Sabbath: Waiting in the Crucible
Image © Pacific Press
Sabbath Afternoon
Read for This Week’s Study: Romans 15:4-5; Romans 5:3-5; 1 Samuel 26:1-25; Psalm 37:1-11.
Memory Text: “But the fruit of the Spirit is … longsuffering” (Galatians 5:22, NKJV).
Scientists did an experiment with 4-year-old children and marshmallows. Each child was told by a scientist that they could have a marshmallow; however, if the child waited until the scientist returned from an errand, they would be given two. Some of the children stuffed the marshmallow into their mouths the moment the scientist left; others waited. The differences were noted.
The scientists then kept track of these children into their teenage years. The ones who had waited turned out to be better adjusted, better students, and more confident than those who didn’t. It seemed that patience was indicative of something greater, something important in the human character. It is no wonder, then, that the Lord tells us to cultivate it.
This week, we’ll look at what could be behind some of the most trying of all crucibles: the crucible of waiting.
The Week at a Glance: Why do we sometimes have to wait so long for things? What lessons can we learn about patience while in the crucible?
Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, September 10.
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My ten-year-old computer died a couple of weeks ago and I really had no choice. I went straight out and bought another one. I had to order it as nowadays Apple have decided not to keep any stock in their stores. Fortunately, the new one arrived within a week and within 24 hours I restored all my work from my current backup. (I have to rub that one in a bit because I know some people who do not do backups and spend a lot of time mourning the loss of all their data.)
So my new computer sits on my desk waiting patiently for me to do something. That is one think that computers do a lot - sit and wait, for the user to tap a key or push the mouse. In the olden days computer ran a little program loop that went like this:
keycheck:
check if a key has been pressed
If a key has been pressed
Do something with it
wait a bit
Goto keycheck:
In other words, it waits, doing nothing until a key is pressed before it does anything.
My modern computer is a bit more sophisticated. While it is waiting for a keypress or mouse movement, it is busy checking if updates are available and downloading them; doing a health check on my permanent storage and reorganizing the data for efficient storage, and so on. If I press a key, it suspends what it is doing and processes the keystroke. The computer is a master of the "occupy till I come." principle.
"Waiting on the Lord" is not a case of sitting around doing nothing, or wringing our hands with frustration that he has not arrived. A Christian, like my computer, "Occupies till I come!"
Prior to entrance of sin into this world, growth was not accompanied by pain. Unfortunately, since and due to the entrance of sin, that changed for the worse (John 16:33). Within a sin-infected context, gain most typically does not come without pain. This even applied to Jesus when He was in human form on this earth (Hebrews 5:7-8).
So, it is not surprising that James 1: 3-4 proposes that we do better when we are accepting of the inevitability - and yes, benefit - of 'crucible experiences' through realising that the pain of these produces something very important that a Christ-like character cannot be without - patience and perseverance developed via repeated practice. Not pleasant nor easy, but unfortunately absolutely necessary. Hence being referred to as one aspect of the broadly applied metaphor within scripture of "refined by fire" (eg, Malachi 3:3). It won't always be this way - but unfortunately it is for now.
You might like to reflect this week upon what might help you be better able to do the 'unnatural' - to grow in your acceptance of the need to exercise/develop patience and perseverance amid ongoing difficulty...
I find the results of the experiment and today's lesson inspiring. It brings to mind children we might consider spoiled, whose parents dotingly place everything they need or desire in their hands, perhaps before these children realize that they even have a need.
This seldom ends up well in the long run, as children raised this way may not develop a sense of the value of work, the effort of earning what they have, the importance of properly caring for things, the true value of possessing things and the measure of grace they are afforded to have things at all.
These children might lack an ability to fully understand the love their parents are trying to demonstrate because they may not understand or appreciate the effort it takes to provide. Perhaps life then becomes the child with his entitled hand out, carelessly expecting things - because that's just how life happens and how his needs get met.
However, parents don't live forever. And sometimes their resources (and oftentimes, their patience) runs out. What happens when these children must then face life? They might be ill-prepared for inevitable challenges. Which is why wise parents teach our children the value of work, of caring for possessions and gratitude for blessings.
This lesson points out some beautiful truths about God's love and wisdom in our crucible of waiting:
(1) It's important that we realize our needs. They are typically why we bow down and look up. Needs make us desire something (that is typically outside our ability to provide for ourselves).
(2) It is character-building (or enhancing) that we have longings that are not fulfilled the moment we pray. Or like some entitled children, before we even realize that we have a need.
