Ladies in Waiting & Warrior Princesses

God has truly (and graciously) been teaching me so much about waiting, and I know He's not finished yet. Waiting has been and still is the theme of my life and of the lives of so many other people I know and love this year. Waiting for answers. Waiting for clarity. Waiting for decisions. Waiting for things to happen.

Waiting on the Lord.

"But those who wait upon the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." -Isaiah 40:31

Other translations say "hope" and "trust" instead of wait. Man, is that encouraging. We can trust Him. He is our hope. As believers, that's what we claim, right? Then why is it so hard to wait for Him?

We want instant gratification. We want what we think we need or deserve or are entitled to right now. We anticipate and want and hope for what we do not (yet) possess...even to the point of aching for that thing or person or, in my case, country and people group. And it's scary because it's unclear when we might see our hopes fulfilled. We can't predict the future. Our hope is unseen.

"But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently." -Romans 8:24-25

In the same way, "Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see" (Hebrews 11:1). So keep the Faith. Don't give up hope. Don't become so exhausted by what you've set out to do that you give up on doing the good He called you to do.

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." -Galatians 6:9

Wow. I'm claiming that for myself as I pray for peace and entreat my soul to be still and attempt to take every thought captive for Christ as I wait for Him to make a way for me to go and do what I believe He has called me to do.

Just because it's hard doesn't mean it's not His will. In fact, it may be further evidence that it is. And that Somebody is trying to keep me from it.

In this matter (and all others!) I want to pray like this:

"The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will." -Romans 8:26-27

Thank God I have His Holy Spirit living in me! Living in spite of me and even instead of me. After all, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me" (Galatians 2:20).

And so I wait. And I beg for Jesus to be what sustains me. What fills me up. What drives me on. 

As David Crowder would say, "He is jealous for me..." He wants to be my one and only love...not going to Italy. Not working in an art gallery. Not even loving people. He wants and needs (for my sake) to be my first and foremost. My one and only.

I need to have an undivided heart.

And oh, has He been faithful to draw me closer to Himself during this waiting period. I'm falling more in love with Him every day.

But while I do feel like a "Lady in Waiting," I also feel like a "Warrior Princess."

My mom called me that today, because she knows what I and our family and our church have been going through. At first I laughed. But then...you know what? Isn't that what we're called to be? We are children of the King and we are compelled to fight the powers of spiritual darkness that are (very evidently) alive and well.

No joke.

While I am waiting and trying to be patient and trust the Lord's timing, I am also not blind to the evil attacks that come up when we strive to serve Him. 

Satan is just plain mean. 

He tells you lies and he makes you doubt and he does his darnedest to prevent you from doing good. He will try to make you numb and complacent and dead, first of all. He likes you that way. But if you become a threat, he'll do whatever he can to keep you from following Christ's leadership. He'll try to push and shove and kick you off that path.

But remember..."Do not become weary to doing good..."

Also, when you feel like you're under attack (and even when you're not, for heaven's sake be proactive!), meditate on Ephesians 6:

"Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints." 

Protect yourself against lies and unrighteousness and doubt and fear. Guard your heart against such things. Be alert to their presence in this dark world and pray...be in constant communication with the Commander. Then go. Fight back and run ahead, driven on by your confidence in the true word of God and by your conviction of the urgency and necessity and pleasure of proclaiming the gospel of peace.

So, while I'm still here...

Love from Home,

Elizabeth