God help me to understand

God help me to understand
that your time is not mine
Give me patience
to wait in silence
for your answer
Give me more faith
when my soul is suffering
Sometimes you come late
but always with a purpose and a solution
When I claim when I pray
It seems that you are not hearing
But you work in silence
You prepared the day of tomorrow
I have to pray I have to rely
In the Lord who has created the world
He guards me every day
And prepared the day of tomorrow
He says in his word when I pray
He will give me an answer
He knows better what is good
He has for me a day of tomorrow

Sister, how do you personally understand God’s concept of time and how it affects your daily life?

In the book Ecclesiastes in the bible, we learn that there is a time for everything:

In Ecclesiastes 3 it is written:

1 To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

So, when you have a day of sorrow and you feel unhappy, it may be, that it is not the day of happiness and laughing today. But God ensures in his word, that there will come better days again.

Can you share a specific instance when you had to exercise patience and wait for God’s answer? How did it make you feel?

Before knowing my husband, I was living alone in Chile and that was not always easy. I had a time with very less money and nobody who could help me. But I confide in God and every day I got the money for buying the next lunch.

Step by step God provided my daily needs and I become happy with the life I had and and at the moment I expected it least, I met my husband and his family to share with them.

And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

Romans 5,3-5

In times of suffering, how do you find the strength to maintain faith in God’s plan? Can you describe a situation where your faith was tested and how you overcame it?

My faith was tested once, when a family member was angry about me and did not want to talk to me. In such difficult situations I use to fast and pray. I go on with eating, but I cut the things I like most off for to discipline myself. The situation was not solved at once. But a half year later she visited me here in Chile.

12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

James 1,12

Reflecting on the lyrics, can you recall a time when you felt that God’s response to your prayers was delayed? How did you cope with the uncertainty and what emotions did it evoke?

Well, there are still prayers in my life, that are not answered. We are as Christians constantly on a pilgrim s way and there comes a lot of struggles and difficulties we have to stand.

We never should think, that is over. As long as we live here on earth problems will go on.

But when I am tested and sad, I remember Moises at the Red Sea. Ahead there was water and behind the Egypt army which wanted to kill them.

They were totally helpless but at night when all were sleeping – as long as they could sleep in these difficulties – God had sent a storm which parted the ocean and they were able to walk through the water and later the Egypt’s who wanted to do the same died in the ocean.

So I am sure, that God is never delayed, he is preparing a way meanwhile I go on with my everyday life. I sleep and arise; I am doing my daily things and God will take care on the rest.

We can read it in Psalm  3 , which a preacher titled: Rest for those who are affected. David was in a horrible situation, because his own son has persecuted him. But he said:

LORD, how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me.

Many there be which say of my soul, there is no help for him in God. Selah.

But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of my head.4 I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah.

I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me.

I will not be afraid of ten thousand of people, that have set themselves against me round about.

Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God: for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly.

Salvation belonged unto the LORD: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.

He looked away from his problems and confided, that he will not have fear of the problems he had to face the next day.

How do you reconcile the idea of God working in silence with the need for active prayer and reliance on Him? Can you share an experience where you felt God’s presence and guidance despite the absence of an immediate answer?

I once had a wish, it is too personal to talk more about it here, but I really invested faith and praying for to get a positive answer.

Our pastor in church arranged a night of miracles in the church and all could write their unanswered prayers on a paper and he will bring it to a hill and pray for them. I delivered my paper, too and the same night I got the answer from God, that the answer is no.

At the first moment I was sad, but I than I wrote a song about, that Gods wisdom is greater than ours.

When we pray, it may be, that we have to wait a long time or that the answer is no, but God alone knows why.

He is sovereign and if something is not doing well for us, he keeps it away from us.

But in all that process, I felt, that God was present with his good hand and even I did not get what I wanted, I felt him near me.

8  For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: 11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing where to I sent it.

Jesaja 55,8-11

Sister，How does the belief in God’s omniscience and His ability to prepare the future impact your daily life? Can you describe a situation where you had to trust in God’s plan for tomorrow and the emotions it stirred within you?

I once had a very hard job, that I did not like at all, but it paid my bills. I was not able to give it up, because I did not have another one. I got sick and depressed and I was so happy when I could at last leave this job and my plan was to go to university.

One day before I moved, the university told me, that there is no place for me there. So I moved anyway and had a half-time-job which I liked very much and went on with my life.

Long story, short explication: Especially after some years these job that I hated so much was in the future very important in my curriculum, so it was good, that I did not leave it as long as I could stand to work there.

To conclude our conversation about the time of God and answered or still unanswered prayers, I would like to say to our listeners, be careful about feeling rich or poor as in the parable of the Sower.

18 Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.

19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understand it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catches away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.

20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receives it;

21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but death for a while: for when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, by and by he is offended.

22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.

23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and underattended it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

Matthew 13

The seed is the word which is sowed in our hearts, but the seed who felt among the thorns became unfruitful because of the cares of the worlds and the deceitfulness of riches. If we only pray for the daily needs of our flesh and only think about the earthly things, it may happen, that the seed in our heart can not grow. The bible tells about those who made their stomach to their God and that is a big warning.

17 Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample. 18 (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: 19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.) 20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: 21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

Philliper 3

God is not a Santa Claus, where you put 10 minutes prayer in and then you will get what you want. But if we have real problems, he will not leave us alone.

So let us focus in praying on the things of the kingdom of heaven. That people are saved from hell, that persecuted Christians get shelter and protection and all these things.

God has already answered the prayer that I expressed in this song we talked about today. I am mor quiet about things, that still did not happen and can say, ok, when God not answers today, he has a good reason.

So, I wish to all our listeners this relationship with God, where we see him as a good father in heaven who has control about absolutely everything.