The Pursuit of Purity for True Worship

“And the priests and the Levites purified themselves, and they purified the people and the gates and the wall.” Nehemiah 12:30

In Nehemiah 12:30, we witness a sacred moment of preparation for worship. Before leading the people in celebration and dedication, the priests and Levites first purified themselves, then the people, and even the gates and walls of Jerusalem. This act of purification wasn’t merely ritualistic—it was a profound recognition that true worship requires purity. The priests and Levites understood that as leaders, they could not guide the people into God’s presence unless they first walked in purity themselves. Their example should challenge us, especially as leaders in the church, to prioritize purity in our own lives so we can lead others into genuine worship. So what does it mean to worship God in spirit and truth, with hearts purified and surrendered to Him.

The Need for a Pure Heart in Worship

True worship is not an event we attend or an emotional experience we manufacture; it is a matter of the heart. We can be deeply moved by a song or an atmosphere, but if our hearts are impure, our experience may be “soulish” rather than spiritual. Hebrews 4:12 tells us that the Word of God divides between what is truly spiritual and what is merely soulish. Without purity, we cannot worship God in spirit and truth as Jesus instructed in John 4:24. Psalm 24:3-4 asks, “Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart.” A pure heart, gripped by God’s holiness, sees His worth and treasures Him above all else.

Charles Spurgeon captures this truth when he says, “Oh! Delude not yourselves with the thought that you have holy desires unless you truly have them. Do not think your desires are true towards God unless they are really so: he desireth truth in our desires.” God desires truth in our inward being (Psalm 51:6). He isn’t after a performance; He seeks a heart that is wholly His, purified and surrendered.

The Misconception of Worship and Psalm 22:3

Good Christian music can be a beautiful way to express worship, and sound biblical lyrics can genuinely stir our hearts to praise. However, singing is not worship in itself, nor does it channel God’s presence into a room. Often, worship leaders or pastors reference Psalm 22:3, saying, “God inhabits the praises of His people,” or pray for God to “inhabit our praises” as if singing invites His presence in a new way. But this interpretation takes Psalm 22:3 out of context and misunderstands the New Covenant reality.

Psalm 22:3 states, “Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel” (ESV). In its Old Covenant context, this verse likely reflects the idea that God’s throne—His dwelling place—was associated with the tabernacle or temple, where praises were continually offered. The broader context of Psalm 22 is a prophetic lament, pointing to the Messiah’s suffering. Amid His distress, the Messiah remembers God’s holiness and sovereignty, trusting that God is enthroned above it all, and that He is worthy of praise even in suffering. The verse is not an instruction for how to summon God’s presence through praise; rather, it affirms God’s unchanging holiness and worthiness of worship, regardless of our circumstances.

In the New Covenant, God’s presence does not need to be summoned or channeled through our singing. Romans 8:9-11 assures us that the Holy Spirit already indwells believers. As Daniel Henderson notes, “As we walk in the Spirit and worship together, we are not looking for some mysterious ‘falling’ from heaven. Rather, we are pursuing full submission to the One who, because of the work of the cross, already indwells us and longs to transform us from the inside out.” Instead of seeking an outside-in experience, we embrace an inside-out work of the Spirit, who makes Christ known in our hearts and prompts us to praise. Our singing flows from the Spirit’s presence within us, not as a means to bring Him near.

The Spirit-Filled Life and Its Overflow

Ephesians 5:18-20 provides clarity: “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Notice the command to “be filled with the Spirit” is in the present tense in the original Greek, meaning “be being filled”—a continual necessity for all believers, not a one-time event. It’s also plural, indicating this is for the entire body of Christ to pursue together.

What is a key factor in living a Spirit-filled life? Surrender. When we surrender to the Spirit’s control, He fills us, and the overflow is worship—expressed in songs, thanksgiving, and mutual encouragement. As P.T. O’Brien notes, Paul’s mention of “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” describes “the full range of singing which the Spirit prompts.” When our hearts are gripped by the revelation of Christ through the Word, made alive by the Spirit, we can’t help but sing of His glories—both to the Lord and to one another. But this is the result of being filled with the Spirit, not the means to achieve it.

