Waiting Faithfully Pt. 2

Read Genesis 8; 2 Peter 3; Psalm 37

As we wait faithfully for the return of Christ, God has revealed to us promises that should not be unfamiliar to the one who claims faith. J.C. Ryle beautifully explains this: “There are ‘shalls’ and ‘wills’ in God’s treasury for every condition. About God’s infinite mercy and compassion, - about His readiness to receive all who repent and believe, - about His willingness to forgive, pardon, and absolve the chief of sinners, - about His power to change hearts and alter our corrupt nature, - about the encouragements to pray, and hear the gospel, and draw near to the throne of grace, - about strength for duty, comfort in trouble, guidance in perplexity, help in sickness, consolation in death, support under bereavement, happiness beyond the grave, reward in glory, - about these things there is an abundant supply of promises in the Word. No one can form an idea of its abundance unless he carefully searches the Scriptures, keeping the subject steadily in view. If any one doubts it, I can only say, ‘Come and see.’” My hope for us is that we will hear these promises and treasure them in such a way that we will live the life of radical purity that God calls us to. If we do not treasure God’s promises, we will treasure those promises that sin gives. Sin is what you do when your heart is not satisfied with God. If Noah’s heart had not been satisfied with God, he would not have endured and waited as faithfully as he did. He would not have sat until the Lord gave him further direction. He would have believed the lies all around him that told him that there was greater joy without God… that there is better life without God. I urge you to press on to make these promises from God more familiar. Study them, meditate on them, and pray over them. God commands us to be diligent to be found without spot or blemish. He warns us against being stained by the world, and he gives us many reasons and promises. The only reason that I can see for one to follow God blindly, rather than faithfully, is that that person must not deem it necessary to take the time to become familiar with God’s promises. And if one is not familiar with what God promises to His children in Christ, it seems almost inevitable that the natural hunger found in every man will attempt to be quenched by believing the promises of sin.

Waiting Faithfully

Read Genesis 8:1-20; 2 Peter 3; Psalm 37

Our God’s faithfulness has never been and will never be broken. As Noah sat on that cold and dark boat for over a year, I am sure that there were days where God’s faithfulness was hard to see and/or understand. But God’s grace enables us to trust Him. It would be easy to read a story like this and just say, “Be like Noah.” But this is a flawed goal. We cannot be like Noah if we do not have God’s grace. This is what we should focus on! God’s grace enables his children to wait faithfully, while enduring to the end. Real “Christian waiting” is not idle! It is not lazy! It is active and faithful. We have seen it radically in Noah’s life and we must understand that if we have God’s grace, our faithful waiting will be just a radical. It will undoubtedly result in persecution and sacrifice, but our God is worthy. He is most important and completely worthy of trust. He makes covenants and keeps them. For those who sit in dark and death, He guides their feet to a way of peace. He encourages and loves in ways that are beyond our understanding. All other gods are not worthy of trust. They have all broken their promises and forsaken their people. As we wait on the return of Christ, let us be as diligent as God commands us. Let us be active, moving forward, loving whole-heartedly, willing to make any sacrifice we are called to, knowing that all along our God is not distant or disinterested. HE IS ACTIVE! He plays the most key role in our lives. As we grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus, delighting in the Lord, committing our way to Him, trusting Him, being still before Him, and waiting patiently for Him, HE is giving us new desires, and bringing forth our righteousness and our justice who is CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD! And we have promises, just like Noah, that even on our worst days when we think we may very well die in the midst of this waiting, HE will deliver us into our eternal, heavenly dwelling, where we will experience God in ways that are now unfathomably sweet.