Bible Studies

One evening recently a dear friend and I sat talking about the fact that though she was praying and seeking God for clear direction, she seemed to receive no answer and couldn’t “see” the way she was supposed to go. As I listened to her, it became clear to me (isn’t it always easier to see/hear God’s direction for someone else than for ourselves?) that God had her exactly where she was for a specific purpose. She was unable to see where God wanted her to go next because He had called her to hide (and rejoice!) for a season under the shadow of His wings.

Delight yourself in the Lord;
and He will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him,
and He will do it. Psalm 37:4-5

This verse is embedded in a chapter which differs from the over all scope we find in the Book of Psalms, for it mentions nothing of prayer or praise. But it is all instruction; it's " Mesihil – a teaching Psalm."

It's back drop is the prosperity of the wicked and the disgrace of the righteous, a type of situation where relationships are truly tested, "Shall I do as the Romans do or shall I stand alone and trust God?" (Read -- Ps. 73)

We must always remember it's only on the field of adversity that the degree of one's faith or love is proven.

A number of years ago, I was enlightened to the motivating factor, which transformed a tenant of a run down apartment into a successful businessman, with a vast empire of land holdings. He informed me that his first landlord made his life so miserable, that he vowed to himself to never rent another piece of property. Thus, began his prosperous career in the real estate business.

Where the average person would cower at this overbearing thorn in the flesh, this man possessed the fortitude to use the negative arrogance energy of his first and last landlord to propel him to top of the heap.

"A man with an evil spirit came from the tombs to meet Him. This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him any more, not even with a chain. For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones!" Mark 5:2-5

I think that one of the most difficult words in the Bible is wait. And there are other words that are related to wait, like faith and patience. When I was growing up, one of the sayings that was bantered around was “Lord, give me patience while I stand on one foot.” For me, that wouldn’t be very long because I have absolutely no balance. But patience is a far weightier thing than we think. The English definition of patient is “bearing pains or trials calmly or without complaint” and “steadfast despite opposition, difficulty, or adversity.” So when the translators looked at the Greek words and used the word patience, these are the concepts they were thinking about.

Hebrews 6:10-12 NKJV