The Joy of a Pure Heart and the Basis of Purification

It’s important to note also that a pure heart leads to God-glorifying joy. In Nehemiah 12, after purification, the people celebrated with great joy (Nehemiah 12:43). Similarly, when we seek purification, the Spirit restores the joy of our salvation (Psalm 51:12). David prayed, “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice” (Psalm 51:7-8). Commenting on this passage Spurgeon reflects, “God could make him as if he had never sinned at all. Such is the power of the cleansing work of God upon the heart that he can restore innocence to us.” A pure heart opens the door to joy that glorifies God.

 

Again, we see this pursuit of purity leading to the restoration of joy in Nehemiah 12: “And they offered great sacrifices that day and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy; the women and children also rejoiced. And the joy of Jerusalem was heard far away.” As David Guzik noted: Their worship was a testimony to others, and what others heard was not so much the singing itself as the joy. We often worry about others hearing us sing but what God wants to hear, and what others should hear, is not so much your singing but your joy.

 

Now this purification and the possibility of a pure heart before God are made possible solely through the blood of Jesus. His finished work on the cross is the foundation not only of our justification—where we are declared righteous before God—but also of the ongoing process of sanctification in the believer’s heart and life. Hebrews 10:10 declares, “We have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” Because of Christ’s sacrifice, we can approach God with confidence, knowing that His blood cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:7). The purification David sought in Psalm 51 through the symbolic hyssop points to the greater reality of Christ’s atoning blood, which truly purifies us and enables us to stand before God with clean hands and a pure heart.

How to Seek Purification and Maintain a Pure Heart

How do we seek purification and maintain a pure heart? First, we confess our sins, trusting in the finished work of Christ. As 1 John 1:9 promises, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Confession is a continual posture of humility. Like David, we cry, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10)—a work only God can do through the sanctifying power of the Spirit, grounded in Christ’s atoning blood.

In Psalm 51:11, David also prayed, “Take not your Holy Spirit from me,” a plea rooted in his Old Covenant context, where the Spirit’s presence was not guaranteed as it is for believers today. It has been noted that several of David’s requests in Psalm 51 don’t fully align with the New Covenant reality (Jeremiah 31:31-34, Ezekiel 36:25-27). Under the New Covenant, believers are given a new heart and promised the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit. As Jesus assured us in John 14:16-17, the Spirit dwells with us and in us forever. However, this truth doesn’t diminish the deep sense of need for restoration that an erring child of God may feel. Even with the Spirit’s abiding presence, we can grieve or quench Him through sin (Ephesians 4:30, 1 Thessalonians 5:19). When we stray, we long to return to the “first things”—a renewed intimacy with God, a restored sense of His presence in our daily walk, and a revived joy in our salvation.

Second, we immerse ourselves in the means of grace: The Word, prayer, and fellowship with other believers. The Word purifies us by renewing our minds (John 17:17), prayer aligns our hearts with God’s, and mutual encouragement in the body of Christ helps us stay accountable. We must guard against relying on external experiences—like music or ambiance—to manufacture a sense of God’s presence. In the New Covenant, the Holy Spirit dwells within us (1 Corinthians 6:19). We need genuine, inside-out encounters with the Spirit, who makes God’s presence real in us through surrender and obedience.

A Call to Leaders and Believers

As leaders and believers, let us follow the example of the priests and Levites in Nehemiah 12:30 by first purifying ourselves before leading others. Let us pursue purity of heart, made possible through the blood of Jesus, which leads to true worship and God-glorifying joy. Let our worship—whether in song or daily obedience—flow from a Spirit-filled life, not as a means to summon God, but as a response to His indwelling presence. And let us surrender continually to the Spirit, seeking to be filled together as a body, so that Christ’s glory shines through us.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for the blood of Jesus, which cleanses us and makes purity of heart possible. Create in us clean hearts and renew a right spirit within us. Purge us with Your mercy, wash us whiter than snow, and restore the joy of Your salvation. Let your Spirit work afresh in us so that our worship may overflow from hearts surrendered to You. May our lives and leadership reflect Your holiness and bring great glory to the name of Jesus. Amen.

