Vol. 8-26 – 06-25-2023 – Growing Weary and Waiting
Growing Weary
I will take my stand at my watchpost and station myself on the tower and look out to see what He will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint. And the Lord answered me . . .. –Habakkuk 2:1-2a
Is this you? You know what you are. You know your strengths. Others sense it. They come to you with questions, for advice, when they struggle (and when they do not struggle). You are the one they call. For a prayer. For a verse. For encouragement.
Is it because you read the Scriptures each day? Pray each day. Studied theology at the seminary. Teach in church?
Perhaps they have seen you tucked in the corner. Praying for people. Or perhaps you stopped immediately to pray with them when they asked for prayer. You do that, do you not? You do not move on by responding with “I will pray for you.” And then move on.
Are you one that the neighbor notices your light coming on early in the morning hours? Up again, wonder what is on his/her mind now. And you are the one that consistently reminds people that God’s love is for them as well. That He chases them, with His love, grace, and mercy. Even when the situation seems so hopeless and impossible.
Also, you are the one who models this Christian life thing. They want to be like you. Use you as a model. You suffer, but do not lose hope. They are confused about that. You never stop believing. They are confused about that as well.
Weary. They are, and you are. But you have a resource that is absolutely dependable. They and you have strength, but it is different.
When my one son was born, the doctor came down the hallway, made a brief comment, then turned and returned from where he came. Mr. Lightner, you are never going to take that boy home, he will not live. I was suddenly alone with my thoughts.
Do you know what it is like holding your child after they told you they were going to die? Heart-wrenching. Emotional. Physically weary. And it grows. Especially when you do not have answers.
The church we had begun to attend brought food. Paid for the fuel needed for the car. We discovered they paid for doctor appointments—specialists we would have not been able to afford. Someone paid for Dr. Timmons’ appointments. This pediatrician-neurologist told me that he would see to it that the appointment and tests he ordered were taken care of. Even people in the church who did not know us would put cash in my hand to meet our needs. Donna had to have surgery following the delivery. No insurance. Again, paid for.
I was working in a factory. The position took strength. I worked hard and gained strength. But this took a toll, emotionally and physically. I also worked at a fuel stop along the interstate.
I learned that God has the kind of love, mercy, and grace that can carry you. Even strong ones can grow weary, but God never tires.
The prophet, Habakkuk, was strong. Strong faith. Yet strained. He was working with a nation that turned her back on Almighty God. God had warned them. He would plead with them. Was patient with them. But there came a time for judgment. Habakkuk stepped in. Not to replace the Almighty God. But to plead for the nation.
Waiting
At that time, I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will punish the men who are complacent, those who say in their hearts, “The Lord will not do good, nor will He do ill.” –Zephaniah 1:12
Not every desire/need is met with immediate answers, except that one will have to wait.
When God sent His Son to satisfy our punishment, it was hundreds of years following the writing of Habakkuk. Could you wait that long? After Jesus died for our sin, He arose from the grave; alive. Now we wait. He is returning. Most of us are hopeful that it will be very soon. It has already been multiple generations. More than 2000 years. Yet we know He is coming.
We could hardly wait for our son to improve; good thing we did not name him Methuselah.
We know the promise: If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to Myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going. –John 14:3-4.
When we wait, we get weary. When we get weary, often we begin to doubt. And then we read: why do you stand here looking into the sky? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw Him go into heaven. –Acts 1:11
We live in a day in which we almost beg Jesus to return. Those who look toward the soon return of Christ are not generally complacent about His return.
Peter estimated the times in which we live. You should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, knowing this first of all that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, “where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation. –2 Peter 3:2-4
The best thing that we can read for encouragement is the Word of God. It bolsters our faith. To the complacent of Zephaniah’s day, God says the end is near, coming quickly (Zephaniah 1:14). We often fail to recognize that God is eternal, not boxed into our own schematic of time. Eternity is the forever present.
Life Application
When we bring ourselves to become weary, maintaining faith can be a burden. Life can become heavy, weighing us down. Yet, we need to remember that God carries us. We are not restricted in bringing our fears, sorrows, concerns, and worries to our holy God. Thus, we need to be praying people. Determined to serve Him wholeheartedly. Press on through the race we have been given. There is a wonderful message in a current song–Press On! If you haven’t listened to it, search it out. You will sing it in your heart.
Christ’s return is nearly 2000 years closer than when Christ traveled upon this earth. He could return in our lifetime. Yet, it matters not when He comes, since we can rest in the fact that He is coming.
Christ is not coming on our schedule but at the schedule of the Father. Should we be encouraged, we should be busy until He returns for us. He is our sure hope. If we get so wrapped up in determining the time of His coming, how many will fall into death not knowing the Christ we know?
Someone has crossed our path—not by accident.
What shall we do?
