Tag: waiting on God

  • Waiting on God? God Is in the Waiting

    Waiting on God? God Is in the Waiting

    I’ve become familiar with waiting on God, and that’s a good thing!

    It’s been almost a year since we made the big move to Colorado Springs for my new job. And, believe it or not, I’m still unpacking! And I think it’s time to “unpack” the details of this big life change.

    God’s fingerprints are all over this change. And I’ll tell you more about how God worked out all the details in such a little time, but first…my hesitation to making the change.

    My final interview was June 23, 2017, and this is what I wrote in my journal the day before:

    I trust you, God! Our lives are in Your hand to do as You will. We serve at the pleasure of God. At Your pleasure.

    After the interview, I wrote this:

    Our lives are in Your hands. But I left there thinking–nope! (I didn’t want it.) But I don’t want to be led by emotions. I don’t even know if I’ll get it. But I don’t want to be led by emotions.

    I was led by emotions.

    I spent the entire weekend making a list of all the reasons I did NOT want to take the job if offered it. And then on Monday morning, I felt God prompt me with this: What if you WERE open to it?

    So then I made a different list. The positives of taking the job if offered it.

    And I was offered it. So on July 3, 2017, I wrote this:

    “A wide door for effective service has been opened.” (1 Corinthians 16:9) Thank You, God, thank You! Thank You for the new job at Outreach. I trust You to work out the details! Please pour Your grace and mercy over everything.

    And, of course, God did! In fact, God seemed to do the impossible–like He likes to do so often!

    We had had our house on the market for over a year with no offers. The night before my first interview on June 7, we got our first and only offer. From that day and in less than 6 weeks, we had…

    1. Sold our house.
    2. Bought a house.
    3. Gotten financing for the new house.
    4. Closed on both houses.
    5. Packed up everything.
    6. Moved to our new house.

    We moved July 18!

    People said it was impossible. But with God all things are possible!

    All the waiting…wondering…fretting…and trusting…came to a glorious close with God showing up. I’m so grateful that our lives are in the hands of a powerful and loving God who always comes through for us.

    Last Sunday at church, we sang “Take Courage,” and it has this line that we love: “He’s in the waiting.”

    He’s in the waiting!

    It’s so true. God isn’t just in the miracle or answer to prayer at the end of our journey; He’s in the waiting and trusting and praying and waiting…that’s where God shows up every single day of our lives.

    Our lives are in His capable, powerful, loving hands!

    Amen?

     

  • Embrace the Wait Gain of the Journey

    Embrace the Wait Gain of the Journey

    Waiting for hunger is a tutor to teach us to wait for God. What a gift to learn this important discipline through the thing we’ve struggled with for a lifetime. God doesn’t waste any part of our suffering. He redeems it for good–always.

    I almost called my blog Wait Gain–meaning that we gain so much by learning to wait…to wait for real hunger…to wait for God to free us…to wait for God.

    “My soul waits for the Lord more than the watchmen for the morning; 

    indeed, more than the watchmen for the morning.” 

    Psalm 130:6

    Imagine the watchmen’s longing for their night shift to be over…for the sun to rise so they can see clearly.

    I imagine them straining their eyes to search for the light. Every muscle has been tensed on high alert on their watch. At the sound of any noise, they’ve been ready to jump into action.

    The promise of the rising sun means rest and peace. The dawn signals that they can entrust their shift to the next watchman…and the sleep.

    The watchmen can do nothing to hasten the dawn…they must simply wait.

    What does patient waiting look like?

    When I am waiting patiently, I am content in my circumstances. I have no frustration or anger. I am not looking at the time constantly, pacing back and forth.

    Psalm 40 speaks to this.

    Psalm 40:1–Wait patiently for the Lord. This is to be bound up with God and the promise is that He will lean down and listen to me. So I must wait and talk with Him. Am I content and at peace?

    Psalm 40:2–He is giving me a solid foundation to stand on. I can trust. Am I trusting God?

    Psalm 40:3–The result is praise in my heart and others are impacted so they see, fear, and trust in the Lord. This is the result of God’s work. Is my heart filled with praise?

    Psalm 40:4–Continue to trust in God’s ways and I will be blessed. Don’t turn to others for answers–the proud and liars. Am I seeking answers from others instead of God?

    Psalm 40:5–God does wonders and He thinks about me!

    Psalm 40:6–“My ears you have opened.” I love this! Ozen–ear in the Old Testament represents hearing and obedience. So God has opened my ears to hear (understand) and obey. Am I obeying God?

    Psalm 40:7-8–Delight to do God’s will and put His law in my heart. Is this true of me?

    This is how we wait patiently for the Lord!

    Yes, we wait for hunger…but our wait gain is that we’re learning to wait for God.