Psalm 22 | Wednesday Bible Study

We are in the book of Psalms all this year. I have learned so much from studying each psalm in depth with you all. Today we will look at Psalm 22. This particular psalm of David has 31 verses. We will break the verses down and study them collectively. If you have not read today’s passage, please take the time to do so. Pray and ask Holy Spirit to open your spiritual eyes and ears to see and hear what He wants to teach you.

Overview

This is considered the great messianic psalm. Jesus Christ fulfilled this psalm on the cross of Calvary. The first 21 verses depict the suffering, and the last verses in this text refer to the triumph of faith. Jesus is recorded quoting Psalm 22:1 in the New Testament.

Matthew 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?

Mark 15:34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?

Verses 1-2

We are familiar with the first part of verse one. We remember these words of Jesus as He was on the cross paying the penalty for our sins. I cannot relate to that, but I can relate to the second half of verse one. When David says, "God You are so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring." Have you ever been there? Have you ever been crying out to God and begging Him to turn things around, and in desperation you seem to be roaring to God and He seems so far away? I know I have.

In verse two, it is relatable also, in that David is saying, "O my God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear me. In the night season, I am not silent." He is being raw and honest with God. In essence he is declaring, "God where are You? I am crying out. Nothing is changing. Nothing is getting better. Are You listening to me at all? Day and night I feel so far from You!" I have been there and it is tough.

Verses 3-5

David knows the key to getting God's attention. Yes, God knows our needs, and He hears our cries, but that does not move God. The Bible clearly tells us in order to please God we must have faith, and walk in the Spirit.

Romans 8:8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.

We need to remember what God has already done in our lives. Let's focus on what good and perfect gifts He has already given to us. David says, "But You are Holy." He starts to recall God's character. "You dwell in the praises of Your people." Israel is God's chosen people. He lives in those praises. He is in the middle of the praise and worship. He delights in our rejoicing in Him. 

David thinks about the forefathers that trusted in God and were helped. Maybe he was thinking about the miraculous story where God redeemed his great-grandmother Ruth. She was a pagan and abandoned that lifestyle to follow God. She found His favor in the field of Boaz, David's great-grandfather. Maybe he was thinking about Abraham, Moses, and Joshua. "They trusted You, God, and You delivered them." He is building his faith up because he is rehearsing the victories God had brought those that believed in Him. David says, "They cried to You, and were delivered. They trusted in You and were not confused."

Have you ever been confused about what to do? Are you praying for clarity and direction right now? 

James 1:5 If any you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

1 Corinthians 14:33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.

Isaiah 30:21 And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.

Verses 6-8

David feels like he is lower than the earth. He says he is a worm, not a man. He feels like everyone is laughing at him and mocking him. They are ridiculing him, saying, "You trusted in God to deliver you, let Him deliver you, since you love Him so much." Maybe you feel like others are laughing at you. I remember when we moved back up to Indiana from Alabama, others mocked us, too. They said things like, "I thought God told you to move to Alabama. What did you do to deserve to come back here?" They had other mean things to say, too, about God not providing for us and doing things for us. Those words and comments hurt, especially when they were from people we loved and once had fellowship with. Yet, Jesus experienced the same ridicule on the cross. The same mockery. If God is Your Father, let Him save You. What a rude awakening they are in for!

Matthew 27:43 He trusted in God, let Him deliver Him now, if He will have Him: for He said, I am the Son of God.

Luke 23:35 And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with Him derided Him, saying, He saved others; let Him save Himself, if He be Christ, the Chosen of God.

The enemy never uses new techniques. These people were being used by Satan to hurl the same insults he used on Jesus in the wilderness in Matthew chapter four. "If He is who He says He is." This is how the devil tries to throw us off, too. He questions our salvation, our relationship with Jesus, and our commitment to Christ. Know Who you belong to and do not let the devil gain a foothold in your mind.

Verses 9-10

David once again turns his attention to God’s goodness. He says, “You are the God from my mother’s womb. You delivered me from the womb and gave me hope as an infant.” David recalls God’s hand always upon his life. God says this beautiful promise in the book of Isaiah.

