Waiting on Jesus

I'm currently in the midst of raising support to work out in North Africa as an advocate for young women involved in the sex industry and sex-trafficking trade. This hasn't been an easy process as I am left to depend on the Father for guidance and support. I came across a prayer from Scotty Smith today that gives voice to my heart as I continue to lift these women up to Jesus for freedom through the Gospel. I recognize this is one of the first posts about my future work in Africa mentioned on my blog and I'm excited to see what God will do through it. Please join me in the fight against the evil happening all over the world through the sex trade. I've attached a video and then Scotty Smith's prayer.

SEX TRAFFICKING IN NORTH AFRICA VIDEO

A Prayer for Not Fretting Evil, While We Wait on the Lord

-Scotty Smith

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil. For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land. Ps. 37:7-9

Faithful Father, you send your Word with Swiss timing and uncanny precision. Whenever we’re vexed or fretful, you anticipate it. Whenever we’re confused or anxious, you’ve already spoken wisdom about the matter in multiple places in the Scriptures. Whenever we feel vulnerable or angry, time and time again, you come to us in the Bible and bring us back home to gospel-sanity. How we praise you for the counsel and consolation of your Word; the grace and power of the Scriptures; the truth and authority of the Bible.

It’s easy to get worked up over the apparent success of those who bring harm to others—evildoers who even get rewarded for their madness. Whether it’s madmen playing with enriched uranium like it’s Play Doh, pirates seizing aid marked for poor countries, the exponential growth of human trafficking and slavery, the multi-kazillion-dollar pornography and drug industries, violations of beauty and goodness are everywhere. How long, O Lord, before you send Jesus back to put all things right? When will Jesus return to finish making all things new?

Your answer from the Scriptures to our weary cry is exactly what we need. You won’t give us a date, but as always, you do give us yourself. Father, through the Psalmist, we hear you loud and clear. You’re calling us to stillness and fretless waiting. Every day, in multiple contexts, we need to hear you say, “Be still and know that I am God.” No good comes from our obsessing about the darkness and evil-making. Nothing profitable results from our spending extra time fertilizing our anger, fueling our disgust, fuming about how much evil-doers get away with.

Satan has already been defeated at the cross, and he is filled with fury because he knows his time is short. Having been humiliated, he will be eradicated. Death and dying; terror and terrifying; evil and evil-makers will be gone forever. For a Day is coming when the knowledge of your glory will cover the entire earth as the waters cover the sea. The whole world is “holy land”, not just one small and important bit of real estate in the Middle East. From the Garden of Eden to the gardens of the new heaven and new earth, you are in control. The New Jerusalem is coming down from heaven, not a day early and not a day late.

Until that day, we will seek to seek first the kingdom of God and the righteousness of King Jesus. Push back the effects of the fall through us, and offer a foretaste of the world to come. How we praise you that the very righteousness with which you have already robed us is the same righteousness with which you are going to fill the earth. By the riches of the gospel, you’ve already adopted us as your children and made us to be heirs of a perfect eternity. Hallelujah, what a Savior! Hallelujah, what a salvation! So very Amen we pray, in Jesus’ powerful name.