Take a Pig and Wait

By Mary Ellen Stewart

Keep the candle of your life burning brightly.

Many years ago, the Lord informed Mary Ellen that as the world grows darker and darker, the only light will be in the eyes of Christians. Jesus said in Matthew 5:14-16 (nkjv), "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trilogy Christian Publishing
• Release date: Aug 15, 2020
• ISBN: 9781647732271

Book preview

Introduction

Truly my soul silently waits for God; From Him comes my salvation.

—Psalm 62:1 (NKJV)

The first thing we have to learn in life is to wait. Our frustration with waiting begins with a cry for help when we leave the safety and warmth of the womb. This feeling of helplessness still continues for us as children. It can cause us to cry or throw tantrums when we feel our needs aren’t being met. However, a parent or caretaker can change the disposition of a child from unhappiness to contentment with various distractions such as toys, a game, a pet, or by meeting special needs.

Although we leave most childish ways behind as adults, we never get over being frustrated or irritated by obstacles and changes as we walk the hills and valleys of life. As we attempt to solve daily problems, our feelings of discontentment, hopelessness, or helplessness can cause us to resort to negative emotions that lead us to become chronic complainers or depressed people. Our happiness in life depends to a large extent on how willing we are to wait on God to move on our behalf.

Like any good parent, God wants to divert our attention away from the daily satanic attacks that affect our thoughts and behavior. He does this by communicating with us through His Word, dreams, visions, prayer or experiences. So only I could understand from past experiences with a little pig what God meant when He said to me, Take a pig and wait. Nevertheless, I was amazed that He would use a seemingly insignificant experience that happened so many years ago to help me deal with current problems.

The Power of the Word

Only God knows us intimately enough through the power of the Holy Spirit to stir up our faith. That power is Christ in you, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27 NKJV). The Apostle Paul compares the inner dwelling of Christ in us to the special oneness between a husband and wife in marriage (Ephesians 5:31 NKJV). In Romans 7:4 (NKJV), Paul says, Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God.

That special oneness with the Holy Spirit through Christ helps our spirits hear from God. Jesus said to His disciples, For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say (Luke 12:12 NKJV).

Before Jesus was carried into heaven, He said, Behold, I send the promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high (Luke 24:49–50 NKJV).

That same power Jesus gave to His disciples came into us when we became Christians, and through the Holy Spirit, God teaches us what He wants us to know, say, and do. When negative or fearful thoughts come, we can remember that, [G]od has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV). We can tell Satan he’s a liar and the father of liars or we can say, That may be true in the natural, but I live in the supernatural through the power of the Holy Spirit. The act of our will determines to what degree we live in the supernatural power of God and how effective we are in changing our thoughts to whatsoever is true, lovely, just, or of good report (Philippians 4:8 NKJV).

Spiritual Assets Overcome Satan’s Liabilities

Satan fights the Holy Spirit daily by sending his spiritual forces to control our minds, emotions, and intellects (our souls). His forces of negativity are used against us as liabilities and include such things as worldliness, pride, fear, anxiety, bitterness, and unforgiveness. Our spiritual assets that outweigh Satan’s liabilities are God’s truth, His righteousness, love, peace, faith, salvation, the Word, and prayer.

Assets must be stronger than liabilities for us to be successful in money matters in the physical world or for conquerors to hold physical ground they have conquered. The same principle applies in the spiritual world: Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us (Romans 8:37 nkjv). When we use our spiritual assets (God’s wisdom) to outweigh our spiritual liabilities (Satan’s negativity), we can have successful, happy, fruitful lives—spiritually, physically, and financially.

1

Waiting on God: A Prerequisite for Life

Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.

—Psalm 37:7 (NKJV)

Jesus had a phenomenal ability to wait on God. We know that His parents kept all of the Mosaic laws, so He was taught the Old Testament Word. When He was twelve years old, His family took Him to Jerusalem, but He was not with them when they started their journey home. He was found two days later in the temple, talking to Jewish holy men who were amazed at His wisdom.

Although Jesus was God’s own son, He led an ordinary life for many years and was not full of anxiety. He knew God had a plan and purpose for His life when He said, I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me (John 5:30 NKJV).

For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me (John 6:38 NKJV).

God has to deal with many different situations and people while we wait and trust Him to help us solve everyday problems concerning health, finances, and relationships. He never violates one person’s rights in His efforts to help another person because we are all His children. We think we have to juggle a lot of things in life, but our problems are miniscule compared to The Great Juggler of Life who created the earth, the animal kingdom, and mankind.

As we wait for God to move, 2 Timothy 2:3 (NKJV) says, You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. A lot of Christian soldiers think they deserve a life of ease and blame God when troubles arrive; yet, evidence proves that soldiers in the physical world endure a lot of hardships, even unto an early death. Christian soldiers are in a struggle for life too because of our enemy, Satan.

