Real Hope: Trustናሙና

THE STRESS OF STILLNESS

Have you ever been the one waiting in the car for the rest of the family so you can all get going? (‘Nope!’ you might think, ‘I’m the one trying to help find lost socks; I don’t have the luxury of waiting in the car!’)

Sometimes though, that place of waiting is exactly where God wants us to be. And as we wait, He says, ‘Be still’. Don’t honk the horn, huff and puff and holler. Be still. 

That’s not always easy though. Theologian Oswald Chambers says, ‘One of the greatest stresses in life is the stress of waiting for God.’ 

Maybe that’s because we can’t control Him. With your family, you can get out that car, haul the kids into the backseat, and put the pedal to the metal whenever you want. It may not be a pleasant drive, but everyone’s buckled in and you’re on your way. 

With God, we’re not in the driver’s seat. He knows things we don’t understand, and it’s a huge exercise in trust. We look at the road ahead thinking, ‘We have to go NOW. God don’t you see the traffic building?’, but He sees His plan unfolding in perfect timing. All He asks of us is to have a calm awareness of who He is. Rest in His character. 

When that’s hard for you, get to know Him a little better. Read the Bible, and learn of His unfailing kindness, that He’s an ever-present help in need, planning for your prosperity. He can be trusted. 

written by LAURA BENNETT