Most people may find the experience of waiting as difficult. Many would agree with Daley’s description quoted previously, that “waiting feels weak.” The desire to create results or influence decisions are aspects of the human character that are stifled when in a holding pattern of waiting. Daley goes on to explain that weakness is where God works. For humanity, the challenge of waiting comes in choosing to embrace the weakness, by finding strength in trusting God to fulfill his promises. Another, challenge for humanity in waiting is changing one’s perspective from the results to the work of God in the present, acknowledging that no matter the outcome today in the end God will fulfill every promise and it will be good.
In waiting there
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A person who is willing to submit to another 's way of thinking and being, which takes humility and trust in the benefit of the others approach. Jesus ' ministry and life depicted a life that was entirely dependent upon God as the better way to live life. He willingly withheld his divinity, faithfully and humbly followed the lead of his Father (Add Script). Jesus’ was the example to humanity of the way that life was purposed to be before the fall in the garden, willingness to trust God with every aspect of life, knowing he will loving and faithfully do what is best. Moreover, like Jesus, humanity can either choose to follow a misinformed and sin shaded perspective, which has been giving by divine authority or decide to trust Jesus and his example with the same …show more content…
When faced with obstacles, it may be easy to doubt and question the choice made initially to humbly follow the lead of someone else, even if that is God. This difficulty often arises in times of waiting, because of the uncertainty of the unknown and lack of control, the desire is to try to regain power and a sense of command from God. However, in the times of ambiguity and feelings of powerlessness, the response is not to shift the choice back self-control but to trust even more in God to keep his promises. The early Christians in Thessalonica wrestled with their decision when Christ’s return seemed delayed, and they faced greater persecution. In response, Paul wrote the urgent epistle to the Thessalonian community to encourage them to maintain their current choice to follow Christ. Biblical commentator, James Draper explains Paul plea in 1 Thessalonians 1:8-10 as an encouragement for the community “to have the kind of faith that trusts God to keep his word, to do what he promised to do…not to try to rush him or slow him down or try to chart his course for him.” Conversely, hope is maintained and bolstered when it is strengthened by faith and trust that the one in whom trust has been placed is worthy of that trust even in the darkest of times. The difficulty for the body of Christ to sustain joyful anticipation in the
One of the main examples of patience he gives which he had learned from farming was, that how seed is not like any technology, which can response in the blink of an eye, it requires time to develop, and one understands the importance of patience when one harvest that plant, which he had planted weeks back. The brutal truth of life is that it wants us to react to changes instantly, but on the other hand when it comes to the outcomes, you cannot expect success right away. This tells us that anything which is worth having is not cannot be done at once, it requires continuous practice and effort.
In this passage of the second letter to the Corinthians, Paul addresses several concerns. He is addressing the situation of a man who has sinned not only against himself, but against the Corinthian Church as well. He explains why he wrote a letter rather than bringing sorrow upon them. Paul is sensitive to the Lord’s leading, and in love, writes to the church encouraging them to discipline this man in love for the purpose of restoring him. He urges the Corinthians to be obedient and love the man through forgiving and encouraging him. Paul shares with them his trust in the Lord for the outcome of this matter and how burdened he was for restoration to take place. He warns them of the need to not allow Satan a foothold through this matter. Finally, Paul puts the focus on Christ; for it is in Him that we are adequate thereby becoming His fragrance to others.
Paul was proud that the Thessalonians kept to God’s word and turned away from a life of idol worshiping and living in sin. The scripture found in (Brettler/Newsom, pg.2075) says, “For the people of those regions report about us what kind of welcome we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living God, and to wait for his son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead- Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath that is coming”. The Thessalonians believed that salvation would come during judgment. “In reflecting on his initial preaching in Thessalonica, Paul sees that the people responded because the power of the Holy Spirit was working through his preaching”, (Kugler/Hartin, pg. 427). Through the powerful and genuine ministry that Paul brought upon the Thessalonians it enabled them to remain strong and faithful during
The Bible shows God constantly pursuing His people and man rejecting him over and over again. This passage displays this ongoing struggle by showing all Jesus did for us and how the people still shunned and rejected him. However, this passage also gives reassurance that it is never too late to repent and accept the Lord. This passage displays some important themes of the Bible: man’s redemption, God’s forgiveness and grace, and the blessing of a relationship with God. This passage is essentially the message of the Bible in one small
The cornerstone of any relationship with someone is the ideal of grace and mercy. When grace is absent, dealing with people becomes difficult we develop issues with trust. Grace involves hoping that God is listening and will answer all prayers in ways according to His will. Digging into the cross of hope and prayer, this paper discusses the theological definition, biblical foundation, and practical application in order to identify how the two connect. These principles have helped me learn what it means to be a Christian.
