Just Be Honest!

A friend from Bible school posted a great quote from his friend Missionary Ken Oliver: "God can do more with honest anger than dishonest praise." That’s a pretty thought provoking quote isn’t it?

I was looking at Psalm 13 and you know…it was freeing to me to see how David speaks honestly to God on how he is feeling, knowing that God is big enough to take care of his doubts and frustrations.

“How long O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me?”

We’ve all felt this way one time or another. I mean…think about it. God’s plan for our life is not laid out in a nice little blue print. It gets hard at times to get through those rough roads that we encounter along life’s way.

This got me thinking about how many times we try to hide from God how we really feel. It’s kind of silly of us really because God knows our true thoughts and feelings. He knows our hearts better than we do. He already knows all about our situation but he wants to hear it from us. He desires that relationship with us, no matter what we may end up coming to Him with: praise, grumbling, anger, hurt, problems, etc. He just wants our honesty. Why is it so hard to be honest with God?

Are we afraid He won’t love us? Are we afraid He’ll reject us or strike us down? Do we try to act so super spiritual when we go through some hard times but deep inside we feel angry with God? Be honest with Him. Believe me, He’ll honor your honesty. And just like Missionary Ken Oliver said, “God can do more with honest anger than dishonest praise”. I personally believe that being honest with God about how you are feeling about your situation can actually get the situation taken care of a lot sooner.

Look at this again how Psalm 13 ends: “I have trusted in Your loving kindness and my heart will rejoice in Your salvation. I will sing to the Lord for He has dealt bountifully with me.”

David does not end with his feelings. He began with how he feels but he ended with what he knows! Have you ever done that? Personally, I never really gave much thought on this but after reading this, I can remember many times when I poured out my heart in frustration, anguish and perhaps even saying things I didn’t really mean…to others and to God. But deep inside “WHAT I KNOW” was so much greater than “WHAT I FELT” and I ended up always overcoming those feelings.

When I feel God is not there, well…I KNOW He is. When I feel He doesn’t really care, deep inside, I KNOW HE REALLY DOES. When I feel I’m not loved, of course I KNOW HE LOVES ME!

How do I KNOW all these things? HIS WORD. This is why it is important to Hide the Word of God in our heart. When you have so much of His Word in your heart, you will always come out victorious over your feelings. God’s Word IS my WINDOW OF HOPE!

Remember, when you’re overwhelmed with life’s trials, JUST BE HONEST with God. Our faith cannot be based upon what we see or feel, and the circumstances cannot change what our hearts know to be real. SO KEEP BELIEVING IN WHAT YOU KNOW IS TRUE!!

Visit my site at http://waitingatthewindow.blogspot.com to listen to the video, “Keep Believing!”

The Waiting Room

It gets so hard sometimes for us to wait on things. One thing I dread is sitting in a waiting room. This reminded me of how similar it could be when sitting in God's Waiting Room. This is when I was inspired to write, The Waiting Room.


THE WAITING ROOM

Psalm 37:3-9 ~~ Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret - it leads only to evil. For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.

When setting up an appointment, the part that I used to dread the most is the time in the waiting room. It can be a very frustrating time especially when you don't get in at the appointed time scheduled. The hardest part is the waiting. If the waiting ends up being too long, some get upset and leave. But think about what happens when you choose not to wait? First, your need doesn't get met and you end up having to make that appointment again.

It can be the same way in God's waiting room. The hardest thing in waiting is not knowing when the waiting finally ends. And if we choose not to wait on God in a certain situation and we take it into our own hands, then it most likely does not work out like God would have done it. We will eventually find ourselves in the same situation once again until we learn to wait and let God accomplish what He knows needs to be done His way and in His time.

Think with me for a moment about the times you had to sit in a waiting room. Looking around, what common things do you see in this room? First of all, there are chairs. You do not have to stand while you wait but they give you a place to sit and rest. There are magazines of interest that you can look at to keep you occupied to keep you from watching the clock all the time that only causes frustration. Also I am sure, since you are waiting, there must be many other people sitting around as well, who I find can sometimes be very entertaining.

