Starry Night

Waiting on God
Bayless Conley

To get out of a pit, it's really not complicated. Psalm 40:1-2 tells us the first step,

I waited patiently for the LORD; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps.

The first step in getting out of the pit of despair is to cry out to God. He will hear your cry, and He will bring you up and out.

But His answer is not always instant. Notice David said, I waited patiently for the Lord. The answer to his cry wasn't apparent for a while. If you've spent a long time getting yourself into a mess, it may take some time for your deliverance.

A number of years back I went hunting with a friend. I was to fly on a little plane into a meadow about 20 miles into the wilderness where he was going to meet me.

For a variety of reasons, I ended up being six hours late to the drop-off point. My friend wasn't there, so for 20 minutes the pilot of that little plane tried to convince me not to stay. He said there were mountain lions, grizzly bears, packs of wolves...I would get eaten alive!

He finally left, and at about two in the morning I heard a noise. It wasn't a grizzly bear; it was my friend with the horses!

I think the devil is like that airplane pilot. He is always trying to talk us into quitting and giving up. But we can miss the greatest blessings in our lives when we are not patient.

Cry out to God, He will answer you. Period! But be prepared to exercise patience.



Visit the Answers with Bayless Conley website for more ways to Connect with God






God's Promise in Context
Dr. Charles Stanley


Psalm 19:7-11

Yesterday we noted that believers must consider the whole counsel of God to understand His promises. For example, the Lord's commitment to supply our needs isn't an isolated pledge without connection to other parts of Scripture.

Trust God to provide. James opens his letter with a strong warning that those who doubt the Lord can expect nothing from Him (1:6-7). God's trustworthiness is clear in Scripture and in believers' lives, but our wavering confidence undermines His work.

Wait upon His timing (1 Sam. 13:9-13). King Saul took over the prophet Samuel's duty and made a pre-battle sacrifice to God. Like so many people who manipulate circumstances and timing, Saul was dissatisfied with the results. He won the war but lost not only God's favor but also his kingdom. No one gets what he really wants by supplying his own need.

Accept responsibility (Prov. 19:15, 20:4). God does not open a door to opportunity while we're lying on the couch. We have to be on the lookout. If we need a job, we should be out making applications. If we want to know the Father's direction for a hard situation, we need to be seeking Him regularly through prayer and His Word. The Lord goes before us to soften hearts, but we must do our share.

God knows our needs, and He has committed Himself to meeting every one. But He does not make promises in a vacuum. We have a responsibility to trust Him, be patient, and do our part. Then we leave it to the Lord to move heaven and earth to give us what we require.

For more biblical teaching and resources from Dr. Charles Stanley, please visit www.intouch.org.





Starry Night -- Chris August {video by Ziyulu}

From the birds that sing
In the tallest trees
To the human life
Of you and me
From the desert sands
To the place we stand
He is God of all
He is everything

I'm giving my life to the only one
Who makes the moon reflect the sun
Every starry night
That was His design
I'm giving my life to the only son
Who was and is and yet to come
Let the praises ring
'Cause he is everything
'Cause he is everything

From the autumn leaves
That will ride the breeze
To the faith it takes
To pray and sing
From the painted sky
To my plank filled eye
He is God of all
He is everything

Hallelujah (hallelujah)
Hallelujah
I believe
Ohhh
Hallelujah (hallelujah)
Hallelujah
I believe

I'm giving my life to the only one
Who makes the moon reflect the sun
On that starry night
He changed my life
I'm giving it all to the only son
Who gave me hope when I had none.
So let the praises ring