Peace in the WaitingPrimjer

Our Soul Waits

Every day for the past forty-nine months, I’ve prayed for my friend Charlotte. If you’re reading this devotional, I imagine you, like me, are praying for someone in your life who has wandered away from Christ or has rejected Him. Maybe you’ve been praying for a long time. Perhaps you’re praying for a close friend. Or perhaps you’re a parent whose child has chosen a prodigal journey. Or maybe it’s your parents, who are aging rapidly, and you’re afraid of what comes next for them. Maybe you’re thinking of your spouse who isn’t walking in faith.

These people are God’s masterpieces. But we have something they do not: We have an active, abiding relationship with Jesus. A trust in a holy God. An awareness of sin that leads us to repentance. An assurance of eternal salvation.

It’s challenging to understand why those we love can’t share this part of our world. Sometimes we’re tempted to view God as unfair or even cruel. Why do we get to know the way, the truth, and the life, but our people do not?

I encourage you to spend some time in the Psalms as you process your pain. See how the psalmists direct their sorrows back to God as a good Father, even when they are under debilitating distress. Reflect on their heart postures of worship and surrender. Remember the power and might of God described in Psalm 33, paying particular attention to verses 20–22:

Our soul waits for the Lord;

he is our help and our shield.

For our heart is glad in him,

because we trust in his holy name.

Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us,

even as we hope in you.

May you be filled with comfort, hope, and ultimately, peace, knowing that the God of the universe is in control and He is writing a redemptive story.

Lord, thank You for Your abundant patience with me and my loved ones. Thank You for Your presence with me as I process my thoughts, questions, and emotions about the eternities of my friends and family. Please remind me of Your goodness. Let me experience Your divine comfort. Help me lay all my doubts, frustrations, and confusion at Your feet. In their place, give me hope in Your divine plan, and gently guide me to peace in my waiting. Amen.