Wait For It…
Waiting isn’t easy! I choose recipes that are quick to make and strategically look for the short lines in the grocery store. I fill extra minutes with books, journaling, or scrolling through email or facebook on my phone. Bottom line: I don’t like wasting time.
But Scripture often tells us to be patient and wait. Psalm 27:14 tells us twice in one verse to wait on the LORD! What does this look like? How do we wait well?
I think Psalm 46 gives us some insights into waiting. “Be still and know that I am God.” Sometimes this can mean physically being still–just stopping activity and sitting quietly, but I think it also means to be still in our souls. To be silent, calm, and soothed by God’s words to us. To be at peace knowing that God can do what we are incapable of doing. His ability and resources never run dry!
This calm is present not only when life is serene, but when circumstances are in an upheaval. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling (vs 1-3).
When circumstances turn scary, we gain peace when we reflect on who God is. He is faithful, gracious and good. He is sovereign and all powerful. He is holy, trustworthy, and wise. He is with us and He is dependable. When our abilities run out, His resources are just beginning! Our circumstances don’t make our faith in God quiver because it is based on who He is, not on our own skills or talents.
Isaiah 30:18 says, “Blessed are all who wait for Him!” Yes, there can be contentment in waiting. Our souls are calmed as we reflect on God’s faithfulness in the past, giving us hope for today. Our anxieties are soothed as we cast our worries upon Him, believing that He cares deeply for us and longs to be gracious and compassionate to us (1 Peter 5:7). Our fears are given perspective as we remember that God’s army is on our side (2 Kings 6:17). The Lord will fight for us. We need only be still (Exodus 14:14).
Oh, that I would learn to be still and that my waiting would be filled with hope and confidence as I lean on Him.
