#360: Mentoring Moment: Wait Patiently

Welcome to Kingdom Writers, where we help equip and empower Christian writers of all genres to share your unique gifts with the world. We're your hosts, C.J. and Shelley Hitz.

This podcast is filled with spiritual encouragement as well as prayers to help you overcome the resistance you face as a writer. Your story matters.

And our theme for today is wait patiently. This can mean different things, whether you're writing or publishing or marketing your book, but CJ is going to share some encouragement with us today that I pray, really just helps you move forward in God's call on your life. So CJ share with us today.

Yeah, so I've been meditating on the little book of Habakkuk.

How many have read that recently? Any hands? I got a few hands there. I see that hand.

So, you know, it's a great little book. Regarding this whole theme of waiting patiently, if you know anything about Habakkuk, that first chapter is really.

One big complaint. And yet it's also this questioning, what's going on, Lord? It starts off with Habakkuk questioning the Lord about the culture that he's living in. Like, I see wickedness everywhere, and what are you going to do about this? And this and this and this? There's three questions that he asks.

And then the Lord does reply. The Lord replies with probably an answer that Habakkuk wasn't expecting. The Lord says, oh, I'm. I'm. I'm well aware of what's going on. And by the way, I've already prepared the Babylonians to come in, and they're. They're kind of a battle ram all over the world right now. They're conquering other nations. And just to give you a heads up, I'm going to use the cruel Babylonians to get your attention. And it was, it was really a sobering word. So right after that, Habakkuk has, and I counted eight more questions in the form of complaint. Like, are you really going to destroy your people, Lord? Are you going to, like, just wipe us out completely? I didn't quite mean that in my first few questions.

And so.

He asks these eight questions, and then many of us are familiar with the first verse in Habakkuk Chapter two after he's aired his complaint. And by the way, I want to tell you all today that it's okay to air your complaint. It's actually very cleansing to get that out instead of letting some resentment build up. It's good to question the Lord. It's good to ask, like, what's going on Here, Lord, and I do want to say, even as we continue.

I want to encourage you, what questions do you have for the Lord today? What complaints do you have for the Lord today of what's happening with your writing, or maybe just in the world in general, or your financial situation?

Just the whole. Anything that comes to mind. I want you to feel free. Write that down. You can either write it down here, or you can write it down privately in your own notepad, whatever it might be. What questions do you have? It's good to get those out. Habakkuk had plenty. But as we're going to see, the Lord also had some answers. And so he asks all these questions. He airs his complaint. And the first verse in chapter two says, I will climb up to my watchtower and stand at my guard post. There I will wait and see what the Lord says and how he will answer my complaint. You see, we can learn something from Habakkuk. He aired his complaints. He aired his questions. But what did he do there after that? He waited. But not just waited. He continued like his duties. Now, I don't know exactly what he did. I mean, we know him as a prophet. He's one of the only prophets that we read.

We don't know exactly what his vocation was like. There's some, like old Amos, you know, was a farmer. We don't know exactly. I'm kind of getting the impression that he might have been some kind of a sentinel or a guard, and he was going to wait at his post. He was going to actively work. What it tells me is that as we're waiting patiently, you and I need to continue doing what we're called to do. What was the last thing we felt called to do? What was the last thing we heard the Lord say to us? We need to continue that, so there's a continuation of what we're called to do. But then the Lord gave him another reply, and he's very specific here. Verse 2 says, Then the Lord said to me, write my answer plainly on tablets so that a runner can carry the correct message to others. This vision is for the future time. It describes the end and it will be fulfilled. And I love this. How many of us need this word today if it seems slow and coming? How many of you have waited for something that, oh my goodness, it just seems slow in coming? The Lord says, if it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed.

I want to say that the Lord has good plans. They don't always look, the way you and I would expect.

He may use means to help us get to a certain place that aren't fun. In the process.

He may be teaching you something. He may be teaching me something. There's lessons to be learned in the process. How many know that, that you're not just writing this book to get on the New York Times bestseller list? How many know that the Lord's teaching you something right now, even as you write the book, even as you put notes together, even as you begin marketing? He's teaching all of us something. Well, you know what? The rest of chapter two is a pretty sobering thing regarding the enemies of the Lord's people, like the Babylonians, one day are going to sort of.

Reap what they've sown. The Lord says all of this, and he even, I think, is directing some of this to the Lord's people, those who have gotten rich dishonestly, those who have done this and this and this. He basically says, woe to them. And then we move to chapter three.

And chapter three is one long prayer by Habakkuk in response to what he's heard from the Lord. It's a humbling prayer, and it even says that it was put to a song, which makes me think that Habakkuk might have been part of the tribe of Levi, because a lot of times the Levites were the ones in charge of putting together the songs of worship to the Lord.

And so, you know.

He'S reading or he's lifting up this prayer.

