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.”
John MacArthur noted,
“The hope of blessing now and in the future glory should motivate Christians to patient endurance.”
We need to learn to be patient and wait on God. No matter the situation. No matter the circumstances that arise… we need to trust in God… and be patient.
Psalm 27:14 says,
“Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.”
II. Be Content
There’s a story told of an old farmer who had lived on the same farm all his life. It was a good farm, but with the passing years, the farmer began to tire of it. He longed for a change… something “better.” Everyday he found a new reason for criticizing some feature of the old place.
Finally, he decided to sell it and listed the farm with a real estate broker who promptly prepared a sales advertisement. As one might expect, the ad emphasized all of the farm’s advantages: ideal location, modern equipment, healthy stock, acres of fertile ground, etc.
Before placing the ad in the newspaper, the realtor called the farmer and read the copy to him for his approval. When he finished reading the farmer cried out, “Hold everything! I’ve changed my mind. I’m not gonna sell… I’ve been looking for a place like that all my life!!
He wasn’t content with what he had until he realized what he had. And we as Christians need to realize what we have and to be content with it. No matter where God has us at the time. No matter the situations that come upon us.
The word contentment in the scripture comes from the Greek word “Autarkeia” which literally means satisfaction with what one has.
The picture isn’t how much or how little… but rather a condition of spirit that is satisfied with anything… or nothing.
Philippians 4:11 & 12 says,
“Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.”
“I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.”
Everywhere… and in all things… he had learned to be content.
The apostle Paul wrote this epistle to the church in Philippi from a prison cell in Rome. Here he is, sitting in jail and he tells them that he is content!!
Humanly speaking it was one of Paul’s darkest hours in life… but he took strength and contentment from the fact that God was still God and no circumstance in the world could ever change that!!
He understood that his hope wasn’t in the things of this world… but in God alone!!
He understood that hard times would come… that there would be times of famine just as surely as there would be times of plenty!! Times to rejoice and times to mourn as Ecclesiastes chapter 3 says.
Contentment is learning to accept what God allows and changing what He empowers you to change. We can have total faith in that as we turn to Christ to meet our needs, whether they’re physical, emotional, relational, spiritual, or whatever… He will always come through for us!!
And through it all we need to be satisfied with our portion in God.
2 Peter 1:2&3 says,
“Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,”
“According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue:”
The Living Bible puts it like this,
“…He will give you, through His great power, everything you need for living a truly good life:”
Hebrews 13:5 says,
“Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as you have: for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”
1 Timothy 6:6-8 tells us,
“But godliness with contentment is great gain.”
“For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.”
“And having food and raiment, let us be therewith content.”
We need to be patient and be content in God.
III. Trust In God’s Perfect Timing
“I could be patient and I could be content if God was just moving slowly… but it doesn’t seem like He’s moving at all!!”
But things aren’t always what they seem to be are they?
There’s a story about a young American at a banquet that found himself seated next to a Chinese diplomat. Not knowing what to say to a Chinese person, the young man pointed to the first course and asked,
“Likee soupee?”
The diplomat simply nodded and smiled.
Later, the Chinese diplomat, Mr. Wellington Koo, was called on to speak and delivered an eloquent address in flawless English. As he sat down to the sound of applause, he turned to the young American and said,
“Likee speechee?”
Beware of your assumptions… God’s probably a lot more on the ball than you think.
God’s delays are not always His “No.”
The only thing that restrains God’s action is His timing. And He’s not afraid to make you wait if His purposes will be better served through it. We need to get used to that.
We live in a generation that wants everything right now!! As I mentioned in a sermon a few weeks back… beware of sacrificing your future on the alter of the immediate. Wait on God… His way will always be the best way.
(Jesus and Lazarus / Mary and Martha)
They all thought He was late. But He wasn’t… He was right on time!
And if you’ll wait on Him… and be content in where ever God has you at the time… He’ll be right on time in your life too…
And you’ll be amazed at all that He will be able to do in your life!!
Psalm 37:4-9 in closing,
“Delight thyself also in the Lord; and He shall give you the desires of your heart."
“Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass.”
“And He shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.”
“Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him: fret not thyself because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked devices to pass.”
“Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.”
“For evil doers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.”
** ** ** ALTAR CALL ** ** **
