Waiting… and Waiting

Waiting. No one likes it. We don’t want to wait in a long line at Costco or wait for God to send the spouse we’re praying for. It’s hard to wait to hear from the school we want to attend or the company we want to work for. It’s tough to wait for lab results — and for labor pains to start after a long thirty-eight weeks. We don’t like to wait: we want what we want, and we want it right now.

The fact is, either we are unaware or we are ignoring the fact that waiting is God’s training ground for strengthening our faith. As we wait, we learn to trust God more. We may not understand the circumstances of our life or why we have to wait, but we can remind ourselves that God, our heavenly Father, is in control and that His plans for us are plans for good (Jeremiah 29:11).

Also, during a season of waiting, we can practice listening for the Lord and resting in His presence. Precious blessings can come even as we wait.

The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants — things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw. Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near. — Revelation 1:1-3

*

Praying Scripture

God speaks to us through the Bible. That’s why slowing down both to meditate on what we read and to pray to God the words He Himself has given us will help us know Him better and more easily recognize His voice.

Also, did you notice that David reminded God of His promised “goodness to Your servant”? David understood that by praying according to God’s promises, he aligned himself with God’s will. We can do the same today:

We can pray God’s promises back to God.

Fervently and fruitfully, David also pursued the godly endeavor of meditating on God’s Word. He wrote many of the psalms we cherish today after quietly waiting on the Lord and listening for His voice until he heard it.

In our overscheduled lives, we find it difficult to slow down, read a Bible passage, and listen for what God may be saying to us. With so many responsibilities, commitments, and people clamoring for attention, who can make time for prayer and meditation? You and I can — and I hope we will.

The Lord is great and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods.
For all the gods of the peoples are idols, But the Lord made the heavens. Honor and majesty are before Him; Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary. — Psalm 96:4-6

Excerpted with permission from God’s Blessings Just for You by Jack Countryman, copyright Jack Countryman.

* * *

Your Turn

In your waiting, God is in control. He is good and He has good plans for you! In the meantime, let’s listen to what He is saying, and learn God’s Word and pray it back to Him. Come share your thoughts with on in the comments. We want to hear from you! ~ Devotionals Daily