Are you in a time of your life where waiting is getting hard? I am. There are so many things I want in this life but God is simply telling me to wait. A couple of months ago I got tired of waiting. As I went to read my bible I decided the verse of the day would be a good one. October 2nd's verse of the day was Romans 12:12. "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer (NIV). I realized that sometimes God wants us to wait on his timing.
Romans gives us three things we can do in our time of waiting on the Lord.
1. Be Joyful
There is a difference between being happy and being joyful. I firmly believe you can be sad and joyful at the same time. Sadness to me is a fleeting feeling. Sometimes it is deep and painful, but it is something that can be hidden and happiness can be hidden too. A fleeting feeling can be hidden. But, there are deeper feelings, like joy, that cannot. "The Joy of the Lord is my strength" says Psalm 28:7. In your time of waiting, in whatever you are waiting for, find the
joy of the Lord. Whether it's a flower blooming, a fresh cup of coffee, or going to your bible to read your favorite verse actively seek and dwell in Christ's Joy.
2. Be Patient
I absolutely. With a passion. Despise. Being patient. I am so loathing of patience I can't even use proper grammar to tell you how much I despise being patient. But the bible reminds me over and over to be patient. Psalm 46:10 says "Be still and know that I am God."
Be Still. God knows the plans he has for us and he is working everything out in the favor of those who love him (Jeremiah 29:11; Romans 8:28). Being patient may mean not being involved in as many activities as you would like. Being patient may mean being in a place that is uncomfortable.
One of my favorite quotes is "I will praise you in the hallway until you open another door, Lord!" Sometimes we are just stuck in a hallway of life and God wants us to learn something in that hallway because we will need it on the other side of the door he opens next. Take time to be patient, to be still, and to be taught.
3. Be Prayerful
More specifically than being prayerful--Be faithful in prayer. Being faithful means being strict or thorough in the performance of a duty. In a relationship, one of our is to talk to your friend. Communication is a duty of a relationship. We are to have a relationship with God. Sometimes we may miss an open door because we simply haven't prayed. Being faithful in prayer is praying constantly and consistently.
I have talked to many young people who will tell me "I am so tired because I stayed up unit 1:00am texting __(Insert Crush's Name)__ . If you can stay up until the wee hours of the morning texting a crush, you should be able to stay up until the wee hours of the morning talking to a God who is guiding and directing your life.
Set aside times of your life to pray, to talk to God, to seek his presence. His presence in your life is so much more beneficial than anyone else's presence in your life. Talk to God. Ask for his guidance. You do not have to be perfectly clean and whole to come into the presence of God. You can be broken, battered, and bruised-- physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually--to enter the presence of God. Be faithful in talking to God.
Sometimes waiting can be hard. Luckily, God has given us instructions on how to wait in his timing.
