Tag Archives: weary

God’s Best is in the Waiting

Posted in Bible Study by

But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. – Isaiah 40:31 NKJV

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I don’t know about you, but if I am honest, I don’t like waiting. We live in a world of instant gratification. We want what we want, and we want it now.

I remember my Father teaching me the benefit of ‘delayed gratification’ as a young child. When the Beatles became popular in America he took me to a store to purchase one of their albums. Unfortunately, they were sold out. They did have singles available (aka 45’s). My dad gave me an option, you can have the single now, or wait until the album comes in and get that. As a preteen it was almost unbearable to think of leaving that store empty handed. In the end, I took his advice and chose well. With much anticipation I then waited for the album to be restocked. It’s a lesson I never forgot. The things we value are worth waiting for. 

There are several things I’m still waiting for in life. I’m sure you can relate. I confess, I don’t understand God’s timing, but I trust it. I trust it because I have seen the brokenness that results when I try to make things happen on my own. 

As difficult as it may seem, God has a purpose in the waiting. His timing is always perfect. I’ve often wondered how many times I missed out on God’s best because I settled for the “single” instead of waiting on the “album”. 

One way I can apply today’s verse is this … if I am weary or faint, I can examine my heart and ask myself, what is it I am trying to do in my own strength or timing instead of waiting on the Lord? Don’t misunderstand. I’m not saying we should sit around and do nothing. God calls us to GO, to be doers of the Word.

The difference is, when we flow in His timing:

  • our strength is renewed
  • we can soar like eagles above the difficulty of trying to figure everything out ourselves
  •  we can run and not grow weary
  •  we can walk and not faint

PRAYER: Father, thank You for Your perfect timing. Thank You for the promise of renewed strength when we learn to wait expectantly on You. Help me to be so sensitive to Your voice that I know when to run and when to wait. Help me to never run ahead of You. 

Lord, I may not always understand the delay in Your promise, but I trust You. I know Your Word will not return void. You are not a man that You should lie.

Forgive me for the many times I have missed Your best for my life because I tried to take matters into my own hands instead of waiting on You. Thank You for protecting me even while allowing me to reap the consequences of my actions. You are a good, good Father.

Amen

 

Don’t Give Up!

Posted in Spiritual Growth by

IMG_1374If you’ve ever planted a garden you know it’s hard work. It takes time and dedication. You can’t just throw some seeds on the ground and expect to reap a harvest. You have to cultivate the soil, plant your seeds (in the proper season), water, weed and feed your plants. Nature will do the rest. 

Sowing and reaping take time. Instead of learning the benefits of “delayed gratification” we have become a culture of “instant gratification”. Don’t lose your patience in the waiting. Good things DO come to those who wait.

It’s easy to become weary when we don’t see the fruit of our labor, be it physical or spiritual, but God has a perfect timetable. Some plants take longer to produce than others. God is not delaying your answer to prayer, He is growing it to perfection. Trust His timing.

Phillipians 1:6 tells us, “He who began a good work in You will bring it to completion.” I am thankful God is patient with me in the process. What if He gave up on us if we didn’t meet His expectations? None of us would survive. And yet, too often we are ready to give up on God’s promises to us, on our dreams, on the lost, because we don’t understand the waiting.

Your situation is NOT hopeless, no matter how desperate it seems. Do your best and trust the rest to The Father.

Pray: Lord, thank You for Your perfect timing. Forgive me when I grow weary. Remind me that I will reap a harvest IF I do not give up. Give me the motivation to see things to completion. Thank You for Your faithfulness.