A person’s witness to the faith that God has given them, a faith that has led them through life’s journey is a witness that brings strength and peace and hope to both the person telling their story and to those that hear the story. This is how faith grows and seeing God at work is the most common experience with faith.
Psalms 5:3 “In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.” NIV
Here is another important aspect of faith that is often overlooked and can lead to a lot of discomfort if ignored by a Christian. A characteristic of faith is the ability to patiently wait. Before faith can lead you down the correct path in your life, you must first wait with faith at the crossroads, until faith makes clear which road to travel. Too many times we seek God in actions and deeds only. We seek God by trying different paths first, until we find that one path that fits with God’s desires. But it doesn’t have to be that way. If we will but wait at the intersection for the way to be made known we would know which path is the right one, without all the trial and error. And we wait not in fear, but we can wait with high expectations, because we know that our God will answer. If we can learn to seek God in the waiting we will find that we know the right choices to make at the right time to make them. We will find that we are going where God is leading.
Faith is the vehicle that carries us through the rough terrain and struggles of life, waiting on and hoping for a miracle, while at the same time accepting the bumps and bruises of the present and knowing that at the end of our journey, either way we win!!!! Yet too many times, when the vehicle of faith stops, in our hurry to get somewhere or do something we get out and try to take another route on our own. A short-cut through the woods seems logical from the meadow, but not so when viewed from deep within the woods when we are lost in the briar patches of life.
So the exercise of faith is not just in the going and doing, it is also in the waiting and praying. When we try to force the action, to force God to act on our timetable, we go against His will and we go it alone. We can try to make certain things happen, but it is much better and much easier to let the right things happen in God’s time. Peace and success comes from living in accordance to God’s will and within His timetable.
Acts 1:4-5 – “On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”” NIV
So when you come to one of the many intersections in life, do not just blindly follow the crowd down the well worn path, do not in your haste make your life a waste. Stop at the intersection and pray. Seek the advice and fellowship of the Godly people in your life. Seek the leading of Spirit and follow the path that the Father in heaven has laid before you and where Jesus is awaiting you. Amen.
