"Faith to Stay"

"Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand." (Psalms 73:23) Just so you know, there is something else that is a progress and does not happen overnight, and that is patience. I don't think there is anything harder to do then to wait for something to happen, even if you're busy doing something else in the process, you not going to wait for something like you should, because there will always be other ways to bring something to pass. I have always been a dreamer, if you will, that guy who likes to figure out ways to make things happen; dwelling on every sort of angle, exploring all kinds of different ideas in my mind about how to make something work. I think it was something my mother and I had in common, as I remember times that we would sit around sharing ideas that we had for solving all the different problems of the world. When I was eleven I was really into weed; it was something that I enjoyed doing, and my mother did not try to stop me; as a matter of fact, I can recall one time when she found my stash, we ended up smoking some together and having one of those idea sharing moments. I had come up with the idea of how earthquakes were becoming more frequent, because the oil was being taken out of the ground, and there needed to be something put back in order for the earth's plates to continue to be lubricated. I had a bong, and somehow we both were trying to figure out why cars could not have a water tank that their tailpipes might go through for filtering their emissions. Smog was a pretty big deal back then, as it was 1969 to 1970, when everyone was planning to wear a mask to filter out the smog. Maybe that was a little bit more than I should have said, but my point was about waiting on the Lord; something that requires more faith than stepping out in faith. It is kind of like the difference between accepting God's free gift of salvation and working for His acceptance. We know that working to be saved does not work, but yet, we somehow keep ending up basing our acceptance on it anyways. God says, "Wait on me," and we still try and make something happen on our own, as if we need to somehow help God make something happen. Our wheels start turning, and we honestly start believing that God is waiting for us to do something, anything, just as long as I do my part. We always feel like we need to have a little skin in the game or the win does not count! Don't get me wrong, I am not saying that we should not be doing something; when God says, "Do," we need to be doing. What I am talking about is something altogether different, and requires us to just wait on the Lord. It is really hard for us to wait for something to happen; not without getting preoccupied with something else...
"Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. The five who were foolish didn't take enough oil for their lamps, but the other five were wise enough to take along extra oil. When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. At midnight they were aroused by the shout, 'Look, the bridegroom is coming! Come out and meet him!' All the bridesmaids got up and prepared their lamps. Then the five foolish ones asked the others, 'Please give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out.' But the others replied, 'We don't have enough for all of us. Go to a shop and buy some for yourselves.' But while they were gone to buy oil, the bridegroom came. Then those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked. Later, when the other five bridesmaids returned, they stood outside, calling, 'Lord! Lord! Open the door for us!' But he called back, 'Believe me, I don't know you!' So you, too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of my return." (Matthew 25:1-13) NLT