In God's waiting room, He offers us a place of rest. This rest can only come through the element of trust. When we choose to trust in Him, knowing He is in control and will take care of the situation, we can have peace and tranquility of the mind, bringing rest to our soul.

Also in the waiting room is a good time to view God's magazine, His Word. This keeps our mind renewed and will keep us from getting upset, worried, or bringing confusion to the situation. Staying focused on His Word instead of the situation will give us control over works of our flesh. Also during our waiting time, it is a time to reach out to others. By ministering to others, it brings joy to us and also takes our mind off of self and our own situation. It is important during this time to keep bearing good fruit.

Have you ever seen someone get really upset and impatient for having to wait so long and they go to the office window and start telling the receptionist off and then storm out the door? They cause great embarrassment and make a fool of themselves and only make matters worse.

Frustration equals works of the flesh. Works of the flesh include: worry, reasoning, and trying to figure out what to do to make things happen according to our will and timing. These works are some of the biggest problems God's people have today.

As long as we try to control the situation, we will never be happy. The devil uses works of the flesh to rob us of our joy. He wants us to be worried, confused, and upset. He doesn't want us to be filled with contentment, peace, and rest. Instead of trusting the Lord and waiting for Him to move in His own way and timing, the devil wants us to take things into our own hands.

If you have cast your care upon the Lord and left it with Him to handle, He is working on your behalf right now. He wants you to untie His hands. You do that by refusing to worry and by choosing to dwell in the secret place of the Most High and hidden away safe and secure under the shadow of His wings. While you are abiding in the Lord and resting in His peace, waiting for Him to do his part, your part is to continue to bear good fruit for His Kingdom.

The next time you find yourself in God's waiting room, or maybe you are there right now, remember that waiting is giving all over to God's control by trusting, praying without worry, avoiding works of the flesh, continuing in obedience during the time of waiting, continuing to bear good fruit, and offering God a sacrifice of praise.

As scripture says, when you wait upon the Lord, your strength will be renewed, you shall mount up with wings as eagles, you shall run and not grow weary, and you shall walk and not become faint. (Isaiah 40:31) What a promise we have from the Lord!

Wait upon Him!

Connie J. Schmoll

While I'm Waiting

When I first heard the song, "While I'm Waiting" by John Waller, it reminded me of a Scripture that is familiar to many of us. Isaiah 40:31 "But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint."

I used to think that to "wait upon the Lord" meant for us to just wait for God to do something that we had asked for or prayed about, but actually "to wait upon the Lord" means "to be of services to" the Lord. If we continue to do all that we know to do even during our times of storms, God will renew strength to us so that we can mount up or rise above any "storm of life" that blows through. They that "wait upon" the Lord: to make conscience of their duty to him, by faith rely upon him, and commit themselves to his guidance, shall find that God will not fail them.

We can come to God daily waiting at the window, but some times a time of waiting even for the answer is required. During that time of waiting for God to answer, He will not let us walk away from that window without something that will sustain us.

I learned that "while I'm waiting" for the answer, I must continue "to be of service to" the Lord just as John Waller sings about so beautifully in the song. We also have the promise in Isaiah that our strength shall be renewed and we will mount up with wings of eagles. We will have that strength to rise above the situation, continue on in the race and not become weary or not faint as we continue our walk with the Lord.

I think where many people may fail during their time of waiting is that they keep their mind preoccupied with their situation instead of taking it to God and leaving it there and believing that He is working it all out the moment they asked. We need to have the confidence to walk away believing that what we have asked is done and taken care of as we continue to "wait upon the Lord" by continuing to do what we know to do. The sooner that we do these things, the sooner "the waiting" (the way that we see "waiting"-- waiting for God to do something about our situation) will be over.

The Scripture that the Lord continually brings to my mind each time I am dealing with a situation is Philippians 4:9, "Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you".

That is an encouraging Scripture! What a way to let peace reign in your life while going through a situation! If we continue to do those things that we have learned, received, heard and seen in Him, we shall have the peace of God. We will be at peace during the situation having the assurance that God is taking care of it.