Isaiah 46:3-5 Hearken unto Me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which are borne by Me from the belly, which are carried from the womb: And even to your old age I am He; and even to hoar (gray) hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you. To whom will you liken Me, and make Me equal, and compare Me, that we may be like?

God says He will carry us even after our hair is gray! What a sweet promise. There is no God like our God! No other idol, person, career, amount of money, or anything will ever be able to compare with our great God Jehovah!

Verses 11-18

David requests God to help him. He says, “I have no one to help me.” He goes on to describe the enemy coming against him. The enemy surrounds him, trying to devour him, to destroy him, and his physical strength to fight is gone. He feels like he is nearly dead. David says his enemies pierced his hands and feet. This is a comparison for David, but Jesus actually endured that. After He died and rose from the dead, Jesus said, this:

Luke 24:39 Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself: handle Me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see Me have.

Matthew 27:35 And they crucified Him, and parted His garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted My garments among them, and upon My vesture did they cast lots. 

David felt vulnerable and like everyone was staring at him. Jesus experienced multitudes staring at Him, too, as He hung on the cross. David foretold what Jesus would experience at Golgotha. 

Luke 23:27 And there followed Him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented Him.

Mark 15:24 And when they had crucified Him, they parted His garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take.

John 19:24 They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the Scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted My raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did.

Verses 19-21

David again asks God to be with him. He needs strength and he asks God to hurry to help. He is begging God to save his precious life from the adversary. I have been guilty of praying similar prayers. "God please hurry. Give us what You said we can have. We want it now. We need it now." Habakkuk wanted to know why God was not quick to punish the wicked for their evil acts. He starts in chapter one and asks God some hard questions. It seems brave to ask such pointed questions to God Almighty. In chapter two he says he will sit and wait for God to answer him. So God does and this what He said.

Habakkuk 2:2-4 And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.

Many people take verse two out of context. They say it means to make vision boards and basically tell God what our plans are for our life so He can make it happen for us. That is absolutely not what the Bible says to do here at all. The vision is coming to pass at a later time. The vision Habakkuk is to write is coming but it will not come when Habakkuk wants it to. God said, "Though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come." God ends this particular section of Scripture saying, "The just shall live by faith." That means we have to believe God is working things out. We have trust that even when nothing changes in the natural, things are being rearranged and moved around in the spiritual realm. God is working on our behalf to fulfill His plan for us in the earth. We must not be concerned more about what we want God to do for us, but rather what we can do for God while we are here on the earth.

Verses 22-31

David ends this psalm praising God. In verse 24 he says that God has heard the cries of the afflicted. We have hope that He hears us. In Hebrews it says this:

Hebrews 5:5-10 So also Christ glorified not Himself to be made an high priest; but He that said unto Him, Thou art My Son, to day have I begotten Thee. As He saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedec. Who in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto Him that was able to save Him from death, and was heard in that He  feared; Though He were a Son, yet learned He obedience by the things which He suffered; And being made perfect, He became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey Him; Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchizedec.

David says in verse 27, “All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD.” In verse 28, he says, “For the Kingdom is the LORD’s: and He is the governor among the nations.” We know that God is in control and one day we all will bow the knee and confess Jesus is LORD! In closing he adds, “They shall come, and shall declare His righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that He hath done this.” We are the people that shall be born and now we have an obligation to share with our children and their children and their children’s children about the goodness and Sovereignty of God!

I hope you have been blessed today. I know it’s actually Thursday when I am sharing this. I was under the weather and unable to post. But today you get two posts! I will share my Thankful Thursday post today as well. 

No matter how bad things seem to be right now, encourage yourself and build your faith on remembering how good God is. He will take you through these rough days and better times are coming. God bless you friend.

~Bridgett Owens

Clarity | Thankful Thursday

Thankful for clarity?

I have been fasting this month. I do not say that to boast, because I could not do that if it wasn't for the Lord helping me. I am on a 21 day fast where I have chosen to give up one of the biggest conveniences in my life: fast food. I am on the road a lot. I travel a lot for work. My schedule is such that I can be pretty flexible with my schedule so if I want to run through a drive-thru and grab something to eat I am able. Giving up fast food has turned out to be a bigger sacrifice that I first thought it would be. But something happens when we fast and pray. God always hears and answers our prayers, but when we add fasting to our prayer life, it takes things to a deeper level. God starts revealing things to us. I have been seeking clarity in some areas of my life and He is definitely bringing it.

