POST 101
Today I preached the first of a Four-Sunday Sermon Series
leading up to Christmas. As the words
sunk in – again - this afternoon, I pondered how the contents of this morning’s
message could be related to addiction. The more I thought, the more clear the
connection became between the sermon and those who struggle with the tenacious
hold that addiction can have on those affected – directly and indirectly by addictive
disorders.
Therefore, I am including a slimmed-down version of my twenty
minute sermon for this month’s edition of the GRM Blog.
WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR THIS ADVENT?
FASTING
takes the form of cookies, eggnog, Christmas Parties, and new recipes,
definitely not found in the Weight Watchers’ Cookbook!
This morning – in the spirit of preparing ourselves for the
celebration of the Christ Child’s Coming, I want to talk about WAITING … and I
know it’s commonly not a favorite topic for most of us. Many times, I’ll hear folks say, I hate to
wait in line or in traffic … AND we
know for sure, what being put on-hold by a robo-clerk does to us!
Well, neither was WAITING a favorite thing for my younger
brother Jack when he was a boy. He must
have been around 10 at the time of the story I’m about to tell you. He had been sick and absent from school. When he was feeling better, our mother let
him stay home from school one more day to recuperate. She was substitute
teaching that day and I would be able to come home and eat lunch with him. I was glad to see that he seemed so much
better during lunchtime. After school, I
came right home.
Mother had done a very good job of teaching me to care for and
love my little brother. I knew immediately of his disappointment and feelings
of guilt. I hurt so badly for him. His
feelings of spoiling his own fun at Christmas were mine too. I tried to console him as best I could. I helped him re-wrap the presents and told him that Mom and Dad wouldn’t be mad - and that he could forget
what was in the packages - and then be surprised on Christmas Day. To be sure,
our parents didn’t get angry and my older brother and I never teased him.
That was an odd Christmas for Jack: he learned a lesson about what not to do
while waiting - and in this case - waiting for Christmas. BUT ALSO, he came to know – even more – how
much his family loved and cared for him, no matter what.
I’ve entitled this sermon, What
are you waiting for, this Advent? OR
perhaps, we can modify the question to ask: What Are You Waiting for This Christmas? OR … let’s just keep it short: What are you waiting for?
Perhaps, you have prayed the same prayer for many years … hoping for an answer from God ... or possibly, something with a
negative impact has happened recently and we want a different result. Maybe feelings of disappointment or
frustration or fear have weighed heavily upon us and we are asking God to bring
a change into the situation. Again, possibly, somebody has held out a promise to us - and it hasn’t materialized.
If we have ever felt
stymied, slowed down, plateaued, or even trapped … we know that WAITING is not
only difficult and disappointing … it can, also, bring on feelings of defeat,
demoralization, and quite possibly despair.
Especially in Psalms, there are numerous scripture passages ** that
address WAITING:
·
Psalm 37:7a: Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him
·
Psalm 130:6 My
soul waits for the Lord, more than those who watch for the morning
·
Psalm 62:5 My
soul, waits silently for God alone, for my
expectation is from Him
Andrew Murray, author
of “Waiting on God” writes about so many who are - yes – waiting on the Lord. This is a highly inspirational read which
brought me to new understanding – and motivated me to write today’s sermon.
And then one afternoon,
as I was running errands and listening to the car radio, a pastor was speaking
about that very same thing. He spoke of
what it feels like to be spiritually plateaued … about a feeling of spiritual
distance from God. And then he said
something that I have never forgotten; he said, when you are experiencing this feeling of being on a spiritual plateau,
KNOW that this is when God is paying PARTICULAR attention to YOU.
Like I say, I have
never forgotten this: GOD IS PAYING PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO ME! Even when I wasn’t feeling His presence in
my spiritually, plateaued life!
This morning, I want to
talk about what is happening on GOD’S SIDE of those times when we are
waiting for an answer to prayer … when we are waiting on God.
As we look back over God’s prophetic message, let us see
the OTHER SIDE – GOD’S SIDE – OF THE PEOPLE’S WAITING. What is God preparing for them once they turn
to Him – in trust … in repentance and in confidence … to God?
AS WE PRAY AND WAIT FOR ANSWERS?
