I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living! Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!

~Psalm 27:13-14

Are you good at waiting? I’m not. 

I have been known to scope out the carts in the checkout line at the grocery store, calculating the number of groceries in each, to determine which line will get me out the door the quickest.

Whether in line at the grocery store, waiting for a meal in a restaurant, or waiting for God to answer our prayer, patience is not a strong trait for most of us.

We are not alone in our struggle. God gave Abraham and Sarah the promise of a son, even though Sarah was beyond her childbearing years. The wait for the fulfillment of the promise was a long one.  So, they decided to take matters into their own hands. To this day, we still bear the consequences of their impatience (Genesis 16).

So it is with us all. We dislike the delay, so we conjure up earthly solutions to problems that require heavenly intervention. And when we do, the result is almost always a far bigger mess than we started with.

Are you struggling to wait on God? Are you tempted to take matters into your own hands? 

Father God, I need Your grace to be patient, and even more grace for my requests to which You have said, “No.” Strengthen my self-control so I won’t manipulate circumstances to get my way.

I consider Abraham and Sarah and don’t want my choices to become a cautionary tale to others about what not to do. Don’t allow my impatience to steal blessings, leaving me with regret.

Strengthen me to remain faithful and patient, so I will not fall prey to the lie of the enemy that tells me “good” is good enough. May I not settle for anything, but Your best—the answer covered with the fingerprints of God.

I glorify You in the waiting. I invest my faith in Your faithfulness and trust I will indeed see Your goodness on this side of Heaven. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Genre: Non-fiction

Copyright 2021: Waiting for God: Julie Souza Bradley Lilly: All Rights Reserved