Don’t Protect your Children from Shame

Don’t Protect your Children from Shame

 

Over the years, I’ve heard many sermons and read many articles suggesting that feeling shame is harmful to one’s wellbeing. I’ve heard preachers say emphatically that feeling shame is of the devil and can keep a person from living to their full potential. In addition, the consensus among psychologists is that shame is detrimental to one’s mental health. One article I read stated, “Research consistently shows that shame can have catastrophic effects on mental health and behavior. Feelings of shame have been linked to suicidal actions and gestures. Shame may also deter people from seeking treatment for mental health issues or make it difficult to apologize for wrongdoing.”^[1]   

 

Shamelessness is Emblematic of Moral Decay

 

In contrast, there are many biblical references in both the Old and New Testament that indicate that the absence of shame is emblematic of moral decay (Romans 1:27; Jeremiah 6:15).  For example, when exhorting believers to abstain from sexual immorality, Paul writes, “For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret” (Ephesian 5:12). In other words, there were people shamelessly participating in behaviors that were so disgraceful that to even speak about them publicly would have been dishonorable. Sadly today, the shameless acts that would be shameful to even speak about, are being done openly with no shame for all to see. (i.e. gay pride parades, raunchy music videos, living together before marriage, etc.). Today, we even have well known preachers that have disgracefully used vulgar and explicit language behind their pulpits. 

 

According to the scriptures, it’s harmful not to feel shame when you should feel shame and conversely, it’s harmful to feel shame when you shouldn’t feel shame. In light of this, how do we differentiate between shame that is healthy and shame that is unhealthy? To answer this question, it’s necessary to begin by defining our terms. Defining terms biblically is crucial, especially in a day and age when many biblical terms, which are found in the bible, are being redefined to fit in with a decaying moral culture. 

 

Defining the Terms 

 

The Oxford dictionary gives this helpful definition of shame: “a painful feeling of humiliation or distress caused by the consciousness of wrong or foolish behavior.” An article in Psychology today defines shame as “a self-critical emotion, according to which individuals display a negative consideration of themselves.”^[2]  

 

Keep in mind that according to the Psychology world, shame or thinking critically of oneself is always bad. But according to God’s word, it’s bad not to feel shame in some circumstances. There is shame that is appropriate and there is also shame that is inappropriate.   

 

When you Have No Reason to Feel Shame

 

The word of God clearly exhorts believers, who may be feeling shame, not to be ashamed about things that are not shameful. For example, When Christians are mocked (shamed) and reviled for their faith, Jesus emphasized that this is a reason to rejoice not a reason to be ashamed (Matthew 5:11-12).  

Similarly, the Apostle Paul wrote, “If one suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but under that name let him glorify God” (1 Peter 4:16). So, if you’re mocked for your Christianity and suffer for righteousness you have no reason to feel shame. Rather, as a Christian you are glorifying God. 

 

Biblical Criterion for Shame 

 

Commentating on what the biblical criterion is for appropriate shame and inappropriate shame, John Piper explained, “Shame is not how foolish or how bad you look to men, but whether you in fact bring honor to God. This is so important to grasp, because much of what makes us feel shame is not that we have brought dishonor on God by our actions, but that we have failed to give the appearance that other people admire. Much of our shame is not God-centered, but self-centered. Until we get a good handle on this, we will not be able to battle the problem of shame at its root.” 

 

Analyzing the Source of Shame

 

In light of what constitutes appropriate shame and inappropriate shame, if you feel shame, how do you deal with shame at its root? We must first analyze the source or root of our shame and determine whether or not our shame is the consequence of dishonoring God? If the source of our shame is not rooted in having done something to dishonor God, we have nothing to be ashamed of. 

 

Dealing with the Crippling Effects of Shame

 

Misplaced shame can be crippling and must be dealt with. And recognizing it as misplaced shame is the first step to overcoming its crippling effects. Furthermore, to guard our hearts from the crippling effects of misplaced shame (i.e. feeling like we will never amount to anything, worthlessness, unlovable, isolation) we must grow in the knowledge of God and embrace all that we are in Christ, as beloved children of God. 

 

On the other hand, if the source of our shame is rooted in something we have done to dishonor God, we should feel shame. To not feel shame when we have dishonored God with our actions or attitudes is an indication that we don’t have a healthy fear of God, that we are suppressing the truth and that our conscience is seared (1 Tim. 4:2; Rom. 1:18; 26-27). This is a bad placed to be. 

 

When addressing the moral decay of Jeremiah’s day, the Lord said, “‘For from the least to the greatest of them, everyone is greedy for unjust gain; and from prophet to priest, everyone deals falsely. ¹⁴ They have healed the wound of my people lightly, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace. ¹⁵ Were they ashamed when they committed abomination? No, they were not at all ashamed; they did not know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; at the time that I punish them, they shall be overthrown,’ says the Lord” (Jeremiah 6:13-15). Like the days of Jeremiah, we are living in a society where people don’t even blush, much less feel shame. Modesty is not valued. Instead, as the Apostle Paul wrote, they glory in their shame (Phil. 3:19). In other words, they boast in their sinful indulgences and immodesty. They are not only open about their sin, but they feel no sense of shame.  

