Psalm 33:20-22
Our souls wait for the Lord. He is our help and our shield. Yes, in him our heart rejoices, because we trust in his holy name. May your mercy, O Lord, be on us, even as we wait confidently for you.
Waiting is so hard to do, but it is part of our journey. We must wait on the Lord. Each of us has been given a designated time to walk on this earth, and then we are called home. This journey is our time of grace when we come to know God, and he gives us faith. This is all his doing; none of it is our part. God causes us to trust and believe in him and sustains our faith. All the while shielding us from the attacks of the devil, the world, and our sinful selves. Faith begins as we recognize the sin that lives in us; on our own, we have no hope except through Christ, who lived and died for us. We are declared not guilty by Jesus. When we stop rejecting the gracious gift God has given us, which he places in our hands, that is when we have saving faith, confidently knowing our sins are forgiven. The words of the Bible and our baptisms are the means which the Holy Spirit uses to create saving faith.
The object of our faith is in Christ and him crucified. We trust the gracious gift God has given us, knowing he brought us back from eternal death to life. This is for all people; because of God’s gracious mercy, he wants no one to be lost. How can you remain silent knowing all the blessings God has done for us? As we are in the waiting room of this life, we have some primary missions as believers. We hear and study God’s word to learn more about him, giving the Holy Spirit his means to work in our souls. We get to praise him for all the daily blessings he richly sustains us with. Then joyfully share this good news with those around us so they too can hear the gospel, having the same hope and joy that we have through our Lord. But know that Jesus has already forgiven those sins when we miss the mark of sharing the good news.
Heavenly Father, you promised to be our help and shield as we walk in this waiting room of our lives. Give us the courage to share your good news with everyone we meet today. Amen.
Roger Emmons
Pastor
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church
Redmond, OR
www.graceredmond.com