I've certainly been there, and it feels like waiting takes forever.
There have been times in my life - still times in my life - when it seemed I'd had petitions before the Lord and had been hoping to see some things He'd promised to do in my life manifest, for what seemed like an eternity. It seemed as if I'd been waiting, anticipating, expecting, and praising in advance for a long time.
At least it appeared that way to me.
I mean, how much praise on credit did I need to give before the Lord made good on His word?
I'm sure you've felt the same way, or, perhaps, that's exactly where you are right now.
I once had a little talk with God when I was frustrated in the wait that I'll never forget. It went a little something like this:
Lord, have you forgotten about me? He answers, "Never. I have engraved you on the palms of my hands. (Isaiah 49:16)
Well, have you changed your mind about what you said you'd do? He answers, "I am not human, that I should lie, not a human being, that I should change my mind. I do not speak and then not act. I do not promise and not fulfill." (Numbers 23:19)
But Lord, haven't I been waiting forever? He answers, "If it seems slow in coming, wait. It's on its way. It will come right on time." (Habakkuk 2:3)
Can I be honest, Lord? Sometimes I feel tired in the wait, and it seems like my righteous living is going unnoticed. He answers, "Don't become weary in doing good, for at the proper time you will reap a harvest if you do not give up." (Galatians 6:9)
Why do you keep telling me to wait? He answers, "Because they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." (Isaiah 40:31)
Can you give me an idea of when things are going to manifest? He answers, "To everything there is a season...I make all things beautiful in my own time." (Ecclesiastes 3:1;11)
I left that conversation with the Lord with my faith and strength renewed. He ministered to my heart and assured me that my waiting was not in vain. I remember feeling more encouraged to hold on to my faith and my promise from the Lord, trusting that things would manifest in His perfect timing.
Since that time, many of the things I'd been believing for have come to pass. Some of them, I'm still waiting. But I don't mind waiting so much anymore, because I confident that He who promised is faithful.
One thing I love about the Lord is that He knows what we need, at the exact time we need it. And no matter how much we want what He has promised us right now, His release-the-blessing clock has already been set. All we have to do is align ourselves with His will, make sure there is nothing within us that will block our blessing, trust Him, and wait for the appointed time of manifestation.
Be persuaded to continue believing that although He may not come when you want Him to, He will make good on His promise at just the right time -- not according to your watch or your feelings, but to His perfect will and timing. In the meantime, be confident that He will never fail to meet every need in your life as you wait.
We must be careful, because waiting can sometimes cause us to jump ahead of God and create our own version of what we want. We should never become so impatient with God like Sarah, that we obtain a premature counterfeit posed as a blessing, like Ishmael (Genesis 16). This is why waiting on the Lord is so imperative. It is the only way to ensure that we end up with His blessings that make rich and add no sorrow (Proverbs 10:22) Only the Lord can deliver that.
If you're in a waiting place, be encouraged. Don’t focus on the length of your wait, but rather on the strength you gain in the process. Stay with God, hold on to your faith, believe in the promise, and remain in expectation. Though it may tarry, wait for it; it will surely come. The Lord always keeps His word.
"Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD." (Psalm 27:14)
xoxo
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