Waiting Room

On Saturday,  Feb 11, 2017, I was working on the passport renewal application form from the US State Department. My passport expires in August and I need to get a new passport before we can buy the tickets for our planned flight back to the Philippines on August 23. While reading the instructions for completing the form, I became concerned about what I feel are strict requirements for receiving a passport. I started to feel very anxious that my application might be rejected.

It was time for me to send out our monthly ministry update, so the update basically asked for prayer that God's will be done regarding my passport renewal application.

On Sunday, Feb 12, Dan and I attended Grace Church of Glendora where Pastor John Dix has been preaching on the series he’s calling “BOOST: The Strength You Need.”

The message that morning was on Isaiah 40:31, a verse that’s very familiar to me and is one of my favorite verses. This was the theme verse of my high school class when we graduated from Faith Academy (Cainta, Rizal) in April 1974. Little did I know that this morning’s message was exactly what I needed to hear!! (I didn’t know, but GOD sure did!!)

After telling us the backstory of this chapter --that the Southern Kingdom was very concerned about the imminent attack from the Northern Kingdom. The prophet Isaiah was reminding them about how great God is, that they have no reason to fear. Then, Pastor John reminded us that we are all in a waiting room of some sort. And sometimes, understandably, we can get weary while we’re in that waiting room – waiting for God’s answer to our prayers, waiting for God’s direction. But, what we need to understand is that that waiting room is really God’s work room. While we’re in this waiting room, God is working on us – our attitude, our mental, physical, spiritual health – getting us ready for the next chapter/step in our lives. Even if we’re feeling weak and discouraged while we’re in this waiting room, God wants us to live with confidence, with anticipation and expectation that He is STILL working in our lives, working behind the scenes!! God places us in our waiting room so that He can work on strengthening our dependence and confidence in Him. Isn’t that AWESOME???

So, these concerns that sometimes look insurmountable to us are really PUNY in God’s mighty hands (see v 22)! After all, this God who loves us knows the names of all of the stars that come out at night to brighten the sky (v 26)!! This “everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary...” (v 28)

This God of the universe truly cares about every little concern in my life! I thought about how big a mountain this passport renewal seems to me. I read verse 29:  “He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.” And, it finally sinks in!!  There is NOTHING for me to fear!! God has full control of this situation!! AMEN and AMEN!!!