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Waiting?
Huh? what are you talking about? Waiting for things to happen...? You have to be kidding. Why would I wait for God? Can't I run ahead at times? Waiting imprisons me! I don't want to wait -- I want to run and have fun.
You know, those are thoughts that many of us think. Waiting for God to show us what to do, and then doing it, is probably the hardest thing that a Christian should do. You see, human nature is not to wait...you don't want to wait for anything -- instead, you run ahead.
Do you remember when you were a child and you and your parents went on a walk, that you ran ahead of them? Do you remember their orders to stay close to them? And when you didn't obey them you often fell into some sort of trouble? That is the way God is with us...we like to run ahead, making plans for our lives, deciding things that should be left up to the Lord. When we get out of control God often sends a message to us -- maybe by a by a preacher, a Bible verse, or a word from your earthly parents. If we ignore the message, God may send us a harder one -- maybe someone telling you outright that you are doing wrong.
You know, God is very patient. Even if we don't listen the first time He will continue telling us over and over again. He never gets angry when we are trying to do what He wants us to do...even if we don't do it right the first time.
Waiting has a lot to do with our lives. How does your day go? Do you run ahead, or do you walk beside the Lord and stop when He stops? When God stops to talk to us we need to listen even if it "messes up" our day. Maybe God has someone out there that is in need and you are the one to fit the bill. If you won't listen, then you have a hearing and a waiting problem.
Remember Abraham? He waited on the Lord for Issac... he was 100 years old when Issac was born. That's a long time to wait on the Lord... and he did it without complaining, or fussing; he is a wonderful example of how we should wait.
The Bible is filled with people who waited on the Lord -- some complained and they recieved the punishment due to them for complaining, some ran ahead and they too recived punishment, while others were good children of God.
Remember Job? He was righteous in God's sight, and even when Satan struck him with boils, he still didn't curse God.
Read about Job's life... and learn from it. Read about Abraham's life... and learn from it. Read the whole Bible -- everything -- and learn from it! God bless you all. I'm praying for you.
By a waiting servant of the Lord
The Joys of Waiting
“Wait on the Lord; be of good courage,
and He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the Lord.”
Over the past few years, I have been blessed to learn and experience the joys of waiting. Many may think there is no joy in waiting and having patience, but there is! Once I started handing everything over to God, I first realized the joys of waiting.
I had started reading A Young Woman After God’s Own Heart, by Elizabeth George, and put to practice some of her devotion suggestions. I started praying about everything that came up through my day, and I didn’t make decisions without praying and leaving it in God’s hands. Then I’d wait and see what He had in store. It’s amazing the change that comes over your life as you get closer to the Lord! And waiting on Him, having courage and faith, and trusting Him is a wonderful way to be closer! You can experience His love for you, what He has in mind for you and your life, and what a joy it can be. You don’t have to worry about things now, or in the future—what a relief that is! I encourage each of you to wait on the Lord in all things! Never make a decision without praying to Him and waiting for is answer and guidance.
There are good reasons He makes us wait: so we won’t be in the wrong place at the wrong time, so we won’t make commitments that we might regret or have to break, so we can learn to trust and rely on Him and His will and guidance more, and so we won’t be hasty.
Many of us may seem to hit a pause button somewhere in our lives. It is a waiting point, and here our faith and patience is tried. Here He says, “Wait on Me.” He will show you the joys of waiting and the blessings you will receive!
As young adults, many of us have or are going through the struggle of waiting on the Lord for our future spouse and soul-mate. This is one hard struggle for many, but I have experienced the peace that comes when you leave it in God’s hands and say, “Here, Lord, You be the writer of my life. I want You to choose and place this special person for my life, but Your will be done in all things.” When you put the matter into God’s hands, you don’t have to worry about it any more; you don’t even have to think about it really! If it’s in your prayers, it’s in His hands. No need to worry!
When I hit that point in my life where I wanted to quit trying to run (that really should be spelled “ruin”!) my life and let God be in control, I found I no longer hand to worry about anything. It was wonderful! I also found that, by letting God be in control, even if His plan for me never involved a husband, at least I would be spared from a lifelong commitment that might be regretted, and from making wrong decisions. And by taking it all to Him and leaving it in His hands, and not worrying about it, I was blessed with the blooming of an amazing relationship! Ed and I are married now and are so happy together. I never knew marriage could be such a wonderful and special thing! Great joy truly comes from waiting on the Lord. I thank God for blessing me with such a wonderful man to be my husband. I can never thank Him enough, and I continue to pray for His will in our lives. Waiting on Him and resting in His arms, I’m still finding joy!
I pray that each of you may also experience the joys of waiting. My prayer is like the Psalm of David, “Show me You ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day” (Psalm 25:4-5).
By Hannah Z. H. P. of TN
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