Wait Archives – Brewing Ground

You Are Being Prepared!

February 20, 2017

The Winds of Change

I feel the winds of change brewing in my life – only I’m not sure what yet. But, I can feel it coming; a change in course. The problem is, I am a thinker and a planner. I want to know what I’m planning for, so I know how to plan. All I can think is “God, don’t you know that I need a plan! I want to be prepared!” God has whispered, “I don’t want you to plan – I want you to trust!” POW – right in the gut!

Welcome to my Brewing Ground – letting go of the plan (or trying to create one prematurely) and letting Him take over. This will be a challenge! So, my new prayer

is that God will help me to take things one step at a time and trust that He will make each step clear, beyond a shadow of a doubt, when it is time. I pray He will clam my planning mind to be patient and trust Him. Also, I pray that I will take action when necessary without second guessing His plans and listing all the pros and cons first. He knows what’s coming! God brought me to a story illustrating this very idea.

The Players

Let’s travel back in time to around 480 B.C. God began to lay the groundwork and get prepared for the precarious situation the Jewish people would find themselves in. Let’s take a look at how God prepared two individuals to save the whole Jewish nation.

King Ahasuerus was currently on the throne. The story begins with him giving his Queen an order which she refused; so, he banished her. This began the search for a new queen. The king sent out an order for all the beautiful young women to be brought to the royal court. There was one woman the king was quite taken with. He chose her to be queen; her name – Esther. The king loved Esther more than all the other women. Now, Esther’s parents passed away years before and her cousin, Mordecai, took her in as his own daughter and raised her. Mordecai also happened to be working with the king as a government official. Haman was the king’s second in command.

The Plot Thickens

Haman let his position go to his head. In fact, everyone was supposed to bow down to him. Mordecai was a Jew so his allegiance was to God; Mordecai refused to bow down to Haman. Well, that did it! Haman was enraged and prepared a plan to kill Mordecai and ALL the Jewish people in the land. He convinced the king that the Jewish people did not follow his laws and should all be destroyed. So, the king issued a decree condemning ALL Jews to death.

When everyone found out about the decree, Mordecai asked Esther if she would “play her card” and talk to the king. This whole time she had kept it a secret that she was Jewish and Mordecai was her family. But, Esther was concerned; and for good reason. There was a law that she could be put to death for just going to court to speak with the king without him first asking her to come. Talk about a steep penalty just to chat!

The Calling

Well, Mordecai responded to Esther’s concern about her possible death.

“¹³Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king’s house, more than all the Jews. ¹⁴For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Esther 4:13-14 KJV

Mordecai basically says, “You can’t think about saving yourself at a time like this! If you live but all the rest of your people don’t and you didn’t try to help – can you live with that!? Think of the greater good and about our positions here. If we don’t help our people, then who else can? God may have placed us here for this very reason. Seize the Day!!!” Quite the pep talk! So, Esther agreed and prepared; she put a plan together and took action quickly. The story continues to reveal God’s hand in making the plans work. Fast forward to the end. It was revealed that Haman was actually the one scheming against the king for personal gain. The king ended up hanging Haman and reversing the decree to kill all the Jews.

You Are Being Prepared

Don’t think for a minute that your Brewing Ground isn’t God’s prepared plan for you. Also, don’t think for a minute that your Brewing Ground isn’t preparing you for His plan. Sometimes things happen in our lives and we have no idea why. It doesn’t always make sense. Esther initially had no idea why God put her in the position of queen. But, God knew what was coming. Eventually, she knew why God made her queen and knew it was time to take action. Then she quickly made a plan and followed through. God orchestrates our lives in such a way as to set the stage and get us in the right place, at the right time, and get us prepared for what is to come. Will you seize your moment, as Ester did when the time comes?

Let’s Brew And Be Prepared!

If this has blessed you please share!

When God Sends Help Will You Miss The Boat?

October 31, 2016

^“13For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.” Isaiah 41:13 KJV

There was a torrential storm that hit a town. The authorities warned that the nearby river was going to soon flood the city and advised everyone to evacuate. One of the citizens of this town was a very faithful Christian man. He heard this warning and decided to stay thinking, “I will trust God and if I am really in danger, He will send a divine miracle to save me.” As his neighbors were getting ready to leave they said, “Come with us; we have room in our car.” The man declined and said, “I have faith that God will save me.” So they left.