The following words
from Isaiah 30:18-26 give us affirmation that God’s side of our waiting is one in knowledge and care. A thumbnail sketch lists the nature of Divine waiting:
Verse 18: “Therefore
the Lord will
wait, that He may be gracious to you; and therefore He will be exalted,
that He may have mercy on you.” **
MERCY: According to my
Study Bible, mercy is related closely to the Hebrew word womb – denoting the tender compassion that a mother shows to a child of her womb.
Verse 19: “For the
people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem;
You shall weep no more. He will be very gracious to you at the sound of your cry; When He hears it, He will answer you.” **
You shall weep no more. He will be very gracious to you at the sound of your cry; When He hears it, He will answer you.” **
Once again, we
hear the word GRACIOUS … affirming to
us that God’s response to our prayers is NOT to ignore or turn away. He hears our cries … He know what we are
crying about AND why we are crying. AND
those first 5 words of this verse forecasts that those who cry out to him will
weep no more … AND God will answer!
Verse 20: “And though the
Lord gives you
The bread of adversity and the water of affliction,
Yet your teachers will not be moved into a corner anymore,
But your eyes shall see your teachers.” **
The bread of adversity and the water of affliction,
Yet your teachers will not be moved into a corner anymore,
But your eyes shall see your teachers.” **
Verse 21: “Your ears shall hear a word behind you,
saying,
“This is the way, walk in it,”
Whenever you turn to the right hand
Or whenever you turn to the left.” **
“This is the way, walk in it,”
Whenever you turn to the right hand
Or whenever you turn to the left.” **
The teachers or the spiritual leaders will
no longer be persecuted … and God’s people will now be ready to listen to them
… they will see and understand what
their prophets and priests are telling them.
God will give
direction and guidance … and it will be CLEAR.
So many times, I hear people saying, I just wish God would tell me what
to do! This verse assures us that God
does provide direction … The Holy Spirit conveys divine wisdom to each of us. Our
spiritual ears must be open to hearing God’s instructions for us. God provides this in myriad and many ways
… again, we can hear Divine direction and see God’s wisdom only with spiritual ears
and eyes … basically, it is our
choice to allow God’s wisdom and guidance to become and take on an active
response within us.
Plainly speaking,
not seeking God’s wisdom, direction, and guidance will – no doubt – place us
right back in the feeling of being distant from God.
Verse 22: “You will also defile the covering of your
images of silver, and the ornament of your molded images of gold.
You will throw them away as an unclean thing;
You will say to them, ‘Get away!’” **
You will throw them away as an unclean thing;
You will say to them, ‘Get away!’” **
When the idols of
addiction are no longer revered … when the fascination dulls and disappears …
when the compulsion becomes controlled and does not create eminent danger,
reality can take on an entirely difference world.
The old ways no longer hold appeal or value; and life – without them -
becomes new and healing. The old ways’
purposes no longer minister to our inner and spiritual needs! You
will spiritually know that you know
their lack of value and harm … You will want to – and will - part from them:
period!
Verses 23-25: “Then He will give the rain for your seed with which you sow the ground,
and bread of the increase of the earth …” **
and bread of the increase of the earth …” **
These verses describe a blessed
land of plenty – beginning with rain for the seed – to change the desert into
fertile ground. Often times, our
spiritual life seems like a dry desert without any growth; but God’s message
now paints a very different picture. Along
with the spiritual blessings there will come material blessings: plentiful
crops, healthy herds, and great prosperity!
Verse 26: “Moreover the light of the moon will be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be sevenfold,
as the light of seven days, in the day that the Lord binds up the bruise of His people and heals the stroke of their wound.” **
To me, this
passage speaks spiritually. I see it as God’s assurance that God's answers to our
prayers will dispel the dark darkness … that living in God's light will be beyond
scientific explanation … and that the unbearable wounds of grief, sickness,
pain, and disappointment will be healed!
In closing, I want
to share additional words from Andrew Murray’s Waiting on God:
“He waits that He may be gracious unto you. And, each time you come to wait upon Him …
you may look up and see him ready to meet you.” [Waiting on God, Andrew Murray, public domain]
** [The Women’s Study Bible, Thomas Nelson, Inc.,
1995]
Blessings,
Rev. Janet Jacobs, CCGSO
Founding Director
Gambling Recovery Ministries
www.grmumc.org
For more information on problem gambling and recovery issues, visit:
