How Long?

We've all been there. We're sitting at the red light and wondering "how long?" We're waiting in line at Whataburger (one of the slowest fast food places but certainly could be the most delicious) and say to ourselves, "how long?" We sit in church and we're thinking about how hungry we are or the Cowboys game and mutter "how long are you gonna keep us in here pastor?"

We have become more and more impatient. No doubt about it. Everything is quick and fast nowadays. We want our fast food, our fast internet, our fast friendships. Uh huh. You know. My generation is a perfect example of impatience. We have grown up in it. I have found myself many times being impatient, however, it can look different than others. I find myself being more impatient with myself and with God.

Sometimes I can feel like I just whine to God. "How long will it take God? How long until You show up?"

I'm very thankful that I'm not the only one that does/did this. One of my favorite persons ever did this. ALL. THE. TIME. and God called him the apple of His eye.

David. I believe the reason God called David the apple of His eye is because he was always so real with God. It was a relationship. David showed God every emotion. I'm sure that painted a beautiful picture to God since He did create ALL emotions and feels them as well. David would dance, weep, and would be filled up with righteous anger because the evil of the men around him. God related with David. It was sweet to Him to relate with His son David.

I read a psalm by David this morning and immediately connected and related with emotion.

Psalm 13. "How long, O Lord?"..."Look on me and answer, O Lord my God." David was facing many enemies. Now, I know today our enemies might look a bit different than David's were, but for some they may look the same. We're facing the enemy of all that's good everyday. He comes like a roaring lion. He comes to devour you. David asks God, "How long" over and over. Filled with such sorrow and loneliness he cries out to God. The greatest person to cry out to.

And at the end of His sorrowful song to the Lord David says...

"BUT I TRUST in YOUR unfailing love. My heart REJOICES in YOUR salvation. I will sing to the Lord for He has been good to me."

We have a choice to make. At the end of our cry out to God we can choose to TRUST and REJOICE or we can crumble with fear and still ask the same questions. God is the God who SEES. He sees you and He hears your prayers. It's okay to whine and cry out to your Father. He loves to see you feel with all emotion, because He does the same thing. He weeps with you. He rejoices with you. Righteous anger against evil.

Will you choose to go into the same pattern of asking "How long?" That's okay. God is patient with you and will weep with you. But what greater joy we have when we TRUST in His unfailing love for us. He is not holding out on you. He's protecting you. He's building you up in due time.

Trust and Rejoice.

Spirit of Entitlement

I had just gotten into my mom's Nissan Rogue after class. My car, ever since its wreck back in April just hasn't been the same on the highway. I hit 60 and it starts to shake. I mean, really shake. I can't even sing anymore because my voice shakes like an opera singer. Don't get me wrong, it provides some laughter, but if you know me, you know I like to belt it in the car. This girl has got to get her Carrie Underwood on every now and then! C'mon now.

I digress. Another great plus to getting to drive their awesome car is I get to listen to 91.3FM. It's a Christian radio station. It plays great worship and sermons all day long. I love it. I feel like a sponge some days, because I literally want to soak up and write down everything they're saying. I'll even text my boyfriend different points of a sermon so I can remember to go back and listen to it or remember to talk to him about it later. Today, however wasn't a sermon that spoke to me. It was a song.

I don't know if you have heard it. I assume it's on the mainstream Christian radio stations.


Should've Been Me by Citizen Way. I heard the song and listened to the words as I was making my way down I-20 to work. Thoughts came into my head instantly.

It's crazy what our brain is capable of doing. I'm thankful that I have the Holy Spirit living inside of me because I know that I would be so off track mentally throughout my day if it wasn't for His sweet guidance and His words speaking to me daily. Today was like a download after I heard the enemy say this to me. "Samantha, don't you think that you deserved Jesus' death and God's grace? I mean, you are such a great person. You deserve the best."

My spirit stopped right there. The Holy Spirit was downloading the truth into my spirit faster than any computer download I have ever witnessed. He was not going to let that idea land into my heart. I wasn't going to either. I yielded to the Holy Spirit immediately after that toxic thought. He reminded me of the current culture I live in.

I'm about to vote in my second election in about a month. I don't know how many people I have heard say they are voting for Obama. "He's going to help the people that can't help themselves and spread the wealth. The poor deserve a chance too." Or, I have heard, "Romney is going to turn our country around and help out the people that actually work in this country!" Don't get me wrong. I know who I'm voting for. However, both of these ideas have the spirit of entitlement all over it.

Yes. I believe there is a Spirit of Entitlement and the root is pride.

"I deserve an A in my class because I have studied so hard."

"I deserve recognition at my job because I have worked there for 20 years!"

"I deserve the best husband/wife!"

Those statements sound silly don't they? But, you have said them. Shoot. I KNOW I have. Satan has came through like a snake and has been whispering in our ears saying that we deserve everything we have and don't have. American Culture has shifted. The first Americans were running to freedom. They were thankful for their freedom of speech and religion. Now, we believe we deserve these freedoms. We believe that we are entitled to them. Did you know that most of the world isn't like us? People don't have these freedoms. They are just thankful that they made it to work without being mugged or assaulted. However, yes I know, we had people that fought for these freedoms and I'm so thankful for them. I'm thankful for the men and women that have laid down their lives for my freedom. But, there is one man that has given me true freedom. The very man that we forget about as we go throughout our day and we believe that evil spirit of entitlement.

To the Christians. Even though we live in this culture, doesn't mean we have to be a part of it. I feel as if we have been falling into this idea of entitlement. We believe if we give money to the church that God has to bless us. We believe that if we give our time to volunteer that the church should give us some recognition. American "Christians" I believe look at the cross and believe the lie. They look at Jesus and the cross and believe Satan's whisper. "You deserve God's grace. You deserved the sacrifice. You have done so many good deeds. You deserve more actually." How many will stand in front of the Almighty God and finally wake up? When will we look around and see that we have done NOTHING to deserve God's grace. My house, my bed, my shoes, my job, my salvation. Lord, You are too good to me I think to myself when I take off these culture lenses and put on Jesus lenses.

Jesus. How I love this man. I learn more about His love all the time. I wouldn't know it though if it wasn't for Him leaving His Father's side and coming to Earth and laying His life down for me. The meaning of the word grace means unmerited favor. An undeserved gift. If we don't start looking at why Jesus really did die on the cross for us, then we will be believing in a salvation that is completely faulty and not true. We will keep on living a life completely unsatisfied relying on ourselves.

I have been down this road. I have believed the lie. I'm beyond blessed that the Lord chose me. He saw me. Even while I was still a sinner He paid it all. ALL my sin washed away. Jesus sees me righteous. He sees Himself in me.

I deserve hell, but God is full of grace and has given me eternal life.

HE DESERVES ALL HONOR, GLORY, and, PRAISE. MY SAVIOR. HE DESERVES IT ALL.