PATIENTLY WAITING!
Wait – to stay or rest in expectation; to rest in expectation and patience; to stay; not to depart; to look watchfully (http://1828.mshaffer.com/d/word/wait)
Patiently – with calmness or composure; without discontent or murmuring; without agitation, uneasiness or discontent; without undue haste or eagerness; (http://1828.mshaffer.com/d/word/patiently)
Patient – having the quality of enduring evils without murmuring or fretfulness; sustaining afflictions of body or mind with fortitude, calmness or Christian submission to the divine will; not easily provoked; calm under the sufferance of injuries or offenses; not revengeful; not hasty; not over eager or impetuous; waiting or expecting with calmness or without discontent (http://1828.mshaffer.com/d/word/patient)
Patience has been an area of opportunity for me in my walk with the Lord. There have been times when I felt God wasn’t moving fast enough, imagine that? I would be disappointed if nothing appeared to be happening. I’ve since learned, without a doubt, God’s timing is perfect timing and with God something is always happening, whether I can see it or not. I’ve also learned that there is purpose in waiting. From God’s perspective waiting is a time of action. That’s the right action. How? Well faith is active and when we’re waiting on God that means we trust Him, which is faith, which is action.
Waiting also requires preparation. There is purpose in waiting. Sometimes we are just not ready, and/or our character is not ready for the answer. God isn’t just about just answering our prayers. He’s about growing us up so we can victoriously walk in the answer.
You see, while we’re waiting, we should be expecting the answer. When a woman is pregnant there are things, her body must go through to produce a healthy baby. There are also preparations that must happen before the baby can come home. I have learned to think of myself as pregnant with the answer and there are some things, I must go through in order to walk in the answer. There is also some preparation that must happen for me to walk victoriously in the answer. If I’m not ready, I could miss the answer or not be prepared for all that comes with the answer.
This Scripture has helped me put waiting patiently in perspective while encouraging me when I just begin to fret and wonder if I’m ever going to get from “Amen” to there it is!
“Wait and hope for and expect the Lord; be brave and of good courage and let your heart be stout and enduring. Yes, wait for and hope for and expect the Lord.” (Psalm 27:14 AMPC)
Understanding what wait means in Hebrew helped me also:
Wait – qâvâh, kaw-vaw'; a primitive root; to bind together (perhaps by twisting), i.e. collect; (figuratively) to expect: —gather (together), look, patiently, tarry, wait (for, on, upon).
I picture myself entwined with God through the process which gives me the power to wait patiently on Him to show up, just as He has promised.
“I’ll show up and take care of you as I promised and bring you back home. I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.” (Jeremiah 29:10b-11 MSG)
How I wait is probably more important than the waiting itself. I must wait in expectation without murmuring and complaining. Sadly, I haven’t always passed the waiting test. I have murmured and complained about my situation. What I’ve come to realize is that murmuring and complaining is an indictment against God. I’m insinuating that He doesn’t know what He’s doing and arrogantly thinking I know better. Now, I would not consciously say or think that however that’s exactly what I’m doing when I murmur and complain about a situation God may have led me to that I just didn’t like. Of course, I may have arrived in the situation because of the choices I made. Bottom line, God wastes nothing. He uses every opportunity for character building. His purpose is that I look more like Him when all is said and done!
Faith Confession:
Abba Father, I am waiting eagerly, hoping with confident expectation, while reaching out with readiness to receive from You! My eyes are on You. I have a favorable and confident expectation that You will show up! I expect to hear Your voice.
Stay tuned because God isn't finished with me yet! And I’m so thankful that He is not! The best is yet to come!
Be Encouraged! ❤
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