“I waited patiently for the Lord; He inclined to me and heard my cry.” Psalm 40:1

Waiting!

I’m not a fan of waiting. I guess, like everyone, I find it hard, frustrating, and often stressful. In many ways I’ve spent the last few years waiting—waiting to see what would happen to Floyd, waiting to see what would happen with my cancer, waiting, waiting, waiting on lots of things!

I’ve learned that waiting and trusting (something I’ve talked a LOT about these last few years) go hand in hand. You really can’t wait well unless you trust…and some thankfulness needs to be thrown into the mix too.

I was thinking about all the times we have to wait—especially for answers and directions. I suddenly thought about Jesus. He had clear direction. He knew where he was headed (to the cross). He knew all that was ahead. I can’t begin to imagine how hard that was for Him. There must have been times when He wished things would just go ahead and move along.

There were times when He went aside and talked to His Father. He poured out His heart. He worshipped. He kept His eye on the goal. And He ministered to people. He didn’t get impatient or angry. He didn’t give up. He simply waited until the “fullness of time” came.

I’m definitely not as patient as Jesus! But I’m trying to learn the lessons of waiting while I worship God for His goodness, faithfulness, strength, and grace. One of the things I’ve seen these last few years is that there are lessons to learn in waiting that we don’t learn any other way. I’m grateful that God is a patient teacher. He orders our stops as well as our steps. He knows when we need to wait.

As I walk through another season of waiting (for tests, results, answers), I’m trying to learn any new lessons the Lord has for me. He always keeps teaching us!

Lord, develop the fruit of patience in us as we wait for Your perfect timing. We worship You with thankful hearts for all You have already done in our lives. Amen.