As the man sat on his porch, he watched the water rise. Soon, someone came by in a canoe. This man said, “The water is rising quickly! Come with me to safety.” The man declined once again and said, “No, I have faith that God will save me.” So the man in the canoe left.

As the water continued to rise and flood his house the man had to move upstairs. A police boat came by and they saw him sitting at a window. They said, “We are coming to save you!” The man replied,

“Use your time to go save someone else; I have faith that God will save me.” The police pleaded with the man to come with them; he refused. So, the police boat left.

The water still continued to rise quickly and the man had to retreat to the roof of his house. A rescue helicopter spotted him. A rescuer came down on a rope ladder and pleaded with the man to come with him. But, the man still refused, “No, God will save me!” After pleading some more, the man still refused. The helicopter finally left.

Soon the strong flood waters rose too high and swept the man away and he drowned. Once in heaven, the man stood before God and asked, “I trusted you and put all my faith in you. Why didn’t you save me?” God responded, “Yes my child, you did. And I gave you a warning. I sent a car and then a canoe. Next, I sent a boat and then a helicopter. But, you never would get in. What more did you want?” (Source: Unknown)

You have probably heard this story before. There are many different versions and the original author is unknown. I heard this story many years ago; however the message is timeless.

I have known for a while what I wanted to write about this week. As I was praying and getting ready to actually sit down and write the post I had planned, it didn’t seem quite right for this week. As I was praying and talking with God about what He did want me to write, He brought this story to my mind. I haven’t thought of this story in years. So, what was His message for me; why did He bring this story to my mind? As I was thinking over the story, He also brought several recent major events and situations to my mind which all happen to be completely unrelated. The one overarching theme that I DID find – they are all major life changing Moments of Brewing in the lives of several dear friends and myself. Moments where we need God’s help or drowning WILL occur. God led me to this verse.

^“13For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.” Isaiah 41:13 KJV

It all started coming together. God was whispering His message to my heart. One I needed to hear. One He asked me to share with you, sweet friends.

First and foremost, God is with you! He is right there holding your hand. He WILL help you! That is a promise stated in Isaiah 41:13. Believe it! Claim it! Know in your heart God is there – even if He is silent! He is working on your behalf. He is gathering equipment and supplies. He is devising a rescue mission and assembling your team. Your rescue mission is very specific to you and your situation. Certain situations require very detailed, intricate plans. God is so GREAT with details; He will not miss a single one! Sometimes rescue missions take time to implement so every detail is in place. Wait on God’s perfect timing.

Secondly, you have to be open and alert. You may come up with a plan of what YOU think your rescue mission should look like. For example, Jesus should return to earth right now. Although this would be nice, that doesn’t mean this is God’s plan. Remember, He has a very specific plan just you and your situation. You have to be open to His plan and alert to be able to see His help when it comes. His help comes in all forms. Will God send Jesus – it could happen. Will He send an angel – possibly, in some form or fashion. Your angel my be an earthly angel. Maybe it’s a boat. Or maybe it’s a random comment from a stranger that God uses. Maybe it’s a picture you see or something you read. Maybe it’s a difficult conversation with a dear friend or family member that challenges you. Maybe God will provide a resource or opportunity. You just never know. God is so creative! After all, He created the earth and everything on it. You never know what He will use in your rescue mission. This is what we CAN learn from the story – if you are not alert and open to God’s rescue mission, you WILL miss it.

There was a third principle God whispered to my heart related to this story. God’s rescue mission will require action on your part. First of all, you need to be in tune with God in order to recognize His rescue mission. Since God has given you the privilege of free will, you have to choose a relationship with Him. A relationship with Him requires intentional choices, actions, and behaviors. Secondly, God can provide all kinds of resources, opportunities, and help; but, if you are not willing to take the help and use it, it does nothing for you. You can be in tune with God and know the boat is His rescue mission. However, if you refuse to accept His help and actually get up and climb into the boat – well, the storm will eventually sweep you away. You may be thinking, “Well, if His plan was as simple as climbing into a boat, then I could do that!” Sometimes the action required is much more challenging than climbing into a boat. This is your Brewing Ground. God never promised that your rescue mission would be easy. He DID promise that He is right there with you and will help you. He will equip you to handle your rescue mission. After all, it is a rescue mission – it is meant to save something.

