Grass for the Donkey: Gas for the Dodge

He's Still Working On Me

God is not finished with us yet. 

That childhood song “He’s Still Working on Me” goes through my head. 

Thank God He is, because I know I need it. 

 God’s word says in Isaiah 55 that His word will not return void, but will accomplish what He intends it to and his word will prosper what he sent it to. 

God is faithful. 

Waiting

Waiting is work and it means we should be like Jesus, about His Father’s business. (Luke 2:49) At twelve, Jesus was not ready for the fulfillment of God’s purpose for Him, but He was BUSY doing and practicing what He had been called to do. 

“Pursue the desire of your heart in the name of Jesus, giving glory to God in both the big and the small things, and you will be in the will and call of God for your life” (Jimmy Kirby) 

When we walk in grace, the Holy Spirit is there to guide us through life. With a faithful teacher that shows us the way, our way is clear. Now I want to look at what it means when we walk the path God chooses for us.

 Isaiah 30:18-25. (The Message)

 But God's not finished. He's waiting around to be gracious to you. He's gathering strength to show mercy to you. God takes the time to do everything right-everything. Those who wait around for him are the lucky ones. 19 Oh yes, people of Zion, citizens of Jerusalem, your time of tears is over. Cry for help and you'll find its grace and more grace. The moment he hears, he'll answer. 20 just as the Master kept you alive during the hard times, he'll keep your teacher alive and present among you. Your teacher will be right there, local and on the job, 21 urging you on whenever you wander left or right: "This is the right road. Walk down this road."22 You'll scrap your expensive and fashionable god-images. You'll throw them in the trash as so much garbage, saying, "Good riddance!" 23 God will provide rain for the seeds you sow. The grain that grows will be abundant. Your cattle will range far and wide. 24 oblivious to war and earthquake, the oxen and donkeys you use for hauling and plowing will be fed well 25 near running brooks that flow freely from mountains and hills.

Verse 22 says we will scrap our god-images. The King James says graven images, and it means that we will turn away from the idols we have put above our relationship with God, and sometimes, above God himself. When we truly pursue God, we prioritize our life in a different way. Philippians 3 13-16 (The Message) says

 I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I'm off and running and I'm not turning back.So let's keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision—you'll see it yet! Now that we're on the right track, let's stay on it.

Running the Race

 Running the race means adjusting our stride sometimes. A friend of mine just ran a race called The Tough Mudder. While the name is unfortunate, the race is one tough cookie: a half marathon that has a massive obstacle course full of mud, ice, monkey bars, electricity, and much more. He ran it with a group and he and one of his teammates had a tough time with the actual running because they caught the giggles. Giggles and running do not mix well, so they had to adjust, and refocus. But a race well run and enjoyed is worth a stitch in our side, right? 

Paul thought so.

Now as we look at verses 23-25 we notice that God is faithful to provide for and even prosper His children as they faithfully follow Him. The imagery here is both poetically beautiful and spiritually practical. God meets our needs. He gives us seed to sow. ( Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness; 2 Corinthians 9:10) And HE provides the increase. 

A farmer plants, but he cannot make the seed grow, God does that! When we try to do things on our own, we get inferior product, if we have any success at all. This is where waiting is such a blessing. When we wait we allow God to do his part, and increase the provision and blessings in our lives. Our “grain will be abundant’.

Hee-Haw! 

I get a real kick out of the last two verses. Our oxen and donkeys, those things we use to haul our stuff back and forth, our forms of conveyance, (I think we use cars these days) will be well fed, near brooks that flow freely. As we do the work of waiting, we need supplies, and getting those things back and forth has a cost. God promises that the cost of those supplies will be met. So, if God asks us to travel around preaching the word, He will provide the way to get there. At least, this is my interpretation of these verses. 

Grass for the donkey equals gas for the Dodge. TWEET THAT

 I love my Father’s sense of humor and His faithfulness to His children!

No wonder this passage says he who waits is the lucky one. When we wait on God to show His faithfulness, we are the recipients of His blessings. God is for us. He will never forsake us. He has plans for us. Rejoice in that, and learn to wait. Pursue Him in your waiting time, and allow Him to prosper you until your purpose and dreams come true.

Be blessed and be a blessing and remember wait is an ACTION verb!

Do you have a hard time "waiting"?