Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled. Romans 15:4 NLT
Waiting patiently for God has definitely been a growing process for me. I like to see things happen immediately, and God’s timing is rarely immediate. I really want the microwave version of what God has for me instead of the slow-cooker version. Yet, God is faithful to encourage and give me hope in the waiting. And I know that in the waiting He is really preparing me to walk in what He has for me.
I feel like most times I start to get discouraged He allows something to happen to spark that hope and keep it alive so that I can continue to press on. There is a specific word that always renews my hope that I have stood on for almost two decades.
Or He will bring to mind some of the saints of old that waited faithfully for His promises to come.
- Noah waited one hundred and twenty years for the rain
- Joseph waited thirteen years in the pit and prison for the promise of his dream to reach the palace
- Moses waited forty years in a foreign land to lead the people out
- Joshua and Caleb waited forty-five years to receive their inheritance
- Abraham waited twenty-five years for his promised so
- David waited over ten years to become king
When I get discouraged about waiting on the Lord, I can look at the length of time that others have waiting and find hope that I am in good company. I realize that things rarely went as smoothly as they could have even in their journey to the fulfillment of the promise. I can know that God was faithful to bring their dreams to pass and He is no respecter of persons. He will bring to pass what He has promised.
There are so also many scriptures that I can hold onto during times that I feel discouraged about the wait. Scriptures like:
- Psalm 5:3 In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.
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Psalm 33:20 We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield.
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Psalm 37:7Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.
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Psalm 38:15 Lord, I wait for you; you will answer, Lord my God.
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Psalm 40:1 I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry.
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Psalm 130:5 I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope
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Isaiah 26:8 Yes, Lord, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts.
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Isaiah 40:28-31 Do you not know?Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
There are so many different reasons that God has us to wait on Him. Sometimes the reason is never for us to know. In my experience, God is usually waiting on me while I am waiting on Him. He needs to get something in me that I am lacking. Or He needs to get something out of me that I am resistant to release. And at times, He is waiting on something from others. I just need to remain in hope and encouragement.
This blog is part of a #Write31Days series on growth. 31 Days is an online writing challenge, where bloggers pick one topic and write a post on that topic every day.
Restoring Voice 