash. Three years ago we began praying about possibly buying property in the Redding, CA area. After about a year we believed we had the Lord's okay to move forward and make the purchase. This began our prayer regarding when to make plans to sell our home. Since my husband tele-commutes, and travels much of the time, we can live just about anywhere. We committed to refrain from rushing ahead of God's leading and sought Him daily for the next 18 months.
Finally, all of the doors seemed to be flying open to put the house up for sale. We started purging, painting and making repairs. One of the deemed "open doors" was my husband's company requesting some of the staff to go half time for six months to make two of their "quarterly numbers". We thought the timing perfect so he could do much of the prep work on the house and so we could get moved and settled quickly after the anticipated house sale. After all, we lived in Silicon Valley and in an area that was desireable, how much time would we need?
Time wore painfully on. I wondered if friends were growing weary of our plight. I wondered if we were experiencing some consequence of sin unaware. I was asked if we would lower the price; would we take the house off the market or would we rent if it didn't sell? I even had someone ask if I had fasted? PLEASE!
We knew the Lord had directed us in this effort. It was very clear and yet here we sit. What happened? In desperation I daily cried out and God showed Himself. I needed assurance and revival of spirit everyday and He granted it. During an especially fearful time, the Lord impressed upon me to "seek" Him. I thought, "Haven't I been doing that?" but obeyed. The next day I spent hours looking up every reference to "seeking" in Scripture. I saw all of the encumberances in the way of my seeking. I saw the need to simplify and in doing so the assurance and revival I needed became clear. I was flooded with insight into how I could be conformed. (This sparked another blog titled "Make Myself a Purse?" which you can read later.)
The excitement of "seeking the Lord" drove me to try studying "waiting" the next day. The same depth of abandoning all to wait met me with a security I hope to explain. Psalm 40 spoke of this waiting. By doing so patiently I may feel like my foot will slip, but He will keep me on the solid rock. He gives a "new song" everyday to assure me of His presence. I am reminded of all He has done for me over the years and they are too numerous to count. My heart's desire conforms to His will and I find myself grabbing every opportunity to tell others what you have taught me. I stand a little taller because I have confidence in how He works and have not hidden the testimony, but told of it.
He has NOT withheld His love from me even though the enemy throws my poor decisions in my face, nor allowed the enemy to have victory over me. The Holy Spirit has given me the grace to let comments from "nay-sayers" pass. We know we are being watched. Friends, my husband's co-workers, neighbors are all seeing how we walk this trial. It is our desire to walk in a way that causes others to praise Jesus. We are afflicted and needy, but our God will NOT put us aside. He is our Deliverer so we can say "Seek & Wait" and "WHATEVER, it takes Oh, Lord let it be."
