In Acts 7, Stephen gives a thumbnail version of part of the Old Testament, summarizing the journey of God’s people through the desert from captivity to the Promised Land. The whole story is in the book of Exodus. At one point, this beloved yet whining and fearful people, after losing sight of Moses for 40 days, decided to make idols for themselves to worship…to give themselves purpose and security and focus.
Oh, how we are like these people: we have each been in captivity to drugs or alcohol or life controlling issues; we have been given promises from God in the Bible; we are on a journey from captivity to those promises of freedom and value and purpose–and eternal life in Christ. Yet how difficult it is (like with the Israelites) to OBEY GOD AND WAIT ON HIM! We become distracted and unfocused. We believe we have no purpose if we are not busy doing something. If we haven’t felt a touch from the Lord, we wonder if He truly loves us – or we worry that we don’t really know and love Him.
Why the doubt? Why the distraction? Why can’t we just wait on the Lord? We know we need a “higher power” to give us hope – just like the Israelites knew that. And we need to take control of the situation.
So when the touch or the encouragement or the proof of God’s position in our lives doesn’t come instantly, we sometimes have a tendency to look to other things in our lives that will give us purpose or hope or at least distraction from the fact that God is making you wait. And we may go back to our old lives, old friends, or old situations. Back to our drug of choice or attitude of choice or distraction of choice. Just like the Israelites.
But if you would just OBEY GOD AND WAIT ON HIM, you would find FAITH. And then you would find that God would be pleased to reward that faithfulness with strength and purpose and power and focus. And hope. Hope of Promises fulfilled.
Never give up!