 

Don’t Protect your Children from Shame

 

Sadly, as in Jeremiah’s day, the need for appropriate shame is not something you hear preached about much today, Today, we hear a lot about how bad and crippling shame can be, as if it’s always detrimental. But we hear little about the need for well-placed shame. Parents and Pastors seem to be more focused on protecting people from the painful emotion of shame at the expense of truth (Jeremiah 6:14). 

 

Of course, as parents, we need to protect our children from the harmful effects of inappropriate shame, and we should certainly not be the cause of it. If your child is feeling shame, embarrassment, or worthlessness because a bully at school made fun of their looks, or mocked them for their Christians beliefs, we must teach them that they have no reason to feel shame. However, if your child is feeling bad, guilty, and embarrassed because they bullied someone at school, we don’t encourage them to feel otherwise. Instead, we teach them the right way to deal with appropriate shame. You see, although there are times when feeling shame is appropriate, we must deal with it in a timely and Christ centered manner. 

 

Shame Alerts us to the Presence of Sin

 

God designed the painful emotion of shame to alert us of the presence of sin so that we might seek His forgiveness, cleansing and strength to forsake our sin. We are not to hide from God in shame, but to run to Him with faith and take hold of the provisions and promises of the gospel of Christ. 

 

As John Piper further explained, “In the case of well-placed shame for sin the pain ought to be there but it ought not to stay there. If it does, it’s owing to unbelief in the promises of God. For example, a woman comes to Jesus in a Pharisee’s house weeping and washing his feet. No doubt she felt shame as the eyes of Simon communicated to everyone present that this woman was a sinner and that Jesus had no business letting her touch him. Indeed, she was a sinner. There was a place for true shame, but not for too long. Jesus said, “Your sins are forgiven” (Luke 7:48). And when the guests murmured about this, he helped her faith again by saying, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace” (verse 50). How did Jesus help her battle the crippling effects of shame? He gave her a promise: “Your sins are forgiven! Your faith has saved you. Your future will be one of peace.” So, the issue for her was belief. Would she believe the glowering condemnation of the guests? Or would she believe the reassuring words of Jesus that her shame was enough? She’s forgiven. She’s saved. She may go in peace.” And that is the way every one of us must battle the effects of a well-placed shame that threatens to linger too long and cripple us. We must battle unbelief by taking hold of promises [of God].^[3]

 

Right and Wrong Paths Out of Shame

 

Now just as we must learn the difference between appropriate shame and inappropriate shame, we must also learn that there’s a right path and a wrong path out of shame. Remember even when our feelings of shame ought to be there, they’re not supposed to stay there. Another way of putting it is that we are not to remain in a place of shame, hide our shame or suppress it. Instead, we are to take the right path out of shame and we must teach our children to do the same. 

 

There’s a right path and a wrong path out of shame. After a therapist identified that the root of his patients crippling shame was measuring her behavior based on what was acceptable in the eyes of her grandmother, he suggested a way out. The shame began after an argument with her boyfriend whom she was sexually involved with in college. She felt guilty and anxious about her relationship with her boyfriend and didn’t feel she could talk to her family out of fear that they would disagree with her choices. Soon her anxiety turned into a debilitating depression. Her therapist was right in determining that she was not mentally ill and in need of psychiatric medication. Instead he helped her to discover the source of her shame and to see it as an opportunity for growth. In addition, he helped her to see that her way out of shame was to find the strength to implement new values in her life. 

Now in this true scenario, which I read in a book on psychiatry, did the therapist help his patient to see the right path out shame? If her shame was rooted in having done somethings which was not only dishonorable in her grandmother’s’ eyes, but in God’s eyes, then her shame was appropriate. Therefore, the right path out of shame was not finding the strength to implement new values, but to trust that God’s will for her life was best (Proverbs 3:4-5). And if she was out of God’s will, what she needed to do was to repent of her sin, trust in the forgiveness found in Jesus, and look to Him for the strength to live a God honoring life regardless of what anybody else thinks or says. The emotion of shame can be painful. Therefore, we may feel that it would be easier to suppress the truth behind it. But suppressing the truth doesn’t lead to a better life. Rather it’s leads to moral decay, which is what we see in our society today. 

