Waiting. It’s the worst. Right?!
This week, I was reminded yet again by the Lord that I must be still and wait for Him to move. I’ve got to be honest, I’m not good at being still. I’m far better at moving fast! Ah, there’s the problem. God wants to lift the sense of hurry out of my soul so that I am able to rest completely in His sovereign plan.
How about you?
I know I’m not alone. Many are waiting for God to move in some realm of their lives. Over the past few weeks, I’ve prayed with women from every walk of life, who are waiting for God to heal their marriage. Or, waiting for God to bring them a life mate. Some are waiting to become pregnant. Others are waiting for God to bring about a job. All of them are trying to trust God in the waiting it’s just that God seems so slow!
What I’ve learned is that God is not trying to get on our last nerve. He is the Alpha and Omega. (Revelation 1:8). He holds eternity in His Almighty hands and knows the perfect time for His will to unfold in our lives. While we wait, He is refining us often because He is preparing us for enlargement.
Author Eugene Peterson writes, “We wait for God to do what we cannot do for ourselves”. Waiting teaches us the discipline of trusting God for what only He can deliver. So often the temptation when we’re waiting is to take matters in our own hands. But if we do, we miss the greater blessing of seeing God step in and move on our behalf.
The question then is how?
How do we trust God in our waiting?
We wait with a heart bowed in worship. When we’re waiting, we have a choice. We can become agitated and negative or we can wait with positive anticipation for what God will do. The key is the posture of our hearts. When we worship and praise God that He is moving despite the fact that we cannot see Him moving, God is pleased, and our anxiety is calmed. So rather than shaking your fist at heaven, lift your hands in praise. It’s amazing how your attitude will shift.
We wait with our eyes fixed on God. Psalm 123:2 reads, “As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a female slave look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, till he shows us his mercy.” The Psalmist likely had servants who worked for Him. All he had to do was speak a word and the servant would rush to obey. That’s the way we are to wait on God. We’re to keep our eyes focused on Him. Teach yourself to be on the lookout for where God is moving.
We wait with our ears tuned to His word. The best way to strengthen your faith is through consistent time in the Word of God. As you faithfully read and meditate on His word, He will give you instruction. When you’re waiting for Him, saturating your mind with His word will help you trust His timing. Meditating on passages such as Psalm 37:3-7, Psalm 40:1, or Isaiah 40:31, will strengthen your faith and bolster your trust while you wait.
Friend, the truth is trusting God is a lifelong journey, and waiting puts our trust to the test. May I encourage you? Whatever you’re waiting for, remind yourself that God is listening to the cries of your heart. He is good and He will accomplish what is best in your life. When you find yourself struggling to rest, praise God intentionally, keep your eyes fixed on Him, and tune your ears to His word.
This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Becky Harling
Featured Image by Christopher Osten on Unsplash
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