stuck

[missionarypoet]

Hi everybody,
I posted here a while ago for some advice about my depression. You guys gave me some really awesome advice, and I'm doing a lot better in that area, but I really feel stuck. I feel like I'm not going anywhere in life, not changing and growing. I have a quiet time every day now, but I don't really know where to start. Have you ever experienced that? A couple of years ago, I was very faithful in my quiet times, and I really felt God was speaking to me through them. I would just open the Bible and read whatever came up, and it seemed to be just what I needed to hear. Doing that now just seems empty though. Where would you suggest I read? I've tried a couple of Bible studies, but none of them seem to fit.
-missionarypoet

 

[Pseud]

Where would you suggest I read?

Ephesians! *bounces*

 

[Blessed-one]

um.. sometimes no matter what you do.. it all seems so pointless and lacking.
Keep praying and wait for Him is what i do, and a time will come when the fire comes again.

or maybe you need to go out and practise God's words. Apply them.

 

[One Son of Many]

........or maybe you need to go out and practise God's words. Apply them.

Very important suggestion! Doing God's words is very complementay to your reading/studying. I feel it is an essential aspect of walking with God, it's even biblical! One helps build up the other. (I always feel better after I get out and do something in God's name... )

 

[desi]

or maybe you need to go out and practise God's words. Apply them.

Yes! Helping others is the best way to help ourselves.

 

[looksgood]

I been there too. To tell the truth I don't know anyone who hasn't. All I have found is that when you do what you know to do, then all that is left is to wait. I did that and waited years on God. But I tell you what, God was right on time. LOL When he is 4 days late He is right on time. God caused my faith to become stronger. I find myself saying that if I die before seeing the promises God gave, then He will raise me up. God empowers us like that I think. Forcing us to walk by faith in the dark with only His word that we will make it. And in the end we find He was true. His word alone is the lamp unto our feet.

 

[mle]

I have felt "stuck" before too. I agree with the others that it is part of "growing up" in the Lord. I hate feeling that way though. I think that we do all go through these times. Sometimes I felt that the Lord was not close and that my spirit life was dull and then I realized that those feelings were because of my womanly hormones. That has taught me that I should not go by what I feel. God is always with me. He will never leave me nor will he forsake me. He told me that and I believe Him, even when I don't feel His presence.
I encourage you to continue on. Trust Him, He will lead you and will always take care of you.

 

[sawdust]

Hi everybody,
I posted here a while ago for some advice about my depression. You guys gave me some really awesome advice, and I'm doing a lot better in that area, but I really feel stuck. I feel like I'm not going anywhere in life, not changing and growing. I have a quiet time every day now, but I don't really know where to start. Have you ever experienced that? A couple of years ago, I was very faithful in my quiet times, and I really felt God was speaking to me through them. I would just open the Bible and read whatever came up, and it seemed to be just what I needed to hear. Doing that now just seems empty though. Where would you suggest I read? I've tried a couple of Bible studies, but none of them seem to fit.
-missionarypoet

Hello again,
I'm glad to hear you are doing better Missionarypoet.
It's not uncommon what you are experiencing. I think sometimes our culture plays a part in that. We are very much the "instant people", fast food, fast cars etc. If you look at scripture we find many instances when God called people to do a certain task or He gave them a certain promise they had to wait for. Moses spent forty years in the wilderness being prepared to lead God's people out of Egypt. Abraham had to wait over four hundred years to see the promise of his descendants becoming a nation. David was annointed by Samuel long before he actually became King. (the exact number of years slips my memory) Waiting...Waiting.... It doesn't go down too well with us who are used to all our fast living. Patience is indeed a virtue...but not all that common nowadays. Do you remember the scripture? "we are being changed from one degree of glory to the next." One degree isn't very much when we weigh it against a full circle. It hardly appears to be all that significant at all really...but it is one small part closer today than yesterday. The Lord is a craftsman and you can't rush good work!
Let's get to some practical issues. The Lord is very kind especially to His little children. He allows them far more "indiscretion" than us big kids. This is most probably why at the start you could open the Bible anywhere and it would talk to you. But it seems to me you are growing up Missionarypoet!
I think the Lord is trying to tell you its time to be a little more mature. I don't say that in a sense to shame you, rather this is a privilege. This shows the Lord is pleased with you and thinks you are ready to handle a more mature approach. When I was a little girl (in years) I would sometimes think "I can't wait till I grow up." My youthful ignorance was unaware that maturity didn't solve difficulities only changed the nature of them. I think most children think this and find out the hard way it doesn't necessarily get easier, just different.
I think now is the time to take a more methodical approach to your quiet time and learn not to rely on how it makes you feel at the end. Begin with Matthew's Gospel. If you have the resources to buy a study book as well that would be good. Someone asked in another thread about things to do that would help them in their Christain growth. I put some things up there, I shall find it and post the link here for you.
Jesus changes lives! There are many great stories of how Jesus changed the circumstances in people's lives but we must remember that it is our character He is more interested in. He has given us a "new nature", that is Himself and we must learn to walk in it. Psalm 11911 tells us to hide the Word in our heart and we must learn to be guided and led by His Spirit. It's a new way for us and it takes time to learn. Don't be discouraged, now is the time to learn perseverance. Jesus knows if you learn to walk in the new nature, it won't matter what circumstances you face because He already has the victory.
God bless you.

