Just wait…
It is in the waiting that God does His most beautiful work. I’ve heard this statement more times than I can count over the last number of years. I know it’s true, as I’ve seen firsthand the fruits of the waiting. Patience has been a big one that I’ve had to grow and nurture in this seemingly endless timeframe that I am in. The fruits of the wait are incredibly valuable. Best of all is the truth that God is near to those who seek Him. Psalm 145:18. The fact is however that the longer I find myself waiting for things to change, the truth of proverbs 13:12, Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life, grows more and more powerful in my mind as time inexorably shuffles along. The truth is my heart longs for more. My mind tells me that there surely must be more. Certainly, a change in my circumstances must be right around the corner? The trouble seems to be however…I’ve thought this throughout the past 4 years. Times when I just knew that God would surely have to intervene now because I simply could not take any more of the circumstances. I would then encounter great surprise that I did have to take more of it. More pain, more suffering, more…waiting. This too, time and again I did do, only by the grace and mercy of God. Now don’t get me wrong. I am truly and forever thankful for all that God has done in my life to this point, largely because of and through the waiting and the suffering. The Lord often gives me hope when I’m feeling the least hopeful at times or in ways that I don’t anticipate. (Curiously, as I’m writing this, I just noticed a heavily tattooed man walking his dog past me. As he passed by, I read the back of his shirt, which proclaims, Good things come to those who wait.) What an incredible proverb to have saunter by at the very moment I’m writing a piece about waiting and hope. God is so very good! When I view things from an eternal perspective, I know and acknowledge that the work God is doing in and through me is of much greater value than for me to have my prayers answered in just the way I want them to be. Nonetheless, my heart grows sick. How long O Lord? My hope has been deferred for so long!
Clouding my perspective to a degree are the events or seeming breakthroughs that have worked to arouse my hope at times. In times such as these, the line of understanding between God’s plan and my desires can become rather blurred and meandering. How could I have been so wrong about these events? When it appears that I am about to receive from Him that which I have prayed fervently for, have longed for with such a powerfully aching heart, how could it not be the case? These thoughts can be rather tricky to navigate, but all a part of the journey it would seem.
Nevertheless, God is exceedingly good. He is faithful and His gifts and the timing of those gifts is perfect. I’ve seen that countless times as well.
As long as I keep Him first in my life, all other blessings fade into insignificance. Keeping my eyes on the prize, I wait on Him who watches over me. As He put it to the Prophet Jeremiah, For I know the plans I have for you says the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11.
According to the promises of God Himself, the waiting and the fruits of that waiting will ultimately be worth it all. Keep waiting, for He is altogether faithful.
