“Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10

Suffering in the Waiting 

Walk His Way Revisited

Someone wrote and said to me that there is suffering in the waiting… that sometimes the waiting is as hard as what we are walking through.

I’ve thought a lot about that. There’s certainly a big truth in that statement. The waiting to see what’s next, what God has in store for us, how this journey will end, is intense. It is its own kind of suffering. There’s no control, no way to plan for what’s ahead, no lessening of the pressure… all you can do is wait! You feel stuck in a kind of limbo.

As I was praying about this, I also thought of a different kind of waiting… or maybe a different aspect of it. I thought of choosing to be still in His presence, and waiting patiently for Him to act. Out of need, of necessity, I’ve learned a lot about being still during all these months. Many days when all strength was used up, I had no choice but to be still. On other days I simply chose to be still before Him because I needed to quiet my own heart.

We need time in His presence, in the stillness, for Him to minister to us what we need. I sometimes get impatient. I want to move on. I want to get things done. And I definitely want this journey to end.

But I’m learning. I’m learning about waiting patiently for Him. It’s part of trusting Him. One song says, “Beyond our understanding, you’re teaching us to trust.” I don’t have all the lessons down yet, but they’re working their way deeper into my heart. And He brings comfort, grace, hope, strength, and peace as I wait.

Yes, there’s suffering in the waiting—but there’s also the invaluable lessons that come through waiting that can’t be learned any other way. He hears each prayer I whisper, even if I don’t see or understand the answers yet. And the more I wait in His presence, the more I hear His whispers back to me.

Father, in our suffering, may we learn to be still before You, to trust Your good plans for us, and to wait patiently for You. In Your strength, not ours, Lord. Amen.