 

Choose the right Path Out of Shame

 

Remember because shame can be painful, the tendency of parents is to protect their children from it. However, when it comes to appropriate shame the goal should not be to protect our kids from it, but to teach them how to rightly respond to it. As Dr. Michael Mascolo, explained, “The key is not so much to protect children from feelings of shame, as it is to help them find a path out of shame. ‘I understand that you may feel ashamed of yourself for pushing your sister down. You should feel ashamed of yourself! This is not how good brothers act toward their sisters! A good brother takes care of his younger sister, even if she…”’ 

The word of God is clear on this point. We should not protect are children from the pain of appropriate shame. In fact, there are times when we need to rebuke them for their bad behavior in a way that helps them to feel appropriate shame (1 Cor. 1:27; 6:5; Proverbs 29:15; 1 Tim, 5:20; 2 Thess. 3:14; Luke 13:17). Keep in mind that the goal of our loving correction is not to keep our children in shame, but to help motivate them to choose the right path out of shame.  As Dr. Michael Mascolo also noted,, “The prevailing wisdom in the world of parenting is that a child should never be made to feel bad about him or herself. But that simply cannot be so. There are situations in which we want our children to feel bad about themselves. We don’t want our children to be shameless! The trick is to realize that there are destructive and constructive experiences of shame. Shame is destructive when it offers us no escape. Shame can be constructive when we are shown the way out. When children fail to live up to the standards that we set for who they ought to be, showing them how to achieve those standards can turn shame into virtue.

 

Gospel Wisdom

 

In the old days, grandma might have said to us “shame on you!” But by saying this, she certainly didn’t mean: “You are a horrible and unworthy person!” What she meant was more like: “right now, you are acting like a bad person, but if you change your behavior you can become a good person.”  Grandma was giving us an “out.”  

 

A loving Grandma is right to want her grandchild to be a good person. And she’s wise to understand that it’s harmful for her grandchild not to feel shameful when they act wrongly. When a godly-wise Grandma rebukes her grandchild for their shameful behavior, her goal is not to keep them in shame, but to lead them out. And if she’s a gospel-wise grandma she will teach her grandchild that the way out of shame is to know the love of God. 

 

God’s love made a way through Christ’s death on the cross for our sin and His resurrection to be freed from the bondage of sin and shame. When we know the love of God in Christ, we will not hide in shame. Instead, we will allow the pain of our shame to lead us to the throne of His grace to receive forgiveness and the strength to live a God honoring life to the praise of His name. 

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^[1] (https://www.goodtherapy.org/about-us.html)

^[2] https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/sonnet-freud/202009/the-psychology-shame

^[3] (https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/battling-the-unbelief-of-misplaced-shame

Faith in His promises

“Then they despised the pleasant land, having no faith in his promise” (Psalms 106:24)

There’s much we can learn as believers in the New Testament age from the wilderness wandering of the Israelites in the Old Testament. The Apostle Paul wrote, “Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. 7 Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.” 8 We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. 9 We must not put Christ[c] to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, 10 nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. 11 Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come” (1 Cor. 10”6-11). 

After hearing their cries, God brought the children of Israel out of the bondage of Egypt to bring them into the pleasant land—the promise land. However, the majority of them that came out of the bondage of Egypt, died in the wilderness never making it into the promise land. 

Similarly, God in Christ sets us (believers) free from the bondage of sin (power and penalty) to bring us into a fruitful and life transforming relationship with Him (1 Peter 3:10). Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). However, there are many professing believers that seem to be stuck in a spiritual wilderness never making it to a place of abundance—a place where they become spiritually mature and walking in the fulness of all that God is for them in Christ. 

The journey from Egypt to Canaan was an eleven-day journey. It took them forty years to get there. Essentially, they wandered in circles. Why? They had no no faith in the promise of God (Psalms 106:24). In fact, their lack of faith not only kept them from possessing their promised possessions, but they despised the promise land. Whenever they encountered obstacles in the way, they told Moses that they were better off in Egypt. 

I believe that the greatest hinderance to professing Christians today—the reason they are not walking in the fullness of all that God saved them for is little or no faith in the promises of God. Oh, they may profess to believe in the promises of God, but when faced with obstacles, trials and tribulations, they doubt, murmur and complain. They may even turn to seek refuge in Egypt—at the places, among the people and in the practices that they were enslaved to and that God brought them out of. Are we not despising the promises of God when we do so? 