Then I was led to a couple more Scriptures that fit right in: "And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body' and be ye thankful". Colossians 3:15

Just begin to thank God for the answer to your situation believing it is taken care of and His peace will rule in your heart.

Do you remember previously when I mentioned that some tend to keep their mind preoccupied with the situation? What is your mind stayed on when going through something? Let it be on the Lord and do all you know to do, in Him, and then you will keep perfect peace.

"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee". Isaiah 26:3

Who do you trust in when you are going through something? Let it be in the Lord!

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all they ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct they paths". Proverbs 3:5-6

I could go on and on when it comes to the Word of God. This is what happens when you are willing to continue "waiting at the window". Look at all God gives me "while I'm waiting". His Word contains all the answers we need. All we have to do is ASK (it shall be given), SEEK (ye shall find) and KNOCK (it shall be opened unto you).

"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened into you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened". Matthew 7:7-8

What A Promise! God is Good!

Connie J. Schmoll

Visit my website at http://waitingatthewindow.blogspot.com to listen to the video "While I'm Waiting"

Also look forward to my next writing on "The Waiting Room".

My Window of Hope

There are many Scriptures throughout the Bible that give descriptions of what God's Word is.

For example, in Psalm 119:105 David writes that the Word is a lamp that lights his path, giving him direction and keeping him from stumbling. In Hebrews 4:12 Paul describes the Word as like unto a sword, quick and powerful, sharp and two-edged, that pierces deep into our innermost thoughts and desires exposing us for what we really are.

Using just a few words to describe what God's Word is to me, I would have to say, "God's Word is My Window of Hope". No matter what I go through, I know that I can look through the Window of Hope and receive a Word from the Lord. He brings comfort and gives encouragement and hope! His Word is also used to rebuke, correct and reprove us. I WAIT ON GOD and FIND HOPE in HIS WORD!

There is one thing that almost everyone does when they get up in the morning. It is just a natural thing for us to look out the window or door because we want to know what the weather is like. Many decisions we make for the day are based on the weather. We decide what to wear based on the weather and some times people even let the weather dictate their mood for the day.

The thought came to me of how we never really know what life is going to bring us each day. It could be a "stormy" day where everything goes wrong or maybe a day of "sunshine" where lots of good things happen. Perhaps the day brings a little bit of "drizzle", just enough to cause confusion in a situation. This is why I think that "Waiting At The Window" first thing in the morning is very important. Beginning your day with God will make all the difference in the world when it comes to what you may encounter throughout that day. We can be prepared for what awaits us if we take the time to receive from God.

No matter what awaits us beyond that window, no matter what storms that life may bring, we can always find that calm and peaceful place in God. It is always a special time if we choose to sit by the window in the cool of the morning, a quiet and peaceful place alone with God, daily glimpsing through the window of hope, waiting on the word for a situation.

"I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. My soul waits for the Lord, more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning" (Psalm 130:5-6)

I was first inspired with this thought while watching a video and listening to a song titled, "The Window of Hope." I really liked the message. The song deals with finding yourself in a dark place but finding the courage and hope to move forward.

There are many today who find themselves in a dark place and are looking for someone to guide them out of the darkness and into a happy fulfilling life and a brighter future. Unbelievers today of course need Jesus. Believers have Jesus but perhaps some lack a relationship with Him. The only way to develop that relationship is to begin your day talking to Him, trusting Him and allowing Him to speak to your heart through His Word or any other way He may choose.

It is comforting to know that each morning I can peer through my "window of hope" and quietly whisper "Word of God speak" and He will! If I open my heart to God, He will begin to speak the words needed to help prepare me for that day.

If we all could get one glimpse through that Window of Hope, we would never look back. I never have and never desire to. My hope is in God through Jesus Christ. I always find hope in His Word.

