So I have been thinking that there is so much in life that we wait for... school, jobs, spouses, children, houses... etc. We KNOW that we are to rely on the Lord's timing in our mind but that becomes so difficult as things seem to take "too long". A recent bout of waiting has made me think what we can do to change this process that so many of us dread. The only place I knew I could turn was scripture; we have such clear cut instructions on how to handle life situations and I so often forget that. After some digging, reading and praying (even in the midst of a crazy day at school) I started to see a pattern.
TRUST in the Lord. Be PATIENT. Find JOY.
Everything starts with the leap of TRUST. It can be so hard, but when we know we have a God who has sufficient grace and abounding love we can allow Him to shape our hearts and heal our worry, reassuring us of His timing for our lives.
'Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal' // Isaiah 26:4
'Blessed are those whose strength is in You...' // Psalm 84:5a'Lord Almighty, blessed is the one who trusts in you.' // Psalm 84:12
'In God, whose Word I praise, in the Lord, whose Word I praise - in God I trust and am not afraid. What can man do to me?' // Psalm 56:10-11
'Bring joy to your servant, Lord, for I put my trust in you.' // Psalm 86:4
Trust does not come easy, often it comes with great pain and growth, therefore, we must be abundantly PATIENT in our waiting (the hardest part). Patience is the opposite reaction most people - including myself - have to waiting, but it is a necessary skill attained through prayer and petition. I was shocked when I realized that almost every time the word "patient" is used, it is a command, a "be": we have no choice.
'Be 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.' // Psalm 37:7
'Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, "The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him." The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the one who seeks Him; is is GOOD TO WAIT QUIETLY for the salvation of the Lord.'
// Lamentations 3:22-26
'Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.' // Romans 12:12
The result of this labor is the JOY that we find in the Lord. We are blessed beyond measure and our waiting is perfected in the Lord's timing. Though the answer might not be what we had hoped, at least in the timing we expected - we are guaranteed a JOY that surpasses all earthly pleasure. The most amazing thing about the God we serve is His generosity - we are often granted the wants of our hearts along with the needs.
'Sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done marvelous things... Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music' // Psalm 98:1a & 4
'The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.' // Psalm 126:3
'Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy.' // Psalm 26:5
'When I said, "My foot is slipping," you unfailing love, Lord, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.' // Psalm 94:18-19
'Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.' // Psalm 90:14
I have struggled to accept that the greatest JOY comes from enduring TRUST and PATIENCE. While it is a constant battle to "consider it pure joy", we are commanded by the Lord and I have to realize that it must be in my best interest.
No comments:
Post a Comment