Help to Wait
I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope. Psalm 130:5
One of my favorite pastors used to warn, “Never pray for patience; you will not like how God teaches you.” Most people are not very good at waiting, whether it’s for food to be served, a traffic light to change, or test results to arrive. In our fast-paced world, waiting is usually an irritating inconvenience. I think it is even harder to wait for God to provide His wisdom and guidance when we have asked for it in prayer.
I have prayed about which college to attend, what job to take and in which home to move. Those prayers were time sensitive, and I often have felt pressured to pray, “God, sorry to be a pest but I need the answer now!”
When the psalmist writes that his “whole being waits,” perhaps you—like me—can relate to that feeling. His heart and soul long for a sign from God, a flicker of light while hanging on, needing to hear from Him. He wanders back and forth between calling out to God and reminding himself of the goodness and faithfulness of God.
The first thing I remind myself is to keep praying and asking for His direction. I also need to remember that God wants to speak to us, but we’re often distracted by our worries and our to-do list. He wants to draw us to Himself and reveal His love for us, but we keep going a hundred miles a minute, stopping just to blurt out a desperate, emergency, “tell me now” prayer once in a while.
Through the saints who have followed God before us we know how hard it is to wait, be still, listen and trust that God will answer us. Perhaps through a scripture verse, or the words of a friend, God knows how to get through to us and when to do it.
Dear Lord, give us faith that You will lead and guide us through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. Assure us that You are never late and never too early in answering our prayers, to hear from You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.