April 16

JESUS THE REWARD OF FAITH

Psalms 119:123 Mine eyes fail for thy salvation, and for the word of thy righteousness.

It is amazing to realize how many times God waits to the very last minute before He rescues us. Can we wait? How long does it take before we give up on waiting? Can we wait until He comes through? Do we have the assurance of faith to wait for ‘the hour” of the Lord, and not fly to our own rescue? Have we ever waited till our eyes failed even of tears in our desperate waiting for an answer, a confirmation, while at the same time fighting the temptation to leave off trusting and run to the poor means of our own strength? Like Jacob, do we you wrestle with the angel until the break of day (Genesis 32:24,25)?

Sometimes we feel that God’s timing is a bit off; maybe it is ours that is off. He often waits till ‘the break of day’, (Genesis 32:24,) for us to come to the end of our rope, the end of our own human resources, in order to show His greatness and help us in a ‘nick of time’. Maybe He likes suspense. Or maybe, He wants to test our faith to see if we really can wait on Him, if we really have cut the bridges of our own means of rescue, being willing to ‘die in faith’ that He is right even if we don’t get rescued.

Some of us are tested with our health, some with our finances, and yet others through our family situations. Before we decide to take a medicine which provokes potentially serious side effects, let us take the time to pray and see if perhaps He may heal. Before spending money on the credit card, or make a potentially long-term loan, let us pray and see if perhaps He has a plan to supply otherwise. Before making rash decisions about our children or our marriage, let us ask the Lord, He may have some solutions. When we pray for all these things, let us also have the patience to wrestle with that angel until daybreak, until our eyes “fail” of tears for the Word of His righteousness that will direct and save us.

Psalms 27:14 Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

Psalms 37:34 Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.