And it's just got all kinds of awesome descriptions of the Lord. Like, I'm overwhelmed, Lord. Like, you've spoken to me. I worship you. Who could come against you?

But we're very familiar, many of us, who've read Habakkuk with the passage toward the end.

And it begins.

It begins in basically 16.

Chapter three, verse 16. I trembled inside when I heard this. My lips quivered with fear. My legs gave way beneath me, and I shook in terror. Like, he's just completely humbled by the Lord in his response. But then he says those words, the God come up again. I will wait quietly for the coming day when disaster will strike the people who invade us.

And then these words. Listen to this. This is what we can all proclaim, regardless of the circumstances that you and I are in right now and every one of us here on this virtual writing retreat call, we could say we're in a different circumstance. We could say, something's going on here. I'm not quite content, or I'm not happy about something I need to hear the Lord on something. I'm waiting patiently. But I still have some complaints. I still have some questions. Where are you, Lord? What's going on? The world's in chaos, on and on. But listen to what Habakkuk finally concludes.

Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and I'm going to insert a word here, I'm going to take some liberality here and I'm going to insert a word that I think even makes this even more succinct with our situation. So the word I'm going to insert here with all these different lines here is the word currently.

So even though the fig trees currently.

Have no blossoms and there are currently no grapes on the vines, even though the olive crop currently fails and the fields currently lie empty and barren, even though the flocks currently die in the fields, like, things don't look good right now, Lord. This is the current situation.

And the cattle barns are currently empty.

And here's his response to all those circumstances. Yet I will rejoice in the Lord.

I will be joyful in the God of my salvation.

Pam, you said it's a choice. It's a choice. Habakkuk could have went on and on with his complaints, but he chose to still say.

Things don't look good right now, Lord.

Like what are you doing? Like, what's going on here? Things don't look good. Are you going to act, Lord.

At the end of all this, Habakkuk says.

You'Re good no matter what, Lord.

No matter what.

My book is not where I want it to be.

My finances are not where they need to be, where I want them to be. My family is not where I want them to be.

Our country is not where I want them to be. I mean, on and on we could go.

But you and I still have the chance, after all of that airing of complaint, to say, but you're still good, Lord.

You'Re always good. And I'm going to be joyful in the salvation of my God. I know no matter how things, how bad things get in my circumstances, the Lord's taking care of me.

And it says, the sovereign Lord is my strength. He makes me as sure footed as a deer able to tread upon the heights. I love that, that you and I, even in the midst of a chaotic culture.

We still have sure footedness like a deer in our God.

Not in our own strength. If you read in chapter one how the Lord says he was going to use the Babylonians, and he says, except these people are deeply guilty by the way, because they trust in their own strength. That's chapter one.

Habakkuk says, no.

I don't care how bad the circumstances get. I trust in the Lord's strength. His strength is going to get me through this. I just want to say for all of you that have been waiting patiently, you're tired of waiting. You've got complaints. Please air those out, get those out, write those down, lift them up to the Lord.

But then just wait to see how the Lord's going to respond. He's not just causing your prayers to dissolve into thin air. He's hearing you. He's hearing us. He's got a plan. He's working in the background. But we've got to be able to wait patiently and continue doing the things we're called to do. And that's what I see Habakkuk doing. He continued doing and watching and being aware and going back to his post, his spiritual post, you might say. You and I have a spiritual post that's continuing to pray, continuing to be in the word, listening, watching, waiting. But we're doing that patiently, knowing that we serve a God who is more than watching out for us. In fact, he's already got the plans already worked out, way ahead. He's just not revealed everything to us yet. We'd be too overwhelmed. I think you and I would agree with that. We'd be way too overwhelmed. We'd probably fall over dead because it would just blow our minds. And essentially Habakkuk is saying at the end there, my mind is essentially blown and I'm just overwhelmed with fear and trembling and how good you are, Lord, how awesome you are. And yet he then finished the whole thing with praise. I'm going to praise you no matter what my circumstances. How many know that's the praise. The enemy hates the worst. That's what the enemy can't stand. He wants you to wallow in depression and despair from the stuff that you're going through and never lift another head or word of worship to the Lord. He hates the worship of the Lord. He wants to be worshiped. And when we give that to the Lord, even when we don't always feel like it or see our circumstances the way they are. Wow, that's a weapon. And so I just encourage all of you, lift up your praise on the heels of your complaints, on the heels of your questions, and I'm telling you, your situation internally will begin to change. And the enemy can't steal that from you. That's my word here today.

Yeah. And you know, we are all going to go through those times, right? The Bible says, you know, it doesn't say like if it's like when. And you know, you go through these hard times and so we, we need to come to realize there are going to be those hard times. But I know for me, sometimes I just want to wallow in self pity for a little while, right? Or I just want to start.

