Why God lets us wait
Posted by Lauren Roy on Sunday, January 16, 2011
Waiting is especially tough when a situation is stressful or a decision must be made soon. But understanding why the Lord hasn't answered our prayers, brought relief or given directions can help us trust in His wisdom and timing. Sometimes we are not ready for the next step. God has plans for us, but there are instances when He stops us in our tracks until we do a little "internal housecleaning." Maybe we have been tolerating a sin in our life or need to deal with bad attitudes or ungodly thought patterns. The Lord has places to take us, and He knows what baggage needs to be left behind.
The delay could also have the purpose of training us for His calling. David was anointed king when he was a young man, but he spent many years in the wilderness fleeing from Saul. Through all the difficulty, God refined his character and sharpened his leadership skills. When the time was right, He brought him to the throne.
In the same way, God may keep you in an uncomfortable place, a boring job or a challenging situation. But remember this: He is preparing you for something far better. Cooperation with His training program while you wait, knowing that His plans for you are good.
At times the Lord's delays are designed to increase our faith. If He instantaneously gave us everything we wanted, we would never learn to walk by faith. But when we have only a promise from the Scriptures with no visible evidence to rely upon, then our faith is put to the test. Will we believe Him or our circumstances? By confidently clinging to God's Word and knowing that He has never failed to fulfill His promises we will eventually see the evidence of His faithfulness every time.
The Lord wants to teach us endurance. Like it or not, the ability to persist under difficult circumstances is an absolutely essential ingredient of the Christian life. Scripture tells us that "tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope" (Rom 5:3-4) OUr hardships are designed, not to crush us but to refine us into the image of Christ. When we abide under the pressure with complete reliance on the Lord for His strength and perspective, we come out of the process looking more like our Savior.
Perhaps our attention needs to be refocused on Christ. It's easy to become so absorbed in our own concerns that we forget about Him, but nothing grabs our attention like a difficult or confusing situation. If God doesn't rush to give an answer or fix the problem, then we, in our desperation, start to make Him our main focus. However, there is a difference between seeking the Lord and seeking His intervention. If our thoughts are only on what we want HIm to do for us, we've missed the mark. To wait for the Lord means our focus ins on Him, not simply on our desired outcome.
Next time : How we are to wait
The delay could also have the purpose of training us for His calling. David was anointed king when he was a young man, but he spent many years in the wilderness fleeing from Saul. Through all the difficulty, God refined his character and sharpened his leadership skills. When the time was right, He brought him to the throne.
In the same way, God may keep you in an uncomfortable place, a boring job or a challenging situation. But remember this: He is preparing you for something far better. Cooperation with His training program while you wait, knowing that His plans for you are good.
At times the Lord's delays are designed to increase our faith. If He instantaneously gave us everything we wanted, we would never learn to walk by faith. But when we have only a promise from the Scriptures with no visible evidence to rely upon, then our faith is put to the test. Will we believe Him or our circumstances? By confidently clinging to God's Word and knowing that He has never failed to fulfill His promises we will eventually see the evidence of His faithfulness every time.
The Lord wants to teach us endurance. Like it or not, the ability to persist under difficult circumstances is an absolutely essential ingredient of the Christian life. Scripture tells us that "tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope" (Rom 5:3-4) OUr hardships are designed, not to crush us but to refine us into the image of Christ. When we abide under the pressure with complete reliance on the Lord for His strength and perspective, we come out of the process looking more like our Savior.
Perhaps our attention needs to be refocused on Christ. It's easy to become so absorbed in our own concerns that we forget about Him, but nothing grabs our attention like a difficult or confusing situation. If God doesn't rush to give an answer or fix the problem, then we, in our desperation, start to make Him our main focus. However, there is a difference between seeking the Lord and seeking His intervention. If our thoughts are only on what we want HIm to do for us, we've missed the mark. To wait for the Lord means our focus ins on Him, not simply on our desired outcome.
Next time : How we are to wait