 

[JesusInMyHeart]

"My soul, wait thou only upon God."—Psalm 62:6.

But the Psalmist meant other things beside this, when he said, "My soul wait thou only upon God." He meant, My soul, have no care but to please God.

David says to his soul, "My soul, be thou careful for nothing except God; cast all thy care on him; he careth for thee, and make this thy great concern, to love and serve him; and then thou needest care for nothing else at all."

"Lord, direct me". "Lord, show me what I ought to do". "Wait only upon God".

EXPECTATION:

"My soul, imitate the worldly in this; wait thou only upon God, for my expectation is from him."

And therefore I will wait at that door which I expect will be opened with the hand of munificent grace.

Look to God, and to God only. "My expectation is from him."

You must hope in God. Waiting upon the Lord and trusting in His timing is more than a virtue, it is the essence of faith. Rest in the Lord and do not worry, because if we worry and try to take matters into our own hands we will end up going the wrong way.

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (Hebrews 11:1 KJV)

You can depend on God's will will to be done. In His time.

 

[sawdust]

Excellent post JesusInMyHeart!

Would you mind if I copied and pasted it in my notes?

Once the lesson is learned of what it means to wait upon the Lord, it is more than worth the "wait".

 

[sawdust]

Hi again,
Below are those tips I talked about. I couldn't work out how to paste a link to the thread so I copied and pasted them.

Some Practical Tips to Grow Your Christain Life


1. Set aside at least 30 minutes every day to read the Bible. Try to make it the same time each day. Let nothing dissuade from this appointment.

2. When you do No.1 above, always have a notebook and pen with you for any thoughts you may have.

3. Don't be afraid to write in your Bible. Use a highlighter pen for marking versus that speak to you. (it makes them easier to find again)

4. Memorise at least one verse a week. (one a day is better, but I'm slow so I give myself a week. ) Write it out each day like this on a scrap of paper:
Book Chapter Verse " Verse " Book Chapter Verse
ie: Psalm 119:11 "Thy Word I have hid in my heart that I may not sin against Thee" Psalm 119:11
Carry the verse with you all day and read it often, committing it to memory.

5. Teach yourself to wake up with your first thought being "Jesus is Lord". (I have just started this one and it's hard )

6. Get a special notebook to keep by your bed. Use it to write out every verse that has special meaning to you. Sometimes you will be writing a verse a day, sometimes one a month. On the days you are not writing, read it.

7. Prayer - do it in the quiet of your room; do it in the morning; do it in the evening; do it in the Spirit; do it at all times. (the gist here is DO IT! )

8. Study the Bible (distinct from reading). Join a study group or if not available there are many studies that can be bought from a bookstore. For New Christians structured studies are best as it will help discipline you for personal study.

9. Fellowship with those who will encourage you AND teach you the Word of God. (the latter is more important than the former as the Word will become your strongest encourager but for New Christians just starting out I recommend they begin in a Fellowship that is highly encouraging as well.)

10. Discipline Discipline Discipline... it is what makes you a Disciple!

These are not in order of preference or exhaustive and you don't have to do them all. But if you do, you will grow quicker, stronger, sounder.

God Bless