You know, for me, I tend to go more towards the striving. Like, I gotta figure this out, I gotta do this. And it's like the Lord just sometimes wants us to fix our eyes on him. And lately, like, I have just had to say this year has been one of those years where we've really had to trust on in God even more for our provision. And it's like God is provision, right? God is, you know, whatever you need healing. Like, I've had some neck and shoulder and rib issues and I've just been declaring that God, you are our healer. You are my healer. My healer is. My healing is in process. Even though I don't see it right now maybe. And so God is working all things out and yet keep our eyes fixed on him. You know, one of the things that I realized is with our finances, I do have a spreadsheet. And it's good to keep track of things. Like you might have a spreadsheet of your book sales, or you might keep a word count of how far you are on your first draft or whatever it is that you're keeping track of. And some of those things are good. But then the Lord showed me my eyes were fixed on the current circumstances, right? And like C.J. was saying, currently, it looks this way, right?

Currently.

But then the, the Lord, through a friend, showed me like to put a line item in our P and L, our profit and loss statement. God is provision. And then whatever was lacking, I put that number in there. And you know what? It changed everything for me because it changed my focus. Every time I'd look at that spreadsheet and think we're lacking this much or however much. I would always see that line because I bolded it, I put it in purple. It's like God is provision. Whatever we're lacking, he's going to provide. And he has, he has. But I just want to encourage you. Like it is so easy to go down this path of who just the thinking, right? And we have the Kingdom Writer Renewal Workshop that you can get and go through about that as well. But cj, why don't you just close this in time of encouragement in prayer.

Father.

We'Re overwhelmed by your goodness.

And we proclaim your goodness even in the midst of.

A current circumstance that doesn't look the best to us, whatever that may be.

We trust that you are God. You're still on your throne.

You'Re overseeing everything. You've got a plan. And we trust you, Lord.

And I just ask, Lord, that you would.

Strengthen us. I pray that each one of us would be filled with your spirit. I pray, Lord, that you would speak clearly. Just like you you told Habakkuk to get ready, write this down on tablets. This is a vision I'm going to give you.

I pray that we would all be ready and.

Hearing you and writing down whatever it is that.

Each of us is called to. And we know, Lord, that with each one of us, you're doing something unique. And each one is a kingdom writer, a priestly pen in the hands of the author of life. And so we're asking, Lord, that you would give us what we need today for this day. Tomorrow has enough trouble of its own. But today we give you this day completely. Not looking ahead, but just waiting patiently. And I pray, Lord, that.

You would have your way in each person here, regardless of circumstance. We say you are good.

You're worthy of being trusted completely with every ounce of our lives. You're our only hope. And we acknowledge that today. In Jesus name, amen.

Amen. And I just wanted to share the exact verse, what I was referring to earlier. It's John 16:33. The NIV says, I've told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will doesn't say might, you will have trouble. But take heart, I, Jesus, is the one talking. I, Jesus, have overcome the world. Such good encouragement for us today. Amen. Would you like more? If you are enjoying this podcast but want more, I have something exciting to share with you. We have released what's called a private podcast. So a private podcast you will not find by searching an apple. You have to know specifically how to subscribe to it. It's more private and exclusive and it just can be more relaxed behind the scenes. And my new private podcast is called Hits Blitz. And it's wisdom for writers that you're gonna learn from my 18 plus years of experience in publishing and online marketing so that you can move forward in God's call to write. I am best known for injecting energy and enthusiasm into everything I do and inspiring those around me to take action. So I encourage you to listen in to this exclusive Free private podcast. It is free, 100% free. You don't have to pay for it and be prepared to be inspired by my next hits blitz so you can sign up@trainingauthors.com hitsblitz and if you have any other writing friends that you think could benefit from it, definitely share it with them. They can go to the same link trainingauthors.com hits blitz to get access. Again, this is a private podcast so you cannot get access to it any other way. It's completely free. All you have to do is sign up and then you'll get all the information on how to add it to your podcast player of choice. So I can't wait for you to join me over there. I share a lot of things behind the scenes and more content just in a real time basis. So it's more like chatting with a friend or following someone on stories on social media. Except you don't have to get caught up in any of the algorithms. You'll just have this in your podcast player and be able to listen in wherever you're at, whatever you're doing. Some of the listeners told me this week that they were listening while waiting in the Target parking lot, while brushing their teeth. You can fit this into the pockets of time that you have, so I hope you'll join me. Come over to training authors.com hitsblitz.

Thank you for listening to this episode of Kingdom Writers. We believe that you, as a Christian writer, have a specific role to play in the Kingdom of Heaven to impact lives for eternity.

And because of this, we choose to pour out our lives into encouraging writers like you to not only tell your stories, but to take the courageous step of self publishing your stories in book books that will outlive you and leave behind a powerful legacy. This podcast is sponsored by Christian Book Academy where we help you give birth to your books. We invite you to join our community of Kingdom Writers.