Keys to the Kingdom
By Carolyn Tucker
Do It Now
When my kids were young and I would give them instructions to perform a chore, they had a tendency to just keep playing. They weren’t ignoring me or being rebellious, they were simply waiting a few more minutes before they acted. Well, my dad was a World War II Army staff sergeant, and I seem to possess some of those same qualities. I explained to Mariam and Aaron that I expected them to get up and move as soon as I finished the instructions. It was for their good and my sanity that they learned prompt obedience. The result of this old-school upbringing caused them to revere God, be respectful of authority, and also cultivated a seed of excellence for their future careers. Plus it kept me out of the insane asylum.
I cannot treat God like a child and try to order Him around. In truth, I’m His child and He’s my Father. Life will never go well if I try to reverse those divinely-established roles. Believers are supposed to go to the Father with our needs and then patiently trust Him. “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most” (Hebrews 4:16 NLT). God hears, cares, and acts with well-timed help, coming just when we need it.
While we’re waiting on God’s help, our job is to keep “steady on” in patience. Galatians 6:9 NKJV states, “Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” I used to think that meant, “Don’t get burned out while doing good.” But I believe it also means, “Don’t give up on God while you wait.“ We’re “doing good” when we wait on God with a courageous faith-filled attitude. So don’t be deceived or disheartened — keep on trusting and persevering.
When God’s answer is taking longer than we expected, it’s a good idea to take inventory of what’s inside us. He could actually be waiting on us to totally surrender the “thing” that’s stressing us so He can take it and do what only He can do. God won’t do anything with our messes, stresses, and sorrows until we relinquish our hold on them. We can’t receive a gift until the individual releases it into our hand. We can’t receive the peace of God that passes understanding until we release the entirety of the care to Him — it’s like a Divine trade. Honesty and a broken heart are two things God will not ignore.
We live life one hour at a time as we focus forward and wait for answers to our humble requests for help. Patience is a virtue but perseverance is a choice. Apostle Paul wrote to the Thessalonian church to encourage them to hold fast to their faith, knowing that God would act on their behalf. “Now may the Lord move your hearts into a greater understanding of God’s pure love for you and into Christ’s steadfast endurance” (2 Thessalonians 3:5 TPT). Don’t stop believin’ that your breakthrough is just about ready to knock on your door. Don’t get stuck in the middle of going through a trial. Winston Churchill said, “If you’re going through hell, keep going.” Paul and Winston would surely have been good friends had they lived at the same time.
If you’re waiting on God to send help, you’re in good company. In Psalm 23, King David reminds us that God will restore our soul.
The Key: Your help is on the way. Never, never, never give up on God.