Sent: Wednesday, January 16, 2002

Subject: Getting God’s Attention


Good Morning Ethan & Emily:

We all know that nothing pleases God like obedience and giving praise.  But have you ever wondered what really gets His attention?  This morning, let’s briefly look at just one verse…Psalm 40:1.

In the King James Version, this reads:  “I waited patiently for the Lord, and He inclined unto me and heard my cry.”

In the New Living Translation, we find:  “I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and He turned to me and heard my cry.”

What I want us to focus on here is the event that gets God’s attention.   It was not our good deeds…or our loud praises…or our valiant defense of the faith, but…the fact that we are willing to wait patiently for God’s direction…and not take “Rambo” action on our own to solve whatever problem we might be facing.

Cant’s you just see God halting whatever He is doing…and then “inclining” or leaning over, so to speak, cupping his hand to His ear, as He listens to the cry of our hearts as we wait upon Him?  Visualize Almighty God walking…stopping…and then “turning” to take note of us and give us focused attention?  It wasn’t “noise” that got His attention but our silence….as we in faith honor Him and speak to Him with the silence of our waiting on Him for guidance and direction.  This is what faith and trust is all about…where the “rubber meets the road.”

If you want the blessedness of God’s provision…and not the disaster of your own contrived solutions…learn to wait patiently on Him.   He will answer and you will rejoice as you declare:  “He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and mire.  He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along.”  (Psalm 40: 2)

Continuing our study of “waiting patiently,” tomorrow I would like to share with you a copy of notes I recorded from an article originally written by Charles Stanley, pastor of First Baptist Church, Atlanta, GA.  If you could listen to only one preacher on T.V., Pastor Stanley would be the one you would want to listen to…as his messages are so very practical and helpful.  The title of this article is: “Filling God’s Gaps”…which is all about one of the hardest things we can ever do in the fast-paced, action driven world we live in today…and that is learning to “wait patiently.”

Until tomorrow…may you have a wonderful day…and if you have to “wait” today…be not discouraged…but rejoice because you have just made God stop whatever He was doing as He turns” to you, and “inclines” to give you His full attention!  Wow…


All my love,

Dad