In the WaitingSample

PATIENTLY WAITING

Patience. What exactly is the definition of patience? One idea is that patience is sitting in the unknown without hurry, without worry, and without feeling this overwhelming sense that if you just do something, you will be able to help move the journey along. It is often said that Patience is a virtue, but that does not mean it is easy to put into practice! It is something you have to pray for, work on, something you have to put time and energy into daily. It can be difficult to patiently live in an unknown space until the next step is illuminated.

Remember Abraham? Moses? Sarah? Noah? Elizabeth? All these people in the Bible had to wait for God to do what He said He would do. Some waited patiently while others did not. And some experienced the payoff of patiently waiting, and some had to encounter the consequences of rushing things forward. Yet, in the end, all saw the goodness of who God was during their time of waiting.

Ask Yourself:

-Read Psalm 37:3-5. The first word in each of these verses is an imperative- a command to take action.

-Which one do you feel is hard for you?

-What one thing can you do this week to help you improve in that area?

Pause to Pray: Lord, help me be patient in the waiting. Help me to give all control back to you. I pray for eyes to see the good you have given me in this life and to not miss the beauty in those things. Help me not to jump and react, Father, but lean into you and your word. Amen.

Take a Next Step: On your unexpected journey, is waiting patiently easy or difficult? What makes it difficult or painful? What helps ease the difficulty? Write down the answers to these questions and then take them to God in your prayer time. He already knows what is in your heart but wants us to share it with Him anyway.