Waiting on God – by Helen Lescheid

“I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.”  Psalm 130: 5

We spend much of our time waiting for prayers to be answered.  Waiting for healing.  Waiting for our children to come home. Waiting for a job opportunity. Waiting for the house to sell. Why so much waiting? Time is a protection for us. We couldn’t bear to see all our lives at once.

Waiting on God is not the same as doing nothing. The truth is, waiting requires tremendous faith and focus.

How can we make a time of waiting more tolerable, even fruitful?

1. Realize God’s leading is uniquely yours. He knows us better than we know ourselves and He always has the best in mind.  “Look to Me,” I hear Jesus saying, “what I am doing with your life is my love-gift to you.”

2. Remember what God has done for you in the past. Reading through an old journal always leaves me incredibly grateful. Problems that seemed insurmountable have been overcome. Dreams have come true. Prayers have been answered. As I read about God’s faithfulness in the past, there’s a growing certainty that God is working just as diligently in the present.

3. Think of your life as one day and focus on present blessings. “Each day is a little life; each morning is a new beginning,” writes Arthur Schopenhauer.  “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own,” Jesus said in Matthew 6:34.

4. Change what you can and leave the rest to God. Nothing wards off that helpless I’m-a-victim feeling as quickly as doing something productive like working in the garden, knitting a toque, having someone over for a meal…

5. Stand firm on the God of hope. Although we may be uncertain as to what God is doing, we can be certain of His character. He’s always acting in love towards us. “I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11).

Why must we wait? God wants to grow fruit in our lives which takes time to ripen, like patience and perseverance. He wants to show us more of Himself; He wants to grow our relationship with Him.

Father, thank you that you are present in my waiting. Help me to trust that Your timing is best.

By Helen Lescheid
Used by Permission

FURTHER READING

• Wait for the Lord – by Katherine Kehler

• Silence is Golden – by Karen Huffaker

• When Silence is More Than Being Quiet – by Kyle Norman