Forget Me Not

FORGET ME NOT

I found an interesting article the other day… it read…

“A plane carrying 55 passengers circled an airport in western Scotland for half an hour while an air traffic controller had lunch.”

“The officials at the airport on the island of Benbecula in the Western Isles of Scotland apologized Monday for the incident, which took place last Friday, but blamed it on a shortage of air traffic controllers, of which they have only one.”

“The Times newspaper said that there had been an uproar in the terminal building as families watched the plane from Glasgow linger in a holding pattern, tantalizingly within view.”

“It had left Glasgow 25 minutes late, and finally touched down in Benbecula 55 minutes late after the controller returned to his radar screen.”

Life can be like that sometimes can’t it?

Like you’re stuck in a holding pattern. (Expound) (Monotonous & dull)

I can remember when I gave my life to Christ… back in 1988… and it seemed at the time like I had been thrown into a rushing stream. Like I was swept away. Things were going by so fast. Things were all changing. I was learning new things everyday and my relationship with God was advancing at an incredible pace.

Because when we get saved there’s lots of things that God has to deal with and change immediately or we’ll never make it any further than that moment of saying a sinner’s prayer and feeling a little bit of emotion.

But once that massive housecleaning is done… God sets about working on all of the other little things and sometimes those take time. He sets into motion His destiny and His long term plan for your life.

And sometimes it can sure seem like things are not only slowing down but coming to a stop altogether. And as that happens I’ve found that it’s easy to slip into a mindset that God has moved on to other things… and left you behind. And to wonder if maybe God’s forgotten about you.

“God what about my life? Are you still there?”

“What about my calling?”

“What about your will in my life?”

And that can be a scary and a very lonely place to be. Amen?

(TEXT: Psalm 13:1-6)

David knew the feeling. He knew the painful wondering that comes with feeling left behind and cast aside. And as foundationless as those wonderings may be… it’s still a very real issue that has to be dealt with in the Christian walk.

So for the next few minutes I want to look with you at three things that I believe will help us to trust God to bring His will and destiny to pass in our lives.

I. Be Patient

Jean Rousseau once said,

“Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.”

And so it is. Patience is never easy. As a matter of fact it seems to get harder with time… but there are rewards that only patience can bring.

Consider Joseph. He was 17 when he was sold into slavery by his brothers. And it wasn’t until 13 years later that God’s promise came to pass.

Those 13 years were anything but a picnic!! The time he spent in Potiphar’s house and in an Egyptian prison were years of grueling labor and humiliation. And all he could do was be patient and wait for God to move.

And despite the fact that we like to view the patriarchs and the fathers of the faith as spiritual superheroes… you know there were times that he felt forgotten. Forsaken. And abandoned.

But as the years crawled by he stuck it out and kept the faith. And at the age of 30… through his faith and patience… He found himself second only to Pharaoh and his families only hope for survival!!

James 1:3 & 4 says,

“Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.”

“But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”

James 5:10 says,

“Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.”

Elijah faced the hostility of the evil king Ahab.

Jeremiah endured such strong opposition to his ministry that he would forever be known as the weeping prophet.

Ezekiel endured the death of his wife during his ministry.

Daniel was torn from his home as a young boy and led captive to Babylon.

Hosea suffered patiently through a heartbreaking marriage.

Amos faced lies and scorn throughout his ministry.

James 5:11 goes on to say,

“Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.”