My word for the year is FOCUS. This is quite interesting, because I thought it was PLANS at first. Turns out as I was seeking God at the altar that God spoke to my heart that I am to FOCUS on Him. He said He has great PLANS for my life this year. He will bring it all to pass as long as I remain laser-focused on His Word, His love, His goodness, His grace, and His mercy.

One of the things I got clarity on was my writing. I am to stay on task for writing three blog posts a week. I am also supposed to finish the last portion of edits so my book, "Who Wants The Bread," can be published and made available to anyone who wants a copy. I have had multiple people ask about the Youth Prayer Journals and so I am excited about getting those uploaded as well. The Youth Prayer Journals turned out even better than I expected. I give God all the glory and honor. It was absolutely His ideas and design.

If you need clarity today for something you are going through, turn to God. He will give you wisdom and help you make your decisions. He is for you and not against you. He wants us to ask Him for things we lack in our lives. He is there to strengthen us, settle us, and surprise us with His wonderful blessings.

HABAKKUK 2:2 And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.

It is important to write down the vision we have for our future, including what God's plan is for our future. If we keep it simple and read it often, we can focus on where we are headed. God has done miraculous, wonderful, supernatural things in 2021 for us, but we are now in 2022. He is going to do big things this year, too. He has already done some wonder-working, awe-inspiring things this month. We have to keep the vision in front of us so we can run! We need to move forward rapidly to be a part of all that God is doing around us.

HEBREWS 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

We have to focus on Jesus and not take our eyes off Him. He is the author of our faith; it originated with Him. He is the perfecter of our faith. He finishes the work He has begun in us just like He said He would in Philippians 1:6. He endured the cross, so if we think this year is going to be all pleasant and delightful with no pain or discomfort, we are missing the work Jesus did on the cross. This year began with laying to rest my husband's uncle. We have had some fun times and happy moments so far this year, but it has not been without its share of disappointments and sad times, too. If we focus on Jesus, the rough times will be smoother and the good times will be even better.

COLOSSIANS 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

The more we keep our eyes on Jesus and focus on heavenly things we will be content with where we are now. Storms may rage around us and threaten to destroy our vessels but God is with us and we will survive. This verse is one I am memorizing this month. It is important to set the things we care about the most in heavenly storage. The key to getting clarity is to stop looking around at the circumstances, or checking bank statements over and over, and to avoid letting these trials get us down. I once read a quote that says, "Ships don't sink because of the water around them; ships sink because of the water that gets in them. Don't let what's happening around you get inside you and weigh you down." I love that quote. It is so true.

JAMES 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

What a great verse to encourage and uplift us. If any of us lack wisdom, we can ask our Heavenly Father, and He will generously give it to us without ridiculing us or putting us down for not knowing. I always disliked asking someone to tell me what something meant and then they end up making fun of me for not knowing. God never does that to us. He is willing and able to give us all the wisdom we need to navigate through this life.

I thank God for the clarity He has given me on many things already this month. What are some of the things you are thankful for today?

Stay thankful! God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Tooth Extraction | Thankful Thursday

 

A week ago tomorrow I had a tooth pulled. I did not want to go to the dentist to have this taken care of because I am terrified of anything to do with a dentist. They gave me laughing gas just to clean my teeth last time. I hate the whole process of anything to do with dentistry. 

So, backstory: I had a cavity in one of my baby teeth. Tooth #19. My dentist drilled it and filled it even though he said it was only a small sign of decay. I was eating candy and I bit on a Sugar Daddy, which for those that don't know, it's a big gob of caramel on a stick. But when I pulled the stick out of my mouth, that sugary treat took my filling with it! So my mom took me back to the dentist, and I was scared out of my wits to have that done again! My dentist drilled it and filled it again. Two weeks later that tooth fell out! My mom was not happy. Then the adult tooth came in and it decided to show a sign of decay too, so again drilled and filled.