This is a perfect example of God’s refining fire talked about in Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 of God’s Refining Fire series. We are found, broken, crushed, washed, put through the fire multiple times, purified, then still go through the process to be transformed into a beautiful masterpiece. He has planned a rescue mission to save us from the rocks, mire, and muck we are buried under. God is right there with you. Will you be open and alert to His rescue mission? Will you take action when help arrives?

Have you ever known anyone like the man in the story? Have there been times in your life when you were that man? Did they/you realize it before or after “drowning”? Comment below!

Let’s Brew!

Still Waiting

October 3, 2016

^“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.” Isaiah 40:31 KJV

There are those days when you feel like you should have just stayed in bed. In fact, there have even been some days you may have been tempted to actually drop everything, go home, and get back in bed for the rest of the day. I’ve had some of those days! You know the kind of days that I am talking about. Those days when it seems like you just can’t catch a break. Let’s set the stage.

You are currently smack dab in the middle of your Brewing Ground. You are in the midst of one of your greatest trials ever. You wake up feeling particularly stressed about your current situation. It seems like it will never end and you are feeling so

weary and emotionally spent! Then, you see the time! “Oh No!” Your alarm didn’t go off; so, you are off to a late start. You are running around like a crazy person trying to get everyone ready. The coffee maker is not working – NOOOOO!!!! Now, the children are messing around, instead of getting ready. One of them has just spilled, what seems to be, a whole gallon of milk all over everything and everyone. How could there have possibly been that much milk in that cup? Everyone now has to change clothes plus the milk has to get cleaned up! This is a point in time when you WANT to cry over spilled milk. It is warranted! You almost NEED to cry over spilled milk for your own personal sanity. What a day – and you haven’t even left your house yet! You finally get everyone ready. Let’s go! As you reach for your keys, panic shoots through your body. You realize that in the chaos of children messing around and milk flying everywhere, your keys have disappeared! “Everyone retrace your steps – find my keys!” By the grace of God the keys are found fairly quickly and you get everyone to their destination in one piece. Victory! Only until you realize that, in all the chaos, you forgot to grab your phone! Of course you did! Why wouldn’t you? Before you can even think about how to solve your phone and coffee problem (not solving them is not an option), someone barges in with a huge work disaster that only you can fix! And of course only you can fix it! AHHHH!!! This is the point when you are ready to head back home and go back to bed! You pray, “Sweet Jesus please come back right now!” You open your eyes and you are still at work. Cue pitiful sigh, “HAAAA!!”

Although it may not seem like it in the moment, the small daily situations and frustrations will resolve themselves and pass quickly. The challenge with these situations is to keep your sanity and your cool. However, your Brewing Ground trial is not a situation that can be fixed nearly as quickly or as easily. It has already been a long road. In fact, God has you Waiting while He is working on your behalf. You are waiting for Him to turn this into one of Your Finest Moments. It will happen! While brewing and waiting, we trust God; but, it is so easy to become stressed, emotionally spent, weary, and exhausted! We have to keep coming back to God and letting go and resting in Him. Remember, He is orchestrating and directing one of the greatest shows of your life – one worth Waiting for! While patiently waiting, you must continue coming back to God to find rest in Him; He WILL renew your strength. This is the only way you will survive!

^“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.” Isaiah 40:31 KJV

As I am reading this verse I can actually visualize eagles gliding through the air with ease. Runners that just keep going, even after crossing the finish line. Walking an entire desert and not fainting. Can you image traversing your Brewing Ground with strength and endurance?! Just wait on God and trust Him and His perfect timing. God will renew not only your physical strength, but also your emotional and mental strength.

“Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.” Psalm 27:14 KJV

There is HOPE! God is with me! I CAN do this! I will trust and wait on Him!

Back to the day when we just want to go home and go back to bed. This is a point in time when you MUST stop everything and pray, clam yourself, regroup, refocus, and know that you will make it through this day! “God thank you that I have children to spill milk. Thank you that there is milk to be spilled! Thank you for extra clothes to change into. Thank you that I have a house to leave. Thank you for a working vehicle with gas to get us to our destinations safely. God, thank you for my job and for giving me the skills I need to do the job! Thank you for today; you still have work for me to do. I still have purpose! Thank You!” (You silently pause as you prepare your heart for this next part.) “God, thank you for my Brewing Ground. I KNOW that you will use it for good. I trust you. But, I am feeling so tired and weary. While I am still waiting patiently, I am coming to you to renew my strength spiritually, physically, mentally and emotionally. Meet me in this moment, in this day, on my Brewing Ground. I can not do this without you! I know this will be one of the greatest shows of my life; one worth waiting for. I can’t wait to see how it ends – It WILL be glorious! Thank You! In Jesus name I pray and claim it. Amen.”