The artist of the song "Window of Hope" is Oleta Adams. In the video that I had watched that day, when she is singing the chorus, they show a baby starting to climb the stairs. Throughout the video the baby climbs and climbs and climbs and eventually makes it to the top where there is a window. The bright sunlight is shining through and the baby seems very content sitting and gazing through the window. It is cute! What a great message we can learn from this!

Keep climbing! You will make it to the top! Keep peering through that "window of hope" till the answer comes. It will! Stay in His Word and you WILL get your answer.

"Only while 'waiting at the window of hope' (His Word) can the heart receive and begin believing what the eyes cannot see and know what the mind cannot understand." -- Connie Schmoll

Visit my site http://waitingatthewindow.blogspot.com to view the video. I could not find the video I had previously watched but this one is still the song by Oleta Adams, "The Window of Hope". Listen to the words.

Waiting At The Window

As I peered through the window that day, my heart was so overwhelmed by the change that had taken place within me. I was so excited and overjoyed! It was all so new to me and I was having a difficult time figuring out how to explain to my friends and family what had happened to me. How was I to explain to someone a change that they were unable to see since that change took place inside of me?

I stood at the window in silence for what seemed like hours. Then I asked, "Lord, how can I explain to people what happened to me?" At the window I waited for the Lord to answer.

As the Lord began to speak to my heart, my attention was drawn to the tree branches that scraped noisily across the window pane. He asked, "Do you see the branches move from the force of the blowing wind? You cannot actually see the wind blowing, but you can see the effects of the wind, which is shown by the movement of the tree branches. Connie, don't worry about what to tell others. Even though they cannot see the change inside of you, they will begin to see the effects of that change on the outside. They will see that how you live has changed. They will know that something more powerful lives inside of you. They shall know who abides in you by the fruit of My Spirit."

A few days later while reading my Bible, I read in John Chapter 3 what the Lord had told me on that day. In John 3:8 the words of Jesus states, "The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can't tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can't explain how people are born of the Spirit." (New Living Translation) I was so excited! God had spoken these words to me before I had ever read it in His Word or heard it mentioned in church.

My thoughts went back to this experience years later while listening to a couple of songs titled, "Window of Hope" and "Word of God Speak". I began to envision God's Word as my Window of Hope. His Word became as an open window where I would wait with an expectancy on the Lord, placing my hope in His Word. I had the confidence that He would speak to me the words needed to get me through any situation that I may encounter that day or even days to come.

Each and every day as I wait at the window, God speaks through my window of hope what I need to get me through. This is how the vision and purpose of my book was created. I love encouraging people and I love writing. When inspired by God, I write to encourage.

May you all catch the vision of that "window of hope" and begin to allow the Word of God to speak to your hearts daily. Keep "Waiting At The Window" placing your hope in His Word.

Thank you all for your love and support.

"I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope." Psalm 130:5

Be Blessed,
Connie J. Schmoll
(Introduction to "Waiting At The Window" - Hearing God Through Your Window of Hope)

Word of God Speak

When I first heard the song, "Word of God Speak" by Mercy Me, my heart melted and I wept before the Lord. It touched me so much! The very words of the song explained exactly how I felt many times during situations when I desperately needed to hear from God.

It is so true that we can be going through something that makes it even hard to find the right words to pray and as the song says, "But that's okay!" I found that during these times, the most important thing is to let God speak. He knows exactly what we are going through and how we are feeling without us even speaking the words. He sees our hearts and feels our pain.

The Lord has so much He wants to say to us. We just need to take the time to listen.

I am Waiting at the Window with an open heart as a soft whisper escapes my lips, "I wait for you Lord, my soul waits, and in your Word I put my Hope. Word of God speak through my Window of Hope.

WELCOME

WELCOME to "Waiting At The Window" Blog site. My greatest passion is writing and when inspired by God, I write to encourage. I pray that what you read here will bring encouragement to your life's situation.

Please feel free to comment on any of my writings that may have encouraged you or just share your thoughts on it. It encourages me to read others thoughts and to know that my writings are a help to others.

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Thank you for visiting.
Connie Schmoll
cjschmoll@gmail.com