To this day I cannot stand to hear a drill running. It hurts my teeth like nothing else! So the filling stayed for many, many years until I was eating a sucker in the library in Mitchell. I literally chipped the tooth and knocked out a piece of the filling. I refused to do anything about it for a while, but finally I went to the dentist. She referred me to an oral surgeon, but I didn't go. Time went on, it started to bother me again, so I went back to the dentist, and same suggestion, she referred me to an oral surgeon. I finally went. I was treated very well by all the dental professionals, but something happened in one of the fillings and it scarred me for life!

So I finally went to the oral surgeon to have a root canal. He didn't think he could save it but I insisted he try because I desperately wanted to save my tooth. So he did the best he could. He said it was a success and I just needed to get a crown. So I tried, but my dentist could never get me in. We moved to Alabama and I had to wait until I had a job with insurance and then wait for the insurance to be active and finally I went to see if I could get a crown. Meanwhile my tooth broke more and so the answer was no, the tooth has to come out. I scheduled for surgery but then we moved back to Indiana before I could have the procedure.

So finally we have jobs, we have insurance, and it's time for me to take care of this tooth which is even more broken now. They drilled and pulled and yanked. I was numb through my ear which somehow was still painful, and I felt a lot of pain and pressure in my front teeth during the procedure. I was a nervous wreck and all alone, well except for all the people in the room. It takes a village to pull a tooth!! And so then after seeing the debris spraying all over the place, and feeling the pressure as the roots were yanked out of my mouth, I was finally free of the tooth. Two sutures and a mouthful of gauze I was sent out to my waiting family.

So what am I thankful for? I am thankful for kind, caring staff who took care of my problem. I am thankful for no infection or dry socket. I am thankful for pain medication. I am thankful that Jesus was with me every second and I could feel Him with me because I was freaking out on the inside. I am thankful for my mother-in-law and son who wanted to take me. I am thankful for the car ride home that I do not really remember. I am thankful for the way my mother-in-law took care of me to insist I rest, gave me food and delicious jello she made for me! I am thankful for the kindness in her voice as she asked if there was anything I needed. I am thankful that she left the bathroom light on for me. I am thankful that we live here, even though I truly do want my own home. I am still so grateful that we have a nice place to live.

I am thankful God has brought me through these days of working this week even though I have not felt the best. I am thankful the stitches fell out without pain or problems. I am thankful I can drink from a straw again!! I am thankful that the whole thing is over with. Even though I wish I didn't have to lose a tooth, I'm glad I lost the trouble maker of them all! 

I am thankful that the Bible says in Hebrews 4:16 "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." I did not have to cowardly approach the Lord. I did not have to cower in fear that He may demand I leave His presence. Instead I found mercy and grace to help me in my time of need. I was so scared and He was there to help me.

Maybe you are not afraid of the dentist. You may enjoy getting your teeth cleaned or not mind having a tooth pulled. But sometimes in life we go through things we don't want to, but God is always there. In 2 Samuel 22:33 we read that "God is my strength and power: and He maketh my way perfect." We are not perfect people, but God will give us His strength and His power to face the tough challenges in life we are not expecting. He makes the hard paths, the winding roads, the hills and valleys to become perfect paths. He straightens the crooked ways and helps us to navigate this life. 

Waiting to get a home of our own has been difficult to say the least. We have looked at different places to rent or buy and it's so frustrating. At times I am so weary and this week I thought my heart may truly fail me. I was so distressed with everything. My health was not good, and you already know about the whole dental thing, and my husband had to see a surgeon (please be praying about that), and then Kadesia wound up in a brace on her arm because it keeps going numb to the fingers but they can't find the issue (please be praying about that). She had to go three places and still no real answers. So it's just a lot and so I take comfort in reading Psalm 73:26 "My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever."

Friends, I am counting my blessings for the Word of God. He never fails me and He never lets me down. If I am discouraged when I start reading the Word of God, it's not long before I become strengthened and encouraged. I get my hope back. I get my joy back. Let's close with this verse in Habakkuk.

HABAKKUK 3:19 The Lord God is my strength; and He will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and He will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.

I am scared of heights...honestly this is not supposed to be a blog post about the things I am afraid of. But I am truly scared of being up high. Yet if the Lord God gives me the ability to climb up high mountains then I will do so without fear. I know He gives me the strength to do hard things. He alone is my source of strength.

