Peace in the Waiting

 

I am a person who enjoys peace.  Peace can mean different things to me at different times.  Today, as I write this, it is a gloomy day outside, with rain pouring down.  I flicked on all the beautiful stained-glass lamps I have in my home that my father made and lit a candle.  As I write this, I am at peace.  During times of struggles, or waiting for prayers to be answered, my peace escapes me.  Peace is replaced with anxiousness and worry.

Our verse for today is so appropriate for times when our waiting is filled with anything but peace.  If there was a Biblical character who had reason for a time in his life where peace escaped him, it would be Job.  The story of Job can be hard to digest.  The world around Job, including his own health, is replaced by heartache in different ways.  Yet, Job continued to wait on the Lord.  He did not rush God but waited for the goodness of God to return to him.  Job submitted his life to God and was at peace. 

In this world of instant gratification, it can be challenging to wait for anything, especially an answer from God.  Our ability to get answers quickly has left us wanting to hear from God immediately.  Finding peace in the waiting can tug at our hearts, leaving us frustrated.  This is where our Lord steps in!  When we truly give our requests to God and wait on His response, we realize that nothing we can do or say will rush God’s process.  As I have shared often with those around me, God will answer when it is His time.  Isaiah 60:22 shares, “…I am the Lord; in its time I do this swiftly.” 

As author Lysa Terkeurst says often, “God is good all the time.”  That He is!  While we wait for prayers or requests to be answered, we can find peace.  It is the peace that only God can give.  We cannot find His peace from anything in this world during difficult times. No matter how many stained-glass lamps I put on, I will not be able to find peace for my troubled heart unless I fully surrender to God’s timing.  John 14:27 states it perfectly, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

Friends, in this world where peace can be in short supply, go to God.  God is good, all the time, even in the waiting.  His ways are perfect, ours are not.  Give Him your prayers and wait on Him.  Have Simple Faith that He will always be there for you.

Video that complements this post:  Peace in the Waiting

Dearest Lord, waiting can be a challenging time for me.  Although I may grow during this time, and trust in your goodness, I can be anxious and peace can evade me.  Please soften my soul and fill it with the peace that only you can provide, the peace that passes all understanding.  In your name I pray, Amen!