Waiting on God

Dear Fellow Children of God,

 

Most of you know that I enjoy fishing.  Well, maybe that is an understatement.  My dad taught me to fish when I was a child, and my enjoyment of fishing has grown as I have.  I have grown to appreciate the time in the outdoors that fishing requires.  I have grown to appreciate the challenge of finding the fish and getting them to bite.  I have grown to find joy and satisfaction in actually catching a fish.  I do enjoy eating the salmon, or the trout, or the halibut, or whatever I catch.  I even like to share what I catch with others.  As you can see, the outdoor adventure we call fishing is a hobby that brings joy to my life.

 

I tell you this because we are currently in a time where fishing must wait.  Two Mondays ago I fished with friend, Gerry Zellar, in a canoe on a local lake.  We caught 6 nice trout.  However, this past Monday there was a film of ice on the lakes, and slush filled the rivers.  We can’t fish in the open waters anymore.  But at this time of year the ice is not safe to walk on.  It will probably take 2 to 3 weeks, or more, before the lakes are safe for ice fishing.  This is the time of year when fishermen just have to wait for the next opportunity to fish.

 

How are you when it comes to being patient, or waiting?  For many any waiting in life is difficult.  Faith in God often includes waiting in many ways.  We wait on answers to prayer.  Christians wait for God to keep His promises.  We are waiting for Jesus to come again when all who believe in Jesus will live with Him in heaven.  Waiting takes faith and trust to know God is faithful.

 

I share these thoughts with you because of my experience this week.  First, I had occasion in a time of worship to read Psalm 130, verses 5-6.  “5 I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. 6 My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.”  Ultimately it is God for whom we wait.  But, God keeps His promises because  God Himself comes to help us.  This has happened when Jesus came to this earth, after much waiting, to pay for the sin of the whole world, and to offer eternal life in heaven to all who believe.  It happens every time God answers a prayer or keeps a promise.  Waiting for God teaches patience and hope.  But, we learn through our waiting that God is faithful, and the wait is worth it. 

 

My other experience this week was to see 2 fervent prayers answered.  One prayer I prayed for someone was answered in a matter of hours.  I was surprised and full of joy when I prayed for someone, and then saw them up and around.  The other prayer was a prayer I’ve been praying for 4-5 years at the request of good friends.  I learned this week that God is acting in the life of the person for whom I am praying and doing wonderful things.

 

There have been some years when the lakes have a safe cover of ice very quickly.  There have been other times when it seems like the opportunity to go ice fishing will never come.  But, in my 22 winters here in Alaska there has never been a winter that the ice fails to come.  When the ice comes, the fishing that occurs is worth the wait.

 

God is faithful.  God comes to help us when he answers our prayers, no matter how long we have waited.  Jesus will come again.  “5 I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.”

 

 

A Child of God, Learning Faith by Waiting on God,

Pastor Jonathan

 

 

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ABOUT ‘THOUGHTS FROM THE PASTOR’ -   I am sending these e-mail messages, hopefully weekly, to all St. John members and friends whose e-mails I have.  (I am always adding new names of friends and members – in case you are just receiving this e-mail for the first time.)  However, if you don’t want to receive this e-mail, please let me know, and I’ll gladly leave your name off my list for this message. . . Or, if you know someone who would like to receive one of these e-mails, please send me their e-mail address.

 

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