MINISTER'S MOMENT
My hope is in you
Rev. Charlotte Austin
McCary's Chapel United Methodist Church

Impatient? Call on God. Do all you can to repair a wrong. Then wait patiently for Him to do His healing, restoring work. Don't rely on quick fixes.

Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.

Psalm 25:4-5

Our fast moving world demands immediate service--- instant car-phone communication, twenty-minute pizza delivery service, one-hour film development. Waiting is grating!

We have no time for breakdowns, recuperation, or repairs. If something goes wrong, we want a quick fix so we can be on our way. If stores can't give us instant service, we take our business elsewhere. Whether it's new brakes or a pill for jangled nerves, we want fast action or instant relief.

This demand for quick fixes spills over into the spiritual realm. When a relationship breaks down because of hurtful words or mistreatment, we want to fix it with a mumbled apology or a cheap gift. Or when trouble comes and life begins to unravel, we expect to solve the problem with a hasty prayer and a few insincere resolutions.

The psalmist David wanted release from his distresses so he prayed, "And my hope is in you all day long." (v. 5) He ended his plea for help by saying, "My hope is in you." (v. 21)

Lord, when we get ourselves in trouble we seldom think about working to undo it; we just think about getting out of it. And in trying to get out of it, we often make the situation even worse. Help us, Lord, to consider the possible consequences of an action before we do it. And may the realization of hurt and trouble keep us from doing anything that would cause it. Through our Savior we pray, Amen.