[Their] Time is Coming... Just Wait

Father, Prepare our hearts for the truth in these verses. Help us to be formed by it, rather than deforming the text to fit us. Help us to hold on without lashing out, even as things around us seem to be accellerating around the drain. Give us what we need for today so that we can respond appropriately to these things. In Jesus’ Name, Amen Psalm 37:8-10 (TPT) Stay away from anger and revenge. Keep envy far from you, for it only leads you into lies. For one day the wicked will be destroyed, but those who trust in the Lord will inherit the land. Just a little while longer and the ungodly will vanish; you will look for them in vain. To continue the thought from two weeks ago now, complete vindication and proof of our righteousness is coming, soon and very soon. Whether you want to believe that White Hats are a thing or not, There has to be a point when we reach critical mass and [they] can no longer control us with [their] nonsense. Pray. Be still. Allow the Lord to work it in His way. If He tells you to get out there and do something, go do it. He will be alongside you, blunting the blows you will take. This text, though, tells us that [they] will go down without us seeking vengeance or anything of that sort. God has it in hand. He is actively bringing them down as we watch in real time. Yes, even as the darkness appears to get deeper and stronger, even as it looks as though the last of our freedoms are on the brink of going away forever. I was talking to someone last week who is struggling with this, they went through the Charlie Ward phase of the truth movement, and now they believe that Q is a psyop. It very well may be. But whose psyop is it, if it is one? That is not the point of this devotion, but I bring it up to highlight how I believe that if we learn listening prayer, and how to hold our perceptions of reality more lightly, and invest fewer emotions in them, we will be in a better place to respond appropriately to things. If we cut the emotional, knee-jerk reactions out of our lives, then we can wait in peace for those who have partnered with the Enemy to be taken out. We, as a general rule, need do very little directly to [them]. Our role is to be aligned with heaven through prayer. When these natural emotional reactions pop up, our job is to recognize them, but not to embody them. Recognize the fear, the anger, the pain, etc, that pops up in reaction to these external circumstances, but do not let them govern your actions toward or words about those situations. Give those to the Lord, allow Him to diffuse them and to heal the wounds caused by those situations. This is far easier said than done. This is where something like an examen comes in, in conjunction with listening prayer as we experimented with it last week. What is an examen, you ask? It is a Jesuit practice, developed by Ignatious of Loyola, who founded the Order. Let me lead you through an Examen, now, so that you can see what I am talking about. First, quiet yourself. Become aware of God’s presence with and in you in this moment. Second, think over your day (perhaps journal a bit, to get your thoughts more organized) with gratitude. Third, Note your emotions as you go through step 2. What might God be saying to you through those emotions? Fourth, Pick one thing in your day and focus on it in prayer, ask the Lord to highlight something to you from your day, some emotional aspect to it, and allow prayer, in whatever form, to come out spontaneously (do not judge it). Fifth, think about what you anticipate for tomorrow, challenges, joys, etc, be attentive to the emotions that come up as you are doing this step, and pray into them, asking for guidance, strength, or whatever seems important in that moment, as you are thinking about the day to come. At the end, just talk to the Lord. Wrap it up, but don’t rush. You just did your first examen (most likely). How was that? Could you see it being helpful in refocusing yourself on gratitude? Could this help in letting some of those emotioal reactions pass you by, so that you can more patiently wait to see the day when the wicked are no more? By all means, if you have been commissioned by the Lord to go and do something other than pray, stay in alignment with Him on that, and always check to see if what you are doing is what He intends you to do.