God allows trials and tribulations to bring us into a fuller, richer and more abundant relationship with Him. He will allow trials to increase our faith through them for greater fruitfulness ahead. There’s a song that says, “If I never had any problems I wouldn’t know that God could solve them, I wouldn’t know what faith in God could do. Through it all, through it all, I’ve learned to trust in Jesus, I’ve learned to trust in God. Through it all, through it all, I’ve learned to depend upon the Lord.”   

It’s been said, “A faith that can’t be tested can’t be trusted.”  What does it mean for our faith to be tested? It means that there will be times in our lives when we will have to exercise our faith—when we will have to decide to cling to the promises of God, or go another way. Clinging to the promises of God will cause them to become realized in our lives. We will experience the power, presence and or provision of God when we cling to His promises, especially in difficult times. When we look backward to Egypt we will get what Egypt can do, but when we look upward to God, standing on His promises, we will know what only God can do. Oh, we must not doubt in the dark what God has revealed to us in the light.   

What does it look like to have faith in the promises of God?  In the longest chapter of the bible, which are prayers expressing faith in the word of God, the Psalmist prayed this most unusual prayer, “Remember your word to your servant, in which you have made me hope” (Psalms 119:49). The reason I say that this is a most unusual prayer is because it’s not a prayer that I hear believers pray much today. It’s not a prayer that I have prayed much in the past. However, it’s obviously a biblical prayer, which teaches us something vital about laying hold of the promises of God. To experience the promises of God, like the promise of His provision to meet Christ centered needs, (Philippians 4:19-20), often we must step out in faith. We may have to move forward in obedience to what God is calling us to do even when we don’t see how it’s all going to work out. But we must also claim or stand on the promises of God in prayer. For example, God promises to give extraordinary grace for extraordinary seasons of life (2 Cor 12:7-10; James 4:6). But we learn from Hebrews 4:16 that this promise is laid hold of through bold and confident prayer in the name of Jesus. Jesus promised to send the presence and power of the Spirit to His disciples, who were to wait for it in Jerusalem (Luke 24:48). But although He promised to send the Holy Spirit, while they waited in Jerusalem, they didn’t wait for it while twiddling their thumbs. They waiting in an upper room in prayer (Acts 1:14; 4:31).  

To some it may seem too bold to pray like the Psalmist prayed, “Remember your word to your servant, in which you have made me hope” (Psalms 119:49). But to God, it’s a mark of great faith in His promises. God delights when we are confident enough in His character and promises that we hold Him to His Word in prayer, which He has made us to hope. The God of the mountain is still God in the valley. Trust in the promises of God.

WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN IT FEELS LIKE GOD IS WASTING TIME?

“Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus” (John 11:5).

Have you ever felt like God was taking His sweet time answering your prayers or that He wasn’t moving quick enough for you? Our theme for the year is “Don’t waste your life.” This is a vital exhortation for all believers in a world filled with so many distractions that can keep us from making the best use of the time God has given to us.

But have you ever felt like God wasted time—that He didn’t show up on time? Mary and Martha felt that way. When their brother Lazarus was sick, they sent a message to Jesus saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill” (John 11:3b). I love the fact that, although Lazarus was sick, his sisters didn’t doubt Jesus’ love for him. On the contrary, they appealed to Jesus and sent for Him on the bases of His love for their brother.

However, as time went on, and Jesus seemed to be taking His time for no good reason, the sisters may have begun to think, “doesn’t He love our brother? Why is He taking so long? He should have been here by now?”

When Jesus got the message that Lazarus was sick, He remained where He was with His disciples for two days longer (John 11:6). And by the time He showed up, Lazarus had expired. In fact, He had been dead for four days. Soon after, both Mary and Martha said to Him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died” (John 11:21, 32).

What do you do when it feels like God is wasting time? Should we accuse Him of being on Puerto Rican time? When it feels like God isn’t in a hurry and is late to the party, it’s vital that we recall three things about God that we can learn from His dealings with Mary, Martha and Lazarus.

