What am I Waiting For?

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 I've been ruminating on the idea of waiting all month. It's a subject that is near and dear to my heart as a Christian, and also as a single woman in her thirties. It's a hard subject to write about, because waiting is so different for every one of us.

According to a quick online search, the definition of waiting is: "the action of staying where one is or delaying action until a particular time or until something else happens."


But what I am learning is that waiting is less about what you get at the end of it and more about what you learn through it. Psalms 130:5-6 says:


“I wait for the Lord, my soul waits and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.” (ESV)


Its easy to turn waiting into an excuse to be angry, hurt, or disappointed with God. Unanswered prayers can be so hard. It can lead to doubt--'maybe God doesn't really love me,'--or make you wonder if there is some sin the Lord is holding against you. But its not that at all. Waiting is an invitation to draw closer to the Lord. Isaiah 30:18 says:


“Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.” (ESV)


Is waiting easy? Not usually. But if there is anything I have learned over the years, and especially over the past year, it is that God is good, and there is always a reason He is making you wait. I've seen God answer my prayers in ways that I didn't expect, giving far more than I could have imagined, and it was because I waited on Him and His timing.


I love the verse from 2 Peter 2:9 that says, "The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance." (ESV)


There are still times when waiting is hard, but I find that when I'm giving thanks for the very circumstances I want God to change, it is easier to be content with waiting. (Ephesians 5:19-20 "...giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father...") (ESV). It's really hard to give thanks and be angry at the same time. 


More than anything, God wants a close, personal relationship with us. Sometimes we don't see why we're waiting for a few weeks, a few months, and or even years. But I love the promises of scripture that tells us things like 'the Lord waits to be gracious to you...' What an incredible promise!

Comments

Anonymous said…
Thank you for sharing - this was so very encouraging to me. :)
August 4, 2021 at 9:10 AM
Rachel said…
Thank you! It's encouraging to me to hear that :)
August 4, 2021 at 4:42 PM
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