However, when we follow the commandment to walk in love, we will find rest in our souls. Love, like faith, is more than a feeling; they both require actions. James 2:17 (NKJV) tells us Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. Jesus said, Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:29 NKJV). Taking the yoke of Jesus is an action that helps us walk in love.

As we wait for God to move on our behalf, we’ll stay contented instead of becoming overwhelmed by the daily barrage of attacks of fear and anxiety. Our experiences, good or bad, are never wasted because God uses them to teach us mentally and grow us spiritually. Jesus said, My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9 NKJV).

Spiritual Rest

In today’s world, our strength is zapped just listening to the negative news. Therefore, we must learn every trick of the trade that teaches us how to rest in and wait on God. During prayer one day, He said to Elaine, my daughter-in-law, a mental health counselor, When you get tired, tag Me, and I’ll jump in the ring and let you rest (In group wrestling, they tag each other when they get tired). We can tag God and rest when we are overwhelmed with problems because our battle is the Lord’s battle (1 Samuel 17:47 NKJV).

We are probably tagging God a lot more than we realize. For instance, at eighty-nine years of age, I was sightseeing and prayer walking up and down the many hills in Switzerland on a mission trip. When fellow travelers asked how I could keep going, I always answered, By the grace of God. Nevertheless, once in my fatigue, I cried out, Lord, I am not doing anything except walking, walking, walking.

He replied, You have no idea of what you are doing.

It finally dawned on me that I had been spiritually tagging God as I continued to put one foot in front of the other. In so doing, my footprints were automatically covering ground for Him through His power (Marilyn Hickey calls it, Covering the earth with His Word). It’s God’s grace that helps us walk daily on the treacherous road of life. He never forgets our experiences, good or bad, great or small, even an unusual experience with a baby pig. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men (1 Corinthians 1:25 NKJV).

Physical Rest

In the book of Genesis, we read that God made heaven and earth in six days, rested on the seventh day, blessed it, and made it holy. One of the Ten Commandments He gave Moses was to remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.

God used the Sabbath to remind us that physical rest is necessary for good mental and physical health. Jesus said man was not made for the Sabbath, but the Sabbath was made for man, and that man is Lord of the Sabbath (Mark 2:27–28 NKJV).

The importance of physical rest is noted in Psalm 127:2 NKJV: It is vain for you to rise up early, To sit up late, To eat the bread of sorrows; For so He gives His beloved sleep.

Even though the world is in a continual flux under sin, death, and decay, Philippians 4:7 (NKJV) says: [a]nd the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. With prayer and the Word of God, we can enjoy both physical and spiritual rest while we wait for God to move on our behalf through life’s trials and struggles.

Only God knows how Satan torments our minds through negative tactics. When I found myself complaining of a weakness one day, God said, Don’t degrade yourself. He wants us to edify ourselves and others because criticism or condemnation opens doors to the mind that invite evil spirits in who love to control our thinking. Instead of giving in to the enemy, we can counteract their influence with positive thoughts such as, This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it (Psalm 118:24 NKJV).

Rejoicing strengthens our hearts and lightens our burdens. When we acknowledge the Lord and refuse to lean on our own understanding, He can direct our paths in truth and righteousness (Psalm 27:14 NKJV).

Never Fear God’s Plan

Even though God has an individual plan for each life, we probably spend a lot of time wrestling against that plan. For instance, Jeremiah was frightened and didn’t think he was qualified to be a prophet, even though God told him He knew him and called him to be a prophet before he was formed in his mother’s womb. God divulged His plan and said, See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, To root out and to pull down, To destroy and to throw down, To build and to plant (Jeremiah 1:10–11 NKJV).

Jeremiah had a sensitive, compassionate nature, and his forty years of harsh prophecies to Judah and its kings caused him to weep over their idolatries until their Babylonian captivity. Although he was persecuted, tortured, and imprisoned by the people, God assured him that, ‘They will fight against you, But they shall not prevail against you. For I am with you,’ says the Lord, ‘to deliver you’ (Jeremiah 1:19 NKJV).

After Babylon had taken Judah into captivity, God gave Jeremiah a prophecy concerning their downfall and destiny for their behavior against His chosen people (Jeremiah 51 NKJV).

The Apostle Paul was another man called from his mother’s womb through God’s grace (Galatians 1:15–16 NKJV). He was an educated Jew who lived by the laws of Moses but persecuted Christians. Yet, God chose him to promote Christianity, to teach the Gentiles about Jesus, and to help fledgling Christians in his day and our day fight against the enemy.

