My word is . . . . WAIT

This morning, while reading my devotional book, I was challenged. It always seems that God puts the right thing in front of me at the right time. He then leaves it up to me to decide what I am supposed to do. : ) Well, this morning, He gave me His Word- and it said WAIT. I am going to put the devotional in here- there is 2 parts to it. It is from the K-LOVE "On the Right Note" devotional booklet.

James 1:21-25

"Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. DO what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it- he will be blessed in what he does."

The engrafted Word

The word "engrafted" means "to attach to, and become part of." Picture a gardener grafting a branch into a tree and that branch coming to life and bearing fruit. Now picture yourself reading God's Word and a Scripture attaching itself to you, growing in you and producing change in your life. That's how God's Word works. And that's why you need to read it daily!

Sometimes you can tell the pastor what you received through his sermon and he won't know what you're talking about because he was emphasizing something different. He was just the mailman; he didn't know what was in the envelope. God sent a Word just for you. He said, "Here's what I want you to do," or "This is what I'm going to do for you in this situation." It's a Word that liberates you from fear, lifts you, directs you, and enables you to fight and win. Engrafted-Word-carrying believers are potent. That's because the engrafted Word sticks to you, takes you through the storm, feeds you in famine, quenches your thirst in drought, and brings you through the worst of times.

It doesn't have to be a sermon; Jesus just gave Peter one Word, "Come," and Peter started walking on water. It works like this: God gives you a Word, and the moment you step out on it your mind says, "It doesn't make sense, you don't have the talent, you don't have the finances, you don't have the education, etc." The amazing thing is, as long as you stand on the Word God gave you, you won't go under. That one Word, "Come," stuck to Peter's heart and propelled him through the storm. And the engrafted Word will do the same to you.

Part 2

The "engrafted Word" is self-sustaining. It doesn't require the accolades of men or the support of others to validate it. As Jesus was walking on the water towards His disciples in the boat Peter said, "Lord, if it's you, tell me to come" (Mt 14:28) Jesus gave him one Word, "Come," and Peter started walking. Was he scared? Wouldn't you be? But his desire was greater than his fear. That's all you need to get started, a desire for God that is greater than your doubts and limitations. The other disciples probably didn't believe Peter could do it. Indeed, those who feared for his safety didn't want him to try, and those who were competitive with him didn't want him to succeed. The truth is, the other disciples didn't understand who was calling to Peter; they thought Jesus was "a ghost!" (Mk. 6:49). There's a lesson here for you:

When God gives you a Word and you step out on it, DON'T expect everybody to validate it. It's normal for you to want certain people to see what you see and believe what you believe. But in this verse God prepares you for disagreements between you, and those who don't understand what God has told you. If you're not careful, people's opinions will short-circuit your faith and make you doubt what God has said. God says: "I'm not going to confirm what I've told you through them. In fact, I don't even need them to agree with what I've spoken concerning you." Relax. Be confident in God. You may want all these external support systems, but the truth is, you don't need them!

After I had read these words, it made me sit back and think about what the Lord has been telling me. I know that I must wait upon Him. I know that He has called me to "GO" and to serve, yet He has shown me that now is not the time, so I must wait upon Him. I also have to be ready for His timing, and be ready to accept whatever He has for me, because maybe He will use me in the United States, or perhaps He will again give me the Word to go back overseas, only time will tell! Please pray that I will hear His voice and follow! : )