Seeing God in the Waiting - Section 2

     What do you do when you are in a period of waiting? Waiting on something or for something is never easy, and it's not always fun. It's hard. It's difficult, but there is a reason for the waiting periods. Even in the waiting God is there. It may be hard to recognize that when things aren't going our way, or when things aren't when we want it. Waiting time is not wasted time. We have to remember the work that happens during the waiting is just as important as whatever we are waiting for. Let's be for real... We would much rather skip the waiting and jump to the exciting times. No one likes the waiting part before a vacation. You just wanna go on the trip already. Too often we want God's resources, but we don't want His timing. Waiting on the Lord requires patient trust, which means we have to be patient and trust His timing. The waiting is not easy, but it gets easier when we place our hope in Him.
Isaiah 40:30-31 says, ''Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall into exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.''
Sometimes when we are in a season of waiting we miss what God wants us to see. Things are going to look different to God because of the eternal perspective He has. He brings all things together for our good, even when we can't see it.

I am literally in a waiting period as I am writing this, and I promise it is not easy. I am writing this as our entire world is facing a global pandemic. It's very scary, and pretty much everyone's life is on hold. I just keep thinking, maybe there is something God is doing in the midst of all this. There has to be something He wants us to see that we haven't before. The whole world is at a pause. There has to be a reason God is separating us from seeing people. He is even clearing our schedules of our day to day lives. He is even ridding us of distractions. Through all of this, we have a choice of what we will do with all of this change and free time. Maybe people will start reading their bibles more, and spending family time they never had before.

We can choose to draw near to Christ like never before, or sadly, we could choose to bow to fear that the media is displaying. In times of waiting, like the time I am writing this, we need to listen to the truth of God, not the world. We need to be patient and trust He will make all things work for His good.

Romans 12:11-12 says, ''Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.''

In the time of waiting, take advantage of it. He tells us, Don't be lazy, but work hard. Serve Him enthusiastically. Psalm 30:11 says, ''You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing.'' We may think, ''I know God can and will turn my mourning into dancing, but when? When will you do that God?'' That is one thing we don't have to wait for! He will turn our sorrow into joy when we rest in Him. When we don't bow to fear, we can bow to Him instead. So in the waiting, be still and recognize who He is.

WAITING IS NOT WASTED TIME.

Psalm 45:10- ''Be still and know that I am God.''