How good at you at waiting? Waiting can be one of the hardest things in life.
God's delays are not necessarily God's denials and waiting time is not wasted time. Read the blog to learn the value found in Waiting on God.
My soul waits in silence for God alone; my salvation comes from Him.
He alone is my rock and salvation, my stronghold; I won’t be greatly moved.
Psalm 62:1 & 5
What are you waiting for in this season? Waiting can feel like one of the most exhausting things we ever do. I don’t know about you, but for me, waiting has been one of the more challenging struggles of my faith. It has taken years for me to understand and accept that everything in life is a process and that, as Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 says, "there is a season and a time for everything."
When we are waiting for a specific outcome, circumstance, person, answer, relationship, dream, or ______ (fill-in-the-blank), we can become very weary. We can lose heart and struggle to keep hoping. That kind of waiting can weaken our belief, challenge our faith, and sap us of strength. Yet Isaiah says,
"Those that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.
They shall mount up with wings like eagles.
They shall run and not be weary.
They shall walk and not faint."
Isaiah 40:31
Waiting. I have found waiting to be one of the hardest things in life. What helps in the waiting is an eternal perspective. God's delays are not necessarily God's denials and waiting time is not wasted time.
We are so accustomed to an instant-everything-24/7 mindset. Technology allows us to connect instantly around the world and our culture offers a thousand things to distract us every day. So it's no surprise that waiting is difficult.
So how do we wait without growing weary? How do we wait for God? Psalm 46:10 says, "Be still and know that I Am God." - Not be anxious and know. Not be frantic and know. Not be restless and know. Not be busy and know. But, "be still and know."
Stillness comes from trust and knowing God's love toward us and desire to give us His best.
When we wait on the Lord, and our focus is on Him - not the outcome or answer or the circumstance or person - then our strength is renewed. David said, “My soul waits in silence for God alone.” (Psalm 62:1). Our faith is strengthened in the expanse of waiting. Waiting time is not wasted time. God uses that time to prepare us and to grow us.
Sitting Long
Have you waited upon the Lord?
For His Word? For His hand?
Until He speaks
Until He acts
… And He surely will …
You need not wait upon His love
Patience to wait does not come from suffering long for what we lack
but from sitting long in what we have.
Just as the seed is buried in the ground - time does its work in the process of germinating, rooting and sprouting while being nurtured by healthy soil, rain, and sunshine - so we are in our spaces of waiting. Suddenly the plant breaks through the darkness into the light to grow strong and produce a harvest. In the same way of trying to make a plant to grow faster, when we try to force solutions, we probably won't get the results that we seek. God always answers our prayers. May our eyes, ears and hearts be open to how and when He does and may we have the patience to trust Him for the outcome.
Questions for Reflection:
What am I waiting for? Do I feel peace or frustration? If I feel anything but peace, what are my expectations? Is there something I can do or is this something I need to surrender to God? What is most challenging for me in this time of waiting?
Prayer: Lord, I confess I don't like waiting. It's hard to wait when I want something so much. But then you already know that. Please help me to shift my focus onto you and off of what I am waiting on or waiting for. You want me wait on You. To to live with joy and peace - giving thanks (Philippians 4:6-8) and confidently trusting your timing and Your answers. Thank you that you are good, kind, loving, and faithful, that your timing is always perfect and my soul can rest in You. Guide me in all I do and help me to remember that waiting is the answer to some of my prayers. Amen.
If this blog encouraged you, share it with a friend! And download your free, Flourish Guide to Create a Life You Love HERE
If you would like support moving forward in life, especially during a season of waiting, I would love to come alongside you to offer that support. To learn more, you can schedule HERE for a free, no-obligation Create a Life You Love Discovery Session.
Editor's Note:
This devotional blog is by Jen Stone-Sexton, Christian Life Coach, Author, Speaker, Teacher and Founder. Jen has openings for a select number of new clients. Learn more about Jen and what Freedom to Flourish Life Coaching has to offer you.
Jennifer C. Stone-Sexton © 2024 Freedom to Flourish, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
All graphics created Jen Stone-Sexton © 2024 Freedom to Flourish, LLC.
Credits:
All Scripture references and quotations used with permission: Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern,
Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc., Clarksville, Maryland USA & Jerusalem, Israel
Poem - Sitting Long from Further Still, © 2004 by Beth Moore, Published by Broadman & Holman Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee. Used with copyright credit.