Waiting ... (Psalm 33:18-22)

Today’s scripture: Psalm 33:18-22

Waiting.

It’s not my favorite thing to do. Of all the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23), patience is still the one I struggle with the most.

I don’t like to wait in line, wait in traffic, wait for people who are late.

To be very transparent, I don’t like to wait for answered prayer. When something seems right—to me at least—I feel like God should answer. In my time. According to my schedule.

But I’ve been a follower of Christ for a long time now, and I know that sometimes, God asks me to wait. He asks me to be patient.

And because I know He’s worked in the past, I can trust Him with whatever is happening now.

I can “hope in His mercy.” I can “wait for the Lord [because] He is [my] help and [my] shield.”

While I wait, my “heart [can] rejoice in Him [for I] trust in His holy name.”

When God Seems Silent (Psalms 28:1-2)

Today's scripture: Psalm 28:1-2

I know I've written about this before, but I love the fact that God listens to me when I call. He hears my cries and revels in my praises.

There are times, though, when I feel His silence. He doesn't seem to be answering ... perhaps He isn't even hearing me.

Whenever I have these thoughts, I shut them down right away (sometimes, it may take a moment or two while I have a private pity party!). Why? It's because I have confidence that He hears my cries, just as He heard David's cry.

Every time David prayed, whether in joy or in anguish, He was certain his God was listening. I can have that same certainty, and so can you.

Just because God seems silent doesn't mean that He is. He may be waiting quietly for us to acknowledge His presence. He may be waiting for His timing. He may be asking us to be patient and just trust Him.

No matter the reason, we need to always come to His throne with our cries and praises.

He will answer ... in His time and according to His purpose.

Our Hope Is in God (Psalm 39:7)

Today’s scripture: Psalm 39:7

Lila was waiting for her friend, Carrie . . . again.

It seemed that, no matter what time she told Carrie to arrive, Carrie was always fifteen or twenty minutes late.

And it was beginning to make Lila angry.

Another few minutes crept by, and Lila became even angrier.

How dare Carrie make her wait so long?

Have you ever waited for someone? It’s pretty frustrating, isn’t it? But waiting isn’t always a bad thing.

The Bible tells us that if we wait upon the Lord, He will renew our strength so that we can fly like eagles. We can walk and run, and still not be weary (Isaiah 40:31).

God’s timing isn’t always ours, but we can be assured that if we wait on His plan, He will work His perfect will in our lives. We can live in hope that “all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).

Waiting, when it’s waiting on God and His plan, isn’t a bad thing.

In fact, sometimes, waiting on Him can strengthen our faith and deepen our trust.

Have you been waiting on God for something, and it seems to be taking a long time? Go to Him and ask Him to give you the patience to wait upon Him.

Waiting on God (Galatians 2:1-3)

Today’s scripture: Galatians 2:1-3

We’ve talked about this before: God always answers prayers, but He answers differently, according to His will. The hardest answer to receive from God is “wait.”

Sometimes God just wants us to patiently await His work. Paul waited 14 years to continue his God-given journey. He was an itinerant missionary and knew God had designed a particular path for him to take. And he was patient, knowing God would reveal His will in His timing.

Have you prayed for something for a long time, yet you feel God hasn’t answered? Chances are, He’s asking you to wait and trust Him.

I’ve been praying well over 20 years for my husband’s salvation. I believe God is softening his heart, but so far, the answer has been, “Wait, my daughter.” It’s hard sometimes, but I know without doubt that God is faithful. I know with quiet certainty that He loves Russ so much more than I ever could. I know I can patiently and trustingly wait for the moment when the answer is finally, “Yes!”

We are invited to come to God and pray to Him, knowing He will listen. (See Jeremiah 29:12-13.) But we have to be ready to receive whatever His answer is. Even if He asks us to wait—for 14 years … or 20 years … or even longer.

Silently Wait (Psalm 62:1-2)

Today's scripture: Psalm 62:1-2

You've probably heard the saying that God answers prayers in three ways: yes, no, or wait. I'd rather have either yes or no than wait. Waiting is hard. It requires patience (with which I struggle) and trust (which I'm learning more and more each day).

The psalmist encourages us when God asks us to wait. We can "silently wait" because God is our salvation. Even more, we who have been blessed to live under the New Covenant can "silently wait" because we know God the Son, Jesus, Who is our Redeemer.

We can also "silently wait" because God is our rock. He is the solid ground upon which everything else stands. Remember the old hymn: "On Christ the solid rock I stand/All other ground is sinking sand"? We can trust the One who laid the foundation of this world, on Whom we stand firm. He has plans for each and every one of us, and He will bring those plans to fruition in His time.

Finally, we can "silently wait" because we know that He will defend us against the wiles and lies of the enemy of our souls. No matter what the enemy whispers in our ears, we can trust that God is in loving control, and one day, He will ultimately conquer the enemy.

For what are you waiting right now? For what do you pray over and over again? "Silently wait" for the Lord to answer according to His plan and in His timing.

Wait on the Lord (Psalm 27:14)

Today's scripture: Psalm 27:14

Waiting ... one of my least favorite things to do. I don't really like waiting in traffic, waiting in line at the grocery store, or waiting for a doctor's appointment. I'd much rather do than wait.

However, quite often, God asks us to wait. Wait for answered prayer. Wait for direction. Wait for a revelation of His will.

That's not easy for many of us ...

The thing I love most about today's verse is through the waiting comes growth. We become stronger in the wait. We learn to trust Him more. We learn to stay calm in the storm. We learn to see how His plans are always better than our own.

I've been praying for years for something near and dear to my heart. I believe God continues to ask me to wait. As I've waited through the years, I've come to rely more and more on God, trusting Him to work everything out according to His plan and His purpose. I know, because He's asked me to wait in the past, He will answer my prayer one day.

I can wait, with confidence and courage, growing stronger in faith every day.