I hope that you have been counting your blessings with me this Thankful Thursday. I always enjoy sharing what God has done for me. It's not fun to reveal the weaknesses of my flesh with the whole world, but if it can even help one other person with the verses I share or the things I thank God for doing in my life, then it is worth it. I am so thankful for you all. I pray that something I have shared today has given you strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

5 Things To Do In The Waiting Season | Fuel For The Weekend

I am thankful for another weekend to spend with my family. I am a nurse and before that I worked in the medical field for decades and mixed in retail as well. Many weekends were spent working and while I am thankful for the opportunity to help provide financially for our family, it is a big blessing when I have a job that allows me to be off Saturday and Sunday. This particular job I currently have allows me to have Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays off, but like I mentioned yesterday this week has been crazy so I was able to work today to make up for some missed time and I am grateful.

I have been wondering what Holy Spirit would have me share for this week's Fuel For The Weekend blog post. I learn as much as I teach many weeks as Holy Spirit opens my eyes to hidden truth found in God's Word. I hope you are learning and growing as you join me on this blog each week. For those of you who check back each Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday: thank you so much.

I want to offer five things we can actively do in the waiting season. We do not have to sit and wait, we must be doing something while we wait on the promises of God to come into fruition. Let's look at what the Bible tells us to do while we patiently wait for God to answer our prayers.

#1 BE BRAVE

PSALM 27:14 Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

The dictionary definition from Oxford Languages defines courage as "the ability to do something that frightens one," and "strength in the face of pain or grief." Often we do not know how or when God is going to answer our prayer. While we wait we must be brave in the face of the unknown. It requires a spiritual strength when we have lost something to keep hoping and believing. You can be in a place of provision, where God clearly has His hand on you and your situation but it can still feel like loss and grief because the promise is not fulfilled yet. We are waiting on our home. We have no idea when we will get it or where it will be, and honestly we are praying for guidance as to where to look, but we know God has the perfect home for us in mind and it is reserved for us. He has promised it to us so we will have good courage and press on.

The beauty of this scripture is the promise that when we wait on the LORD with good courage God will strengthen our heart. He will give us the strength to face the pain or grief. He gives us the ability to do something that scares us. We wait and trust and continue to hope and He strengthens us to have the courage we need to keep believing when our circumstances do not change. Are you willing to do this? I am!

#2 KEEP PRAYING

ACTS 1:4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith He, ye have heard of Me.

ACTS 1:14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brethren.

In the book of Acts, Luke tells us that Jesus had commanded them to stay in Jerusalem and wait for the promise of the Father. They did not know exactly when the promise would come. They were told to go and wait. Later in the same chapter we know that 120 were gathered in the upper room waiting for the promise. The Bible says they continued, so that means they did not pray once or twice and give up. They continued with one accord. If you are praying with others get into the same accord. If you are praying by yourself, then get into accord with Holy Spirit because no matter who all is praying, you must agree and have the same mindset: not doubting, but believing. They continued in one accord in prayer and supplication.

Prayer and supplication are similar but different.  Prayer is asking God for something or thanking Him for something. It is when we request something for ourselves or make intercession for others. Supplication is more urgent. It is like begging, pleading, urgently requesting, in an earnest, humble way.  We know God heard our request for a home. We still pray and ask God to order our steps, lead us to the right bank lender, the right realtor, the right home. Every step we take we are asking God. Sometimes we are praying for His favor and His help, and other times we feel so desperate we begin in prayer and it turns to urgent seeking God in supplication for our home. We must not stop praying. We must continue to not only ask, but wait for the promise.

Everyone is waiting in the upper room in the same mindset in prayer and supplication. They continued day after day seeking God and waiting on the answer. We must do this, too. Do not give up or think that your prayer didn't matter to God. It does matter and the answer is on the way. Keep praying and keep seeking the answer, with expectation that the answer is coming!

#3 EXPECT IT

JAMES 5:7 Be patient, therefore, brethren unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.