First, no matter what is happening in your life, always, always be assured that God loves you. Remember the cross. Before the Apostle John continued to reveal how the events in Lazarus’ life unfolded, he writes in verse 5, “Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus” (John 11:5). Why would the Apostle John insert that before continuing to write about the events that unfolded? Because the events that transpired in the lives of Mary, Martha and Lazarus could bring God’s love into question. Therefore, he wanted the readers of his gospel to be clear in their minds that although Jesus seemed to take His time, it wasn’t because He didn’t love this family. On the contrary, it was because He loved them and us, (the readers of John’s gospel) that Jesus didn’t immediately go to them when they called. Because Jesus delayed in coming to them, they got to experience the glory of His resurrection power in their lives.

Secondly, when it feels like God is wasting valuable time, we must recall to mind that He not only loves us, but that He’s in control. The seeming delays of the Lord were divine delays. When Jesus waited two days longer in the place where they sent for Him, He knew exactly what He was doing. God’s delays are not always His denials. After hearing the message that Lazarus was ill, Jesus said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it” (John 11:4).

God is not only in control of the outcome of what He purposed to do through the delay, He’s in control of the beginning, the end and everything that happens in between. Often the best work that God does in our lives happens while we are in the waiting period. The waiting period is not a wasted period. Our sufferings are never in vain when we hold on to the truth and promises of God to work through them in love for our good and His glory (Romans 8:28).

Prayer is essential when it feels like time is ticking and running out. God is not bound by time. He’s not limited by time. This is why when we pray it’s vital that we first seek His face and not just His hand—that we acknowledge in prayer who we are praying to, more so than what we are seeking from Him. In the delay, keep praying until God answers, yes, no or wait. Keep praying because prayer not only changes things, prayer will change us.

Thirdly, it’s vital that we recall to mind when it feels like God is on Puerto Rican time that His timing is always, always perfect. He may not show up when we want Him to—it may feel like God is late and never in a hurry, but we can trust that He’s always on time. By the time Jesus showed up in town, Lazarus, who was sick when he first got the message, was dead for four days. And when Jesus commanded that the stone be rolled away, Martha responded, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days” (John 11:39). She forgot that time doesn’t restrict the Lord. In addition, she forgot that even when things looked like they went from bad to worse, Jesus was still in control.  I love the way Jesus responded to Martha.  “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God” (John 11:40). Oh, did they ever. At the command of Jesus, Lazarus walked out of that grave.

It’s interesting to note also that Jesus, who raised Lazarus from the dead, asked for the stone to be rolled away first. It’s clear that Jesus didn’t need that assistance. When He rose from the dead, He didn’t need human assistance to roll the stone away and walk out of His tomb. There’s a lesson here for us. When it feels like God is late, we need to recall that He’s in control, that He knows what He’s doing. What may feel like a setback of time, is just a set up for God to gloriously show us His power and control in our lives.

However, as we recall that in the delay God is still in control, we should never think that there’s nothing for us to do but wait. There are some stones that we need to roll away in our lives—there may be some commands that we need to obey before we see God show up in ways that we can’t even imagine (Eph 3:20-21). In fact, it may be that God is delaying to show His power, because we’ve delayed to heed His command to roll away the stones in our lives that are coming between our souls and the Savior. Delayed obedience is disobedience.

Some of the thoughts that I shared in this blog came from a sermon I heard several years ago. I heard this sermon before entering a period in my life where I would experience hardship, pain and suffering like never before. When I thought I was out of the woods, I received news that the cancer was back, and that this time there was not much that could be down. If I had not recalled to mind during this time the three truths that God loves me, He’s in control and that His timing is always perfect, I don’t know how I would have made it this far.

Since that diagnosis 7 months ago, God has turned things around. But some heavy stones had to be rolled away first. And at the time I wondered why the delay, but God in His time has showed up in a mighty way.

I received a card from Betsy Abbe, a beloved sister in the Lord, a couple months after hearing that the cancer was back. In the card, she included in big letters the following quote: “You have been assigned this mountain to show others it can be moved.” That was the case for Lazarus. After God moved the mountain in His life, many who witnessed it came to believe in Jesus. I believe God is doing that in my life. My testimony is opening many doors for me and others to share the good news of the gospel with the unsaved in our circle of influence. And I believe that God is not done with me yet. I see God through my testimony giving me a much bigger platform to proclaim the good news of Jesus’ saving grace and resurrection power.

If you haven’t already, there will come a time when it will feel like God is late in answering your prayer, like He’s wasting valuable time. You must hold on to the following truths, especially during divine delays: God loves you, He’s in control and His timing is always perfect. You can bank on it.