However, when Paul followed God’s plan for his life, he was persecuted by the Gentiles and his own brethren—beaten, stoned, shipwrecked, suffered perils at sea and in the wilderness, was imprisoned, and he eventually died a martyr’s death (2 Corinthians 11:24–28 NKJV).

It is fortunate that we cannot see the trials and tribulations we will go through, even when we follow God’s plan for our lives. Jesus said in Matthew 6:34 (NKJV), Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

David is another example of one who was called by God to be a king of Israel, and through his lineage, Jesus was born. Because of the many sins David committed, he had to deal with a lot of heartache.

Nevertheless, he always repented and wanted to follow God’s plan, so he said, Teach me Your way, O Lord, And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies (Psalm 27:11 NKJV). God’s way is a path of righteousness, and His grace and mercy help us face the difficult problems we encounter in life.

However, if we don’t follow God’s path and lean on our own understanding, we will spin our wheels like hamsters, live in constant confusion, and weary ourselves into early graves.

2

The Seed of Love

This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

—John 15:12 (NKJV)

It was hard for me to comprehend when God told me that each child is born of His love, regardless of conception—marriage, rape, incest, or lust. We are told in 1 John 4:8 (NKJV) that He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. Since God is The Creator of Life, the seed of man comes from God and produces life that is created by God’s love.

Dr. Caroline Leaf’s book, Switch on Your Brain (Baker Books, p. 14), gives us a scientific description of how God wired us for love:

The great news is that we are wired for love, which means all our mental circuitry is wired only for the positive, and we have a natural optimism bias wired into us. Our default mode is one of being designed to make good choices. So, our bad choices and reactions are wired in by our choices, and therefore can be wired out. Our brain is neuroplastic—it can change and regrow.

Dr. Leaf’s explanation is verified by Romans 12:2 (NKJV) when the Apostle Paul says, And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Fortunately, positive thinking can overcome bad choices that negative reactions to circumstances produce.

The thought that God created everything from love made me wonder about flies, worms, and other pests. Did He produce them? Were they made with His love? I felt better when I was informed that they are the by-products of Satan’s domain—a fallen, sinful world, and his pets become our pests! There is no sin in heaven, no weeds to choke our plants, and no fermentation, rot, or decaying matter that breed various pests that afflict us daily such as bugs, mosquitoes, and ants.

Many years ago, through a poem called The Road of Gold, God revealed to me that His fruit and flowers are eternal. Later, I read books published by those who had entered heaven for a short time. They spoke of the beauties of the flowers that do not die and fruits that do not ferment: their juice disappears in the air!

Although the earth was without sin in the beginning, and God wired our brains for love, sin affects people just as it does the earth. Children who do not receive normal parental love rewire their brains with feelings of negative emotions. This can lead to destructive behavior such as addictions or sexual promiscuity. Love and a feeling of self-worth are necessary for a child to grow spiritually, enjoy life, and produce good fruit for God’s kingdom.

Even though God is full of mercy, the guilty are not cleared, and the iniquities of the fathers are passed on to the [c]hildren and children’s children to the third and fourth generation (Exodus 34:7 NKJV).

Scientific studies agree with the Word that we are cursed physically. Through her research, Dr. Leaf (Switch on Your Brain, p. 24) informs us that:

How we think not only affects our own spirit, soul, and body but also people around us. Science and Scripture both show how the results of our decisions pass through the sperm and ova to the next four generations, profoundly affecting their choices and lifestyles.

However, God is a merciful God, and He sent Jesus to reverse the generational curses. His blood on the cross and our free will give us the opportunity to rewire our brains for optimal health and happiness by the choices we make in the circumstances of life.

For example, diseases like cancer have been related to negative thinking such as fear, anxiety, sadness, or unforgiveness. Today, many forms of cancer are occurring because society is producing great stress, and stress can cause our default mode (the will) to disregard God’s disciplines concerning the body, soul, and spirit. When I wrote the book on God’s disciplines, He insisted health be included. His disciplines of the soul and spirit help us maintain a healthy body beyond what the medical world can do for us.

God informed me years ago that the spirit, soul (the will, emotions, and intellect), and body are forces, and they have to be in agreement before the body can die. The body knows it returns to the earth from which it was formed, but the spirit and soul live for eternity. Therefore, the body can be very demanding, and it clings to life, even in dire situations. If the human spirit is controlled by the power of the Word and the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, it helps the will make good choices in life. Together, they aid the body in its desire to live a happy, healthy, fruitful life until the body is ready to return to the earth.

We are shown in 2 Corinthians 10:5 (NKJV) that this spiritual power works by casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.

Dr. Leaf (Switch on your Brain, p. 76) verifies that God prepared the physical brain to agree with the Word when she says, "The design of the brain allows us to capture and discipline chaotic thoughts. Catching our thoughts is necessary because it calms our spirits so we can tune in and listen to God."

