Patient Expectation
Learning to trust God's timing.
In this age of microwaves and cell phones, we are accustomed to quick results and instant gratification. While we may view waiting as an inconvenience and aggravation, Scripture instructs us to be still and wait on the Lord. But how discouraged we become as we look for God to restore a relationship, renew a broken heart or answer our prayers.
However, God has designed each season of life for His glory and our growth. Psalm 37:3-4 reads, “Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Consider how these two verses illustrate how to bide your time in a way that glorifies God.
Choose to trust in the Lord. Even during tough seasons of life, God has specific purposes for you. His plans for you are better than any you could come up with on your own. So let go of worried planning and embrace God’s timing.
Dwell in the land, and do good. Don’t let waiting for tomorrow overshadow God’s plan for today. It’s easy to want the kids to grow up a little more so they can take on added responsibility, but then we suddenly find they’re teenagers and wonder where the years have gone. Wherever we are, God intends for us to do good, not to be idle or inactive.
Delight in the Lord. Offering our lives as an act of worship, changing our lifestyles to reflect our love for Jesus, wanting Him to be glorified in every part of our lives — these are ways we show our delight in Christ. And when we do, He fulfills our heart’s desires.
It is hard to be patient, but God is faithful. There is no problem too big for Him and no detail too small. He wants us to lay down our burdens and wait. He will pick them up, carry them for us and beckon us to follow.