The Holding Pattern

·                         

·                Isaiah 55:8-9

8: For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says 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.

THE HOLDING PATTERN ©

As I read through some of my very first devotionals, I found that many of them needed revising. I came across the first devotional that I ever read publicly (which happened to be on the SIS line)! The title of it is The Holding Pattern! God began to give me some insight as to why he had me to pen this devotional. As I looked at it I began to ask myself if this was what was happening in my life? It seems as if after turning 50 everything began to halt! I wasn't hearing devotionals anymore in my spirit, I was tired all of the time, I began to get un-organized in everything...and I couldn't seem to hear from God the same way! My circumstances began to gain momentum! And I didn't always feel like praying...didn't always feel like reading...or intercessing...or caring! I was tired...exhausted...and seemed to be going round and round...and round...and round! 

The same routine...the same atmosphere...I found myself asking, "Am I still effective? Do I still have purpose? Why is everything just still and not moving!!?? 

God took me to The Holding Pattern. My first devotional. It reads like this:
What is God doing? And why doesn't He answer me, when I need Him to? Why is my life on hold!?? God put an airplane pilot in my spirit...probably because I've always been fascinated by airplanes. One of the things that I love about a pilot is that he or she has a great commitment to the people who are aboard their planes. Regardless to the many schedules and itineraries of the passengers, he or she will Not land a plane if the conditions are not favorable to do so. When conditions suggest a change...a change is made!

 Until then, the plane is put in what is known as a “holding pattern.” What types of conditions can cause this delay? Well, there could be problems caused by the weather; or the arrival times may have gotten off somehow; there could be a dangerous situations down below that may be keeping the plane from being able to land at that moment..or be allowed to move forward as planned.  The plane is ordered to remain in a “PROTECTED AIRSPACE”, until the situations clear... and a safe landing can take place.....A Holding Pattern!

It can sometimes be that way with us.  It seems as if our lives just halt all of a sudden! It seems as if we had it going on and then all of a sudden everything stopped flowing! Sometimes our spiritual well being is in need of maintenance and God is saying, "I'm putting you in a holding pattern until you are restored!" "That situation you're going through is to build you and so I have ordered a holding pattern because if I remove you too soon you won't be as effective as I need for you to be!" 

Sometimes, we get frustrated because God has not moved on our prayers, but it is because HE has us in a "holding pattern." Conditions are not favorable for him to release the answer yet; there are things in the way, maybe a relationship, disobedience, or sinful pleasures that we don’t want to get rid of...maybe un-forgiveness has you in a holding pattern....but hold on! There could be other reasons, such as, God wants to bless you, and take you to a new level in Him! Or could He be just waiting for you to re-make HIM as part of your daily itinerary.  Whatever it is that has caused God to put things on hold...Don't give up! The holding pattern is not forever! When the time is right you'll hear the pilot say, "we are now preparing to land!" God had you in a "protected airspace!" ...You thought it was punishment but God said it was protection!!  You thought your time was being wasted but God said, "your time was being managed!" "You thought you didn't have what it takes...but I was qualifying you!"

He's saying, If I allow you to land right now, you'll miss out on what I have for you! If I allow you to land right now you won't have the wisdom that I plan on giving you as a result of this storm you are currently in! You won't have the power yet that is on its way as a result of you going through the fire! It's not forever! Right now I am restoring, revising, and restructuring some things...and "I know exactly when to bring you in for a perfect landing!"

Today’s prayer:

Dear Lord, we ask your forgiveness, because we have not trusted your Word or your Sovereign timing. You have let us know many times in your Word that we can trust you and you have given us all that we need to do so; however, we have continued to lean upon our own understanding. Lord, we continue to see your timing as “delays”, which would mean that you have failed to meet OUR deadlines. Lord, let us be reminded that there is no failure in you, so there is no failure in your timing. Lord, we will begin to thank you for your Perfect Timing in our lives, knowing that you are all seeing, all knowing, and ever showing. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen