Trust in the Waiting

 

As we continue our Waiting in the Lord series, we will delve into trusting in the waiting.  Waiting is not necessarily a great behavior trait of mine.  I tend to have a plan and will execute on that plan.  If something gets in the way that causes me to wait, well, let us just say it can get ugly.  When the plan starts drifting, and I need to wait, I start dreading.  I dread what may change, how the timeline will be affected, what the final result will look like and what if someone completes a plan similar to mine before me. 

I know the right thing to do is to give it to our Lord and wait on His mighty hand.  As I lie awake at 3AM worrying about the progress of whatever plan I have in my lap, I give it to God.  I know He can manage it.  I know His way is best.  I can trust Him.  Then an hour later I am still awake planning on what I can do to ‘rush God along.’ 

As Christians, trusting God over our lives should be fundamental.  We know the plans He has for us, “…plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future,” in Jeremiah 29:11.  Yet, how often do we find ourselves questioning God’s plan, especially when we have to wait for His plan to unveil itself.  Every time I have played tug-of-war with God, I have lost.  When I give Him my plan and then take it back because I do not want to wait for His plan, I have lost. 

Friends, when we truly give what is in our hearts to God, and wait for His response, we gain trust in His mighty works.  No matter what we do or how we do it, it will never be better than what God has in store for us.  Our job during the waiting is to trust in that goodness.  During the waiting, He is with us, “… He will never leave you nor forsake you,” Deuteronomy 31:6.  When we trust God, our simple faith in what He can do in our lives grows.  Our ability to gain trust in God moving forward grows.  We learn that waiting is good, not dreading the outcome. 

The world today does not provide us with much opportunity to trust.  It is hard to trust our leaders, hard to trust organizations, hard to trust people.  God is above ALL of that.  God is the One we can trust with true confidence that the best will be gained through Him.  Yes, we may have to wait for that goodness.  I would rather wait in God than move forward in me.  I will always trust the Lord’s ways over mine.  It can be hard, but it is always worth it.

The next time you want to move forward and not wait in the Lord’s way, step back.  Breathe, pray, and give it to God.  He will bring you the absolute best for the situation – even if it was not in our plan.  Do not dread the outcome – look forward to what God has for you by trusting Him in the waiting period.

Video that complements this post:  Trust in the Waiting

Dearest Lord, help me to trust You in all You have for my life.  When I need to wait, wait for answers to prayers or a path moving forward, give me the opportunity to trust you and the plans you have for my life.  They will always be greater than what I had planned – I just need to have the trust in You!  Amen.