Waiting For God’s Promises
Michael Munson
For centuries for the nation of Israel, God had seemingly been silent. Occupation after occupation of their land by different foreign nations. They were trying to trust in God, they were trusting in His promises to redeem His people and free them from oppression, just as He had done when they were in Egypt. But for a long, long time there was no change.
What are you waiting for in your life? What freedom have you been hoping for; what oppression are you experiencing? Do you find yourself having a hard time holding on to the promises of God?
Use this experience to place yourself in the story of Jesus’ coming. To feel what humanity has felt and still feels today. Wondering where hope comes from if there is true joy to be had.
Look for the way God has been speaking to you as you wait. Now move into these steps of reflection and prayer:
Step 1: Stop
Wherever you are, just stop for a moment. Close your eyes for just a few extra seconds. Maybe you need to sit, maybe you need to find a space away from the computer or the TV. Either way just pause what you are doing. Stop the movement of your body.
Step 2: Breathe
This goes hand in hand with stopping. When we stop our physical bodies it can feel as if our emotions or our minds go racing. Actually they are probably always going that fast, we are just now noticing.
Now breathe, deeply in, and slowly out. Start to draw your mind, your imagination towards Jesus. It could be something from your own life, a memory of God being with you.
Breathe deeply in, and slowly out. Keep doing this throughout as you think of it.
Step 3: Listen
Always the hardest part. You’ve stopped your body, you are slowing down your emotions with your breathing, your mind might be slowing too. Though this is a time to listen, a prayer may rise to your lips. It might start as a feeling. Put words to it. Keep it simple, one sentence if you can.
Pray it in your heart, or out loud - it’s up to you. Just once, then listen.
If you get distracted, pray it again, and stop, breathe, listen.
Step 4: Rest
You have heard from God. It might be a fun memory. It might be a hope for the future. It could be a song lyric on your mind, or a reassurance of life. But rest assured it will be a way that you can understand. Sometimes we need practice noticing his voice, and it may take doing this a handful of times to realise you are hearing God.
Either way, rest. Breathe again, you can point prayers of thanks back to God if you’d like. Maybe you just want to smile and stare out the window and look at his creation in gratitude. It’s up to you. But give yourself just a bit longer than you feel is necessary to rest.
Whatever this day holds, there is grace to stop, breathe, listen and rest in our Lord, as he is Emmanuel, God with us, no matter the atmosphere we find ourselves in.
I hope you have had some great moments listening for the Spirit to speak to you. May you experience the depth of truth that Emmanuel is not just with us, but he is with you.
adapted from a reflection on the VCUKI website