Yet still, our loving Father does just that. He meet needs we don't even realize we have. From our cradle to our grave. Every single moment of our lives. Our heart beats without us asking it to. He even sustains our heart rhythms, allowing our bodies to rest while we sleep. Many of us eat food every day. We're even choosy about what our taste buds desire. Many of us actually expect to eat. Food grows from the earth because our Creator ordains that it does - before most of us ever experience hunger. The list of God's 'automatic,' 'involuntary' or 'instinctive' blessings could go on and on - from the human sneeze to our tradition of having loved ones to guide us through life.
In His wisdom, according to His will, and according to our capacity to endure suffering, our Father allows some lack in our lives. I'd imagine that everyone has some unfulfilled need. Because desire opens heavens path to us. God is always there (as He was with Adam and Eve - walking around the garden), wanting to be in our lives, but we don't always sense our need for Him - or look in His direction without some unmet desire.
I've found three things to be essential in sustaining my faith and confidence in God's wisdom and love, despite my needs or challenges while waiting for some blessing:
(1) Beholding Him. Clinging to my connection with His Word. It's how I understand (and remember) His character. Otherwise, humans forget. And it can be disheartening - overwhelmingly devastating to face challenges, deprivation or lack (which feels like suffering) without the assurance that He loves me. So, I immerse my life in His Word, so I don't forget His past dealings with those who have gone before and I don't forget ways He has led me. And I am utterly convinced of His love. And I surrender to His wisdom.
(2) Selfless surrender: my prayer is to, like Job, exclaim in every challenge or suffering: "The Lord giveth and He taketh away. Blessed is His name. The question is, do I trust Him? Can I trust Him? Is He trustworthy?
I am convinced that He is. He knows my path, my heart, my desires. He knows my goings forth and my weaknesses. And I trust His heart to love me. And His wisdom in whatever He allows or withholds in order to get me home. In the meanwhile, I want to live for His glory while I'm here. I live to be with Him. To see Him someday. Everything else is... as they say in my home town - New Orleans, 'lagniappe.'
(3) Gratitude: what is man (or who am I) that this great God allows me to call Him my Father, and that heaven is mindful of me?
And I am grateful He doesn't give me everything I deserve.
The key to serenity when suffering for me is to trust (and rest in the assurance of) His love and guidance, and to be mindful and appreciative for His gracious blessings. He sustains me physically. I have food and water. I'm protected from the heat and cold. Mentally and emotionally, I have people in my life I enjoy time with, meaningfully. Spiritually: because He is. Love. And my Father. Financially: I live indoors - I have shelter. A soft bed to rest on. I have food, clothes. Shoes. A way to get around.
I may not have every single thing I want, but I have what I truly need.
And He gives us good gifts. I'm grateful for breeze on my skin. Walking in my back yard. Planting food and watching our Creator grow it. For hugs from children. For smiles. For moments I feel capable and appreciated. For moments of peace. For overcoming challenges. For being better today than I was yesterday in various aspects of my character. For His patience. His love. For His assurances. For hope to someday transcend all this is. There's just so many reasons to be grateful.
I've heard it said, "A grateful heart cannot be discontent." Not at the same time. One key for me is a focus on gratitude for what I have versus agonizing over what I don't.
And being grateful I also don't have what I truly deserve.
I think that the true purpose of the believer's crucible is for us to learn, to realize how important it is for us to chose God’s Way of Truth and Light instead of our way of the flesh. Certainly, the Father would ‘like for us to enjoy life providing the creature’s comfort’, but there is more to life than eating its bread. The spiritual aspects of life put into perspective and overshadow all the other aspects one might expect that life ‘should’ provide.
Gal.5:22 has a few more verses to help complete the understanding of its context:
Gal.5:23-26 – ”Meekness, temperance, against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections (or passions) and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.”
If our 'expectation' of life is to worship our heavenly Father with our life, living in this manner would then be the fulfillment of the purpose of our life and we would be spiritually 'satisfied'.
David’s response to Saul’s acknowledgement of his shortsightedness: 1.Sam.26:21-24 - v.23: ”And indeed, as your life was valued much this day in my eyes, so let my life be valued much in the eyes of the LORD, and let Him deliver me out of all tribulation.”
Well after reading the several text above for this week, I see we are going to have a joyous time with the different words for wait. I suppose it depends on what version and context. Seems though hope and trust are at the forefront, or if you prefer the leading edge. Last Thursday Gavin led us into this week by David’s words. I will wait on the Lord, for He is the source of my salvation. Psalms 62:1.
Yes in our life we all go through trials, temptations, tests of faith, and other negative factors. But as believer with the arms of faith we keep hope that these trials can be turned into blessings that cultivates our characters more deeply rooted connections with the Lord. It is importantly we keep our faith to Him, though sometimes our mind fills some questions but our big factor " God knows best for me, I let Him run my life " so be it. Unknowingly you will realise that you are no longer in the midst of crucible and now you turns into blessing and ready to share it to others. Thank you Lord Jesus, you mold my life everyday.