I agree with Camp’s discussion on prayer because, as the title of the chapter it self says, it demonstrates how Christian disciples trust in God instead of flawed human calculations of how things will turn out. Prayer also helps make us obedient to God’s will, especially when used in a context similar to “The Lord’s Prayer”, where we as Christians ask the Lord to fulfill His will on earth and provide for our daily needs as we take up our cross on a daily basis to help establish His coming
People who are able find joy in their faith and trust in God are less likely to abandon it in the face of trouble. That is why the overarching tone of the letter is one of encouragement. Thus, in many ways Paul’s message climaxes when he proclaims, “I have the strength for everything through him who empowers me” (Phil 4:13). This verse has become one of the most commonly shared among the modern Christian community, as its message of unwavering trust and an omnipotent God comforts those in times of hardship. At the writing of this letter, Paul is conscious that he appears weak. Yet in this moment of weakness, he becomes fully aware of Christ’s power resting upon him. At Paul’s weakest, he was actually at his strongest due to Christ. Christians in similar situations can look to Paul’s steadfastness in Christ during his time of hardship as an example for their own action. The letter insinuates that God will not give his children more than they can handle. Servants were intended to go through struggles, but they will be rewarded for believing in the strength of the Lord with eternal
Paul the Apostle, formerly known as Saul, lived much of his life preaching the Good News that Jesus brought and spreading it to the nations. Paul is a particularly notable follower of Jesus because he contributed several books to the Bible, and he reached a large number of people groups during his travels abroad. However, Paul was not always a such a saint. It is important to note that Paul was a human and had real struggles, just like us. Although he accomplished many things for the Kingdom of God, he wouldn’t have been able to do so without trusting God to work through him. In this paper I will demonstrate how God can turn a life around and what the life of a servant of the Lord looks like, with its successes and failures, through a chronology of Paul’s life.
“First, there is the call to be a Christian. Second, for each individual there is a specific call—a defining purpose or mission, a reason for being. Every individual is called of God to respond through service in the world. Third, there is the call that we face each day in response to the multiple demands on our lives—our immediate duties and responsibilities” (Smith, ...
Paul expressed this same idea that hope comes through God throughout his letters . Paul prayed, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” This verse of prayer clearly exemplified Paul’s belief that hope is of God and to receive this hope one must trust in God. It appears that Paul constituted Christian existence with this hope in God. It even seems that Paul considered those who were not Christians to be hopeless when he wrote, “Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.”
Analysis of biblical writings has helped us to better understand the challenges and mysteries of scripture. In studying Ephesians 1: 15-23, research will help us draw out the bigger picture of what the writer intends to convey in his message. This passage is a prayer of thanksgiving and intercession in which Paul expresses gratitude to God upon hearing of the Ephesians “faith in the Lord Jesus and love toward all the saints” (1: 15 NRSV). This leads Paul to pray intensively that the Ephesians will gain an expanded awareness of the extraordinary and unsurpassed power of God manifested on their behalf. Paul writes this as encouragement and support to the readers.
“Too Busy Not to Pray”, was an interesting and informational book. It was an eye-opening read for me. I’ve been an Adventist my entire life. I’ve grown up in the church and I’ve been taught from a young age the importance of prayer. I know how to pray. However, I don’t pray with the frequency and intensity that I should. The constant pressures of college and the busyness of everyday life seem to overshadow my relationship with God. I often put my studies and social life above my spiritual life.
Paul, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ, wrote a letter to believers in Rome. The letters is now known today as the book of Romans. In Romans, chapters 1-8, Paul addresses some of the challenges and situations the Roman believers were dealing with. Some of the things he touches upon are the natural world, culture, human relationships, and human identity. Paul’s letter gives the believers in Rome a ray of hope when there seems to be no hope.
to trust what you cannot trace. It leads you to rely on the character of God.” When peace
The conclusion of the book suggests practical ways Christians should participate in building the kingdom of God. Essentially, he points out the active nature of waiting. This includes bringing justice to the fallen world, recognizing the beauty in creation and working to reserve it, and spreading the gospel message of Christ. Christians can do those things because of hope, more specifically, the “hope for life before death” (p. 231).