2010: Restless In The Second Row.

"...I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: and they cried with a loud voice, saying 'How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?' And white robes were given to every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season..." (from Revelation 6:9-11)

The heavenly word came from the Lord to the slain saints of old: "You wait. Relax. There are others who must meet their destiny of being killed for their faith, just as you were."

In our zeal to see God do something, we sometimes forget that we are not the only piece in the puzzle. God's plan and program involve the whole world. Saying yes to God may mean that we have to enter a period of waiting; a period in which we see bad people prospering, good people suffering, and it might even seem that our prayers are going unanswered.

What is the prophetic word that comes in the face of restlessness? Wait. Wait for the Lord, wait on the Lord, wait in His presence, experience His peace. Perhaps we are a bit contradictory, we Christians who have half of the Psalms memorized and who know how King David would sit before the ark of the Covenant. Perhaps we have one set of rules for what we say to encourage others, yet we don't use the same strategy to encourage ourselves.

Unless you're a rank novice, you know what to say: "Trust in the Lord, He will see you through"... in the face of your restlessness, saint of God, please say the same thing to yourself. Your 2010 will be less turbulent if you learn to rest in the love and peace of Jesus, our King.

Yes Jesus, I see You, sound asleep in the back of the boat while the storm rages and the disciples awaken you in agitation and fear. Yes, I see You as they accuse You of neglect: "Don't You care that we perish?" Please forgive us! How can we say such a thing to You, the One who breathed life into us and gave us a future and a hope? You, who even allow us to see glimpses of the future? Lord, we look forward to demonstrating Your peace, passion, and power in a restless and agitated world. Help us to do so faithfully, to Your honor and glory. We pray this in Your name. Amen.