Devotional | Jun 14, 2020

PATIENTLY WAIT

PATIENTLY WAIT
Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord.
Psalm 27:14

DEVOTION

Most people agonize over waiting. We love to be proactive and productive. I don’t know about you, but waiting is my least favorite thing to do. Yet, a few months ago I was told, “You will have to wait” every time I asked, “When can I come out of my room?” We had a shelter-in-place order, and it was taken seriously.

I knew the right thing to do was to wait, but honestly, it was harder than I thought it would be... at first.

After overeating, enjoying a few too many donut sticks, and watching too much of the news for a few days, I knew this cycle could not continue. I began to pray, read, and reflect more. As my roommate and I prayed for those who were sick, hurting, and in need, something happened to me. The Lord took me on a spiritual inventory of my life. He showed me that many of the things I thought mattered, actually matter very little, and He also showed me the little things I discounted, mattered a lot. Here I was frustrated about not going to work, upset with waiting, yet, people all over the world are hurting.

The Lord showed me many things and here are some of them: King David had to wait many years to take the throne; Saul’s reign had to end first. The apostles had to wait for Pentecost so they could have the power of God. Jesus had to wait thirty years before he could start his three years of public ministry. They all had to wait.

It was clear to me that this shelter-in-place order was my seminary. I found out the Hebrew word for “wait” could also be translated to “hope.” So, to hope in God is to wait for his timing and his action. I never thought of the word or action of waiting in this light before. As productive, busy people, we all want to be on-the-go... like, right now!

Today, maybe the most important thing you are being asked to do is wait. Are you willing to do that?


PRAYER

Lord,

Give me joy in whatever you have planned for me. To hope in you is to wait for your timing, God. Give me peace in patiently waiting.

Amen.

David Young

Campus Pastor, Crossings Joseph Harp

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