Brew with Renewed Strength!

Wait

September 26, 2016

“Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10 KJV

You find yourself at a fork in the road! You are faced with a life changing situation, need, crisis, disaster, decision, incident, Defining Moment, whatever it is that requires God’s guidance and a decision. You need a plan. You need to know the next step. You need answers. If you are a child of God you are praying and listening, referencing the Bible, seeking Godly counsel, making a list of pros and cons, and evaluating the possible outcome of each road. And you get NOTHING! No clear direction. You keep wishing

God would just text you and tell you exactly what to do and right now. Wouldn’t that be nice! I can’t tell you how many times in my life I just needed Him to text me! But, you find yourself waiting with pressure mounting as you feel that something needs to be done but you just don’t know what to do yet. So, you are still praying, still reading your Bible, still listening to Godly counsel, and still waiting! In our microwave society we tend to feel like something needs to happen and right now. We are so impatient; we get anxious or nervous or frustrated. The pressure continues to mount with something “pending” and not having what we need to “fix” it. God’s response, “Be still, and know that I am God! Wait patiently and rest in Me! I’ve got this!”

^“Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.” Psalm 37:7 KJV

God has a different time table than we do. Sometimes God says wait. You may be thinking, “But, I need to do something!” The job He has given you right then is to wait. While you are waiting, stop and smell the coffee. Give yourself a chance to slow down, be grateful for your many blessing, and be in the moment. What you need to remember about His timing – it is ALWAYS PERFECT! Let’s take a look at Daniel and a time in his life when he waited in prayer for his people.

Daniel and his people had been oppressed and in turmoil for about 70 years due to sin and rebellion. He went to bat for his people and did a bold thing. He sat himself down and continuously prayed for his people for 21 days. He prayed for them asking for their forgiveness and an end to their oppression. During this time, he ate no pleasant bread, meat, had no wine, and did not anoint himself. For 21 days he mourned, fasted, and waited with no response.

“²In those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks. ³I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.” Daniel 10:2-3 KJV

Then came day 22. An angel of the Lord came to visit him.

^“5Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz: ⁶His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude.” Daniel 10:5-6 KJV

The angel even explained why there was a delay in his coming before answering Daniel’s plea for help for his people.

^“12Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words. ¹³But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia. ¹⁴Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days.” Daniel 10:12-14 KJV

Whoa! The first day that Daniel prayed the angel was sent. But, he encountered resistance along the way. The evil spirit that was over the kingdom of Persia tried to block his way and prevent him from completing his job and delivering his message. There was literally a spiritual battle taking place. In fact, God had to send reinforcements – the angel Michael. So, for 21 days a spiritual battle was raging and Daniel was waiting. Daniel, I’m sure at some point in time, had to think that his prayers were not being heard. He had 21 days of fasting, mourning, and no response. Do you think you would have lasted that long or would you have taken matters into your own hands? But, while Daniel was waiting, God was working.

When you are faced with your fork in the road, don’t be in such a big hurry to make something happen that you charge ahead before it’s time. If you do that, you run the risk of messing up what God is working on. While we wait on God’s perfect timing, it is time for us to stay tuned into God. Rest in the fact that while you are waiting, God is working.

^“Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.” Psalm 37:7 KJV

Here is the best part about waiting! While you are waiting, God is already working on your behalf! He is setting the stage. He is gathering all the key people to fill all the necessary roles. He is fighting the spiritual battle for you. He may even be calling in reinforcements. He is arranging everything! Now, you can’t see what is going on backstage and may be getting impatient. But don’t! He is orchestrating and directing one of the greatest shows of your life – one worth waiting for! So pray, listen, read your Bible, get Godly counsel, give your situation to God, rest in Him, be grateful and stop and smell the coffee. Release it into God’s hands and stay in tune with Him. This is your Brewing Ground! When His perfect timing has arrived, He will open a door or whisper to your heart the next step. Just rest in God and patiently wait. It is a show worth waiting for!

Let’s Brew – Patiently!