Yesterday I opened my devotional, Jesus Calling, by Sarah Young and these words leaped from the page:
Waiting for me to work, with your eyes on me, is evidence that you really do trust me. If you mouth the words “I trust you” while anxiously trying to make things go your way, your words ring hollow. Hoping is future-direction, connecting you to your inheritance in heaven. However, the benefits of hope fall fully on you in the present. Because you are mine, you don’t jus tpass time in your waiting. You can wait expectantly in hopeful trust.
That led me to John 14:12 (The Message)
Believe me: I am in my Father and my Father is in me. If you can’t believe that, believe what you see—these works. The person who trusts me will not only do what I’m doing but even greater things, because I, on my way to the Father, am giving you the same work to do that I’ve been doing. You can count on it.
Something special happens when we trust in God. Because we are no longer counting on ourselves to do the task, or make things happen, or waiting for the “if onlys” to drop into place, we move out of striving into active trust in God, and what takes place is “greater”.
As we wait, we:
Grow spiritually
Stop striving
Depend on God
Listen to God
Close out the distractions that pull at us
And at the end of the wait we emerge with the realization that God is greater, more powerful, more insightful, and that waiting wasn’t a dry period, but an active period–part of the plan where God shows us how to lean not to our own understanding.
What greater things does God have for you and me in the wait?
What greater things have emerged after the wait for you? Share your story. Encourage someone else today.
When the “wait” in my abusive, nearly 20 year marriage, ended with God releasing me from it and telling me to flee for my life, He gave me a picture in my head. It was of a girl standing in a field of wildflowers. Her eyes are lifted to Heaven and her open hands are lifted, too. Every thing that God wants to sweep out of her life is falling away from her fingers like shiny trinkets made of plastic. Now there is room for God to shower her with the things that He values- supportive friends and family, healing from His hand, wisdom that comes only from suffering, a knowledge of Him that is more intimate than any other, and a kind man who sees my scars and cares for me.
After the wait, I learned that ALL I need is God. I pray that the rest of my sisters learn the very same thing.
Prayers lifted up for you Jenn. God Bless you and hold you close. Indeed, He is all we need. I’m learning in the waiting also….
After the wait…………… this was perfect timing for me too as I feel I have been waiting for two years now to feel complete and be “born again” to Jesus and REALLY feel the Holy Spirit guiding me. I have been waiting and praying and waiting and praying for everything around me to be perfect when what I really need to do is to “wait faithfully.” And I will…….getting closer and closer and stronger and stronger. God Bless all of you while waiting!
Waiting…it seems simple. But waiting on God, being still and not doing any thing in our strength but looking to God with expectation of great things coming through Him. Trusting that we are not forgotten but that He is working a good thing on our behalf, something that will bring glory to Him and good to us. While our circumstance and the voices in our head scream doubt and fear and distrust at us. Oh boy, its not simple at all. But the benefit, on the other side, is oh so worth it.