It is springtime and many people have started planting seeds for their gardens. Some plant flowers, but many have been showing their plants for lettuce, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc. The Bible says we are to be patient like a farmer who waits for the precious fruit of the earth and has long patience for it. This is some long waiting, some long-suffering. We are told to wait a while on some things. Yes, this is encouraging us to wait on Jesus to return, but it can also be true of waiting a while on things God has told us He would bless us with and we just don't see it yet. 

Let's think like a farmer for a moment. The farmer has to get the ground ready first. There is some plowing that goes on. The ground is turned over, the rich soil revealed and things get messy. Anyone following me? Has things in your life got messy as God is turning over the rich soil buried beneath the crusty core of the surface? He is about to plant some seeds and it's going to be amazing! The seeds go into the fertile soil. The farmer does not spend any length of time planting and get up the next day only to throw his hands up and walk away in disgust that there is no harvest! He knows it is going to happen. He knows he has to wait. He knows it is going to take some time for the seed to take root and then burst through the surface of the ground and then be taken care of so weeds and pests do not destroy the crop. God is giving us blessings that take a lot of work and God is the worker! He is doing a lot of things behind the scenes, underneath where we cannot see what is going on. In the spiritual realm He is lining things up, moving some things, strategically placing things in order so He can give us what He promised us. Will we wait with patience? Will we continue to expect the answer, or just walk away when God's calendar and ours don't line up? I promise you, His timing is best!

#4 BE CONFIDENT

HABAKKUK 2:3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

What an incredible verse! The promise God gave us is for a specific time. God knows the house is not for us right now. It is coming soon and I believe that with all of my heart, but this is not the right time. This verse is saying to wait for it. That was such a popular saying on television a few years ago, "Waaaait for iiiiiit!" That is what we are being told now. Wait for it! It is going to happen just like God promised and we have to keep on trusting that it will. We can have confidence because the Bible says it will surely come. It is going to happen. It is not delayed. It is strategically planned by God for an appointed time to happen. If it has not happened yet then we have to just keep waiting with confidence knowing it will come soon! God is keeping His promises to His people. He is not a liar. He is not being mean. He is not overlooking us. He is not forgetting us. He is not changing His mind. He is not giving the promise to someone else. We will have what He has in reserve for us when it is the right time. His timing is not ours, but it is always right on time!

#5 HAVE HOPE

ROMANS 8:25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

How do we wait well in this season? I think this verse spells it out perfectly. If we hope for what we do not see, then we wait patiently for it. We must not lose our hope. The devil comes to discourage us. He tells us lies that we are forgotten, or we misunderstood the promise God made to us. He distorts the truth until we lose our hope and give up. Friends, let's not lose hope! If you have lost hope, then get your hope back! Hope in the Lord! Psalm 38:15 says, "For in Thee, O LORD, do I hope: Thou wilt hear, O Lord my God. He hears us and we can keep our hope in Him. It does get tiresome waiting, but we must not faint. We must not grow weary in well doing, according to Galatians 6:9. And one final scripture that I want to add is in Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Yes, we hold to hope and wait on the LORD to answer our prayers. We know He hears us when we have become His children and earnestly seek Him. He is listening. Do not believe the lies of the enemy. God is for us and not against us. He is making good on every promise He has given. Trust Him and keep hoping! Get your hope back if you lost it. Just meditate on the scriptures and the hope will rise up in your heart!

Father God, I want to pray for all of us in this season of waiting. God I know that many of us are in the long-suffering season, but as the farmer waits for the good crop in time, we know we can wait with expectancy, too. God I ask that You strengthen my brothers and my sisters as we wait on the promises we were given. We thank You and praise You for hearing and answering our prayers. May this blog post uplift and encourage my brothers and sisters who read this message of hope and encouragement. God we know the waiting season is long, but that only means we have a wonderful season of harvest just beyond the horizon and it's going to be so worth the wait! Thank You for being patient with us and for strengthening us! Thank You for the refreshing and renewing You are doing in our hearts and lives. Thank You that the answer is on the way! In Jesus' precious name! Amen!!!

Friends, I hope you have a safe, fun weekend. I hope you are able to enjoy it and get some time to be alone with God. I will be doing these five things as I walk out this tiring season of waiting. It has been fruitful and productive and oh, so necessary! I pray that something I have shared today has given you strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens