For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. – Isaiah 55:9
One thing’s for certain: we need to wait for the Lord. As mentioned in my last post, I was terrified to take even one step unless I was certain of God’s direction during my journey toward forgiveness. I knew––with complete certainty––that I would mess it all up, apart from Jesus’ counsel.
Here’s what the Bible has to say about waiting for God:
Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord! – Psalm 27:14
Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. – Psalm 33:20
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him… – Psalm 37:7a
Wait for the Lord and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land; you will look on when the wicked are cut off. – Psalm 37:34
I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry. – Psalm 40:1
Do not say, “I will repay evil”; wait for the Lord, and he will deliver you. – Proverbs 20:22
Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him. – Isaiah 30:18
…but they who wait for 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
The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. – Lamentations 3:25
…keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. – Jude 1:21
And this is just a sampling.
If God went to all the trouble of stating something over and over and over again, it must be something to take notice of.
Wait for the Lord.
So, what does this look like, practically?
Waiting for the Lord means we say no to impulse.
Waiting for the Lord means we take the time to pray––to seek God––and then wait for His response.
Waiting for the Lord means we set aside our own agenda to submit to God’s.
Waiting for the Lord means we humble ourselves, knowing full well that we do not have the answers.
Waiting for the Lord means we understand our proper place. That we are mere humans, with finite minds.
But ultimately, waiting for the Lord means we wait.
And waiting is hard. It requires patience.
No one likes to wait. Plain and simple. But as we can see from the scriptures quoted above, there are benefits to doing things Gods way. Those who wait for the Lord will be blessed.
We need to be praying and seeking God’s will in all things. We need to be eager to follow when He calls, joyfully aware that He’s leading us toward our promise land. Yet, fully cognizant of the fact that there will be trials along the way, but that these trials will be used for our good to the glory of God.
So, here’s to living life in a new way, waiting for the Lord to show us the path He has hewn out for us, leading us toward the promise land.
{Wait for the Lord, and you will see a bounty of blessings.}
Has there been a time in your life when you had to wait for the Lord?
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The Israelites circled Jericho for 7 days waiting for the Lord to give them the city. How? They did not know. They stepped out in faith, obeying God’s command to circle Jericho. They actively waited, and God acted. Sometimes waiting takes stepping out in faith to possess what God has given us, even if we’re waiting on God to place it in our hands.
Amen! Thank you, Karen, for your insight.
Yes, I am still waiting. I have been praying for my oldest to come back to the LORD. I have come to realize that all things are in his perfect timing, but as a human waiting is the hardest thing we encounter; especially in today’s instantaneous world. I know that God has a purpose and a plan and will use all that my daughter is doing for good at some point, but as a mom I just want her to know the happiness of having a life in Christ. So during this period of waiting I try to fill up my life with scripture, prayer, devotions, and music that will give me comfort.
Sometimes, I selfishly want my waiting periods to be over quickly (like in the case of our adoption we’ve been in the process of pursuing for over two and a half years), but ultimately, I know God’s timing in perfect. Trust that in God’s perfect timing, He will work out His perfect plan for your daughter. I’m still praying for you and your daughter, Paula!