God remarked to me once that the mind is a powerful thing. When I considered the will, I understood how an undisciplined mind becomes full of distorted perceptions that influence our thinking and decision-making. However, we are empowered through the will to discipline the mind.

For example, I was sitting in church, listening to the praise music when my attention turned to a solo singer. Suddenly, I was engrossed with thoughts of how the full-skirted white dress with large black dots emphasized her overweightness. When other critical thoughts followed, I came to myself and said, Lord, forgive me. I don’t want to have these kinds of thoughts. He answered, "You don’t have to if you keep your mind on Me!"

God is always on target with His admonitions, wisdom, or praise. Although I chuckled at His reprimand, I was able through my default mode (the will) to divert my attention back to the worship service and enjoy the singer’s beautiful voice and song.

Life is more joyful when logos (God’s inactive written word on paper) becomes rhema (His active word in our spirits). We have to incorporate the knowledge of God and personal experiences with Him through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit to be [r]ooted and grounded in love and [f]illed with all the fullness of God. This enables our prayers to be answered [a]ccording to the power that works in us (Ephesians 3:17–20 NKJV).

Even though Satan interferes in our daily activities and causes us to lose blessings, God has shown us that physical life, good or bad, short or long, is like a flower; it fades and dies. God teaches us in many ways how to enjoy a healthy life. For instance, He told Elaine to think of healing as an argument between Him and Satan. When we adhere to God’s promises, He wins the argument, but when we give in to symptoms and negative thoughts through our default mode (the will), Satan wins the arguments, and we are afflicted with infirmities and disease. Proverbs 23:7 (NKJV) says, For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.

Although Satan can win arguments with God on earth, he never gets the last word. God, through Jesus Christ, gives us life on earth so that we may pass from this life to an eternal life with Him. We are purposely created to enjoy eternity with God, and Jesus is in the process of preparing a place for us in heaven that our finite imaginations can only dream of.

3

Each Child Is Special to God

Even a child is known by his deeds, Whether what he does is pure and right.

—Proverbs 20:11 (NKJV)

God has His own unique plan for every life, but it’s the Holy Spirit’s job to help the individual stay on God’s path. John 10:2–5 (NKJV) says: But He who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep…and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.

When our default mode (the will) interferes, God has to recalculate His plan, just as a GPS in a car does when we make wrong turns. Through the Word, the Holy Spirit trains a Christian to hear God’s voice and get back on track.

When my eleven-year-old grandson, Kyle, heard me say God has a plan for each of us, it prompted him to ask me what plans God has for him. After I told him that God would reveal them to him alone, he said, God doesn’t talk to me. So I told him to keep talking to God, and eventually, his ears will recognize God’s voice through a still small voice within him.

Later, in an enthusiastic voice, he called me and said God had talked to him by showing him a vision of a boy angel lying on the grass (he was in the shower at the time, in the basement, with no windows). Another time, when he was focusing on his homework, his hand started cramping, and when he looked up, he saw an angel on the wall before it faded away. He was very excited when he realized God was talking to him through visions. It is so important for children to learn at an early age that God is aware of their problems and has many ways of communicating with them. Angels seem to be one of God’s favorite ways to deal with children.

Sometimes people are inclined not to pay attention to what little children experience, but I advised Kyle not to be discouraged by people in his desire to know God intimately. He has an open mind to spiritual things, and his family, school, and church reinforce that by teaching God’s Word.

God Remembers Our Life Experiences

After reading my book, It’s Hard to Have a Mouse-Free House: But with God, All Things Are Possible, a retired minister said he would like to read a book about my life. My first impulse was to laugh and say, Who would want to read about my life? Nevertheless, I began meditating on words God had spoken to me in my fifties: Take a pig and wait. They sounded like a good title for a book, and I remembered saying, Lord, are you trying to get me to write a book?

God never forgets any of our experiences, and He uses them to instruct us later in life. I knew He was trying to divert my attention away from what seemed like insurmountable problems at that time, just as He had done with the pig when I was fourteen. So for two years, I enjoyed the special antics of a male cardinal in my backyard. More about him later.

The mouse incident which led me to write my first book happened years later. God used a baby pig, a cardinal, and a little mouse to make me aware that He never forgets our personal experiences. Through them, He makes a way where there seems to be no way to overcome miniscule or overwhelming problems.

I have continued to smile through the years when my family or friends give me presents that represent a pig, a cardinal, or a mouse. They remind me that a happy life is being aware of little things that cross our paths each day that help us overcome daily problems and keep a childlike enjoyment of life.

The Holy Spirit Helps Us Enjoy Life

I smile when I get into bed at night because I am thankful for a soft bed that rests my weary bones while I sleep. However, morning smiles take more effort, and I need that same thankfulness to enjoy my day.