Waiting on the promises of God is not an easy journey, but a worthwhile one.
If you’re like me, you are currently in a place where you are waiting for the manifestation of God’s promises over your life. A place filled with uncertainty, questions, and the rollercoaster of emotions. We tend to say we are waiting on God, but what does it mean to posture ourselves before God as we wait?
A crucial part of the wait is the foundational understanding of God’s unwavering goodness. God's goodness is not a quality he has to strive for; it’s who he is. When we meditate on this truth, it deepens our understanding of God’s nature and character. We can rest assured that his plans for us are always good (Jeremiah 29:11), even when our waiting season seems to contradict the promise.
We can be so focused on the destination of obtaining the promise that we can miss the growth opportunities this season affords us. In my waiting season, I have experienced God develop my character through the fruits of the spirit, specifically with longsuffering and self-control. When drawing near to God’s presence, we then experience an overflow of his peace, love, and goodness. Abiding in him gives us the strength to be steadfast in our faith and devotion to him. As we wait, God is doing the inner soul work of refining us. He uses our in-between seasons to cultivate our character to become more like Christ.
When we set expectations for the promise, we can become consumed with how and when it should come to pass. This can lead to frustration when God’s timing does not align with ours. We must understand that our understanding of God’s plans is limited. Our impatience and desire for control can hinder the move of God. The beauty of this journey is the invitation the Lord extends to us, to surrender our expectations and allow him to be God over our situation. This surrender brings peace and contentment in the waiting season.
If we can be honest, our emotions can get the best of us while we wait. At times, our emotions speak louder than the voice of God. It’s within our human nature to be emotional beings, and God is never surprised by that. Our heavenly Father knows our thoughts even before we think them. God is still present when our hope feels deferred. We must recognize and acknowledge our emotions and replace what we believe with God’s truth. We are to take every thought and emotion captive and make it obedient to Christ (see 2 Corinthians 10:5).
Waiting on the promises of God is not an easy journey, but a worthwhile one. The outcome of our waiting season largely depends on our hearts’ posture. We can choose how we respond to the wait. I don’t know about you, but I don’t always wait well. It is a conscious decision to persevere in faith, hope, and trust in the Lord.
Until he moves, we must fixate our eyes more on the promise keeper than the promise itself. We must surrender daily and cling to the feet of the Father. Of course, there are times when our faith may waver, but the Lord is looking for hearts in constant pursuit of him.
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Coretta ~ Your words ring true! I especially loved your thoughts about how our human understanding of God's plans is limiting. It's important for us to remember that we can't fathom the greatness of His plans for us. ♥️