Waiting in the Land in Between

S - Acts 7: 37-42  (NASB)

 37 This is the Moses who said to the sons of Israel, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet [x]like me from your countrymen.’ 38 This is the one who was in the [y]assembly in the wilderness together with the angel who spoke to him at length on Mount Sinai, and who was with our fathers; and he received living words to pass on to you. 39 Our fathers were unwilling to be obedient to him; on the contrary they rejected him and turned back to Egypt in their hearts, 40 saying to Aaron, ‘Make us [z]a god who will go before us; for this Moses who led us out of the land of Egypt—we do not know what happened to him.’ 41 [aa]At that time they made a [ab]calf and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and were rejoicing in the works of their hands. 42 But God turned away and gave them over to [ac]serve the heavenly [ad]lights; as it is written in the book of the prophets: ‘You did not offer Me victims and sacrifices for forty years in the wilderness, did you, house of Israel?

O - Stephen's testimony of the the biblical history from Abraham to Jesus was meant to let the crowd that had gathered that Stephen was a man of God who knew his people's history.  He begins telling them the story of Abraham , Isaac and Jacob.   This highlighted passage speaks of Moses roll in leading the people out of captivity to the promised land.  After Moses helped them escape Egypt he led them to Mount Sinai where he received the revelation of the 10 commandments.  In the meantime down the mountain the people became restless waiting for Moses to return and built a golden  calf they could worship.

A - The application for me is to learn from the Israelites, that while in the land in between I must guard my heart and mind to trust and wait on the Lord.    God has a plan,  a promised land waiting for me if only I could remain close to him.   My tendency in these waiting periods is to get anxious and begin creating small idols of busyness.   I must learn to sit quietly in times of waiting on the lord.   

 P - Dear heavenly Father thank you for today's lesson, may it be sealed to my heart.  Lord I pray for patience to walk and wait patiently in this land in between.  I want your will to be done through my life and love you more each day.  I pray all this in Jesus' Christ name, Amen.