I want to share with you something that I recently shared with my blog readers. This word from the Lord offers encouragement for those of us who are waiting for God’s promises to manifest in our lives, and it seems as if time is passing by and nothing is happening. The Lord greatly ministered to me when I went to Him concerning my weariness in the wait, and I believe it will minister to you as well.
Waiting can be one of the hardest things to do when you more than want what you're anticipating, but you need it like yesterday. Whether healing in your body, financial increase, restoration in marriage, a job, or deliverance from a situation, I'm sure there's a particular area in each of our lives where we are waiting on God to move. But doesn't it sometimes seem like God is taking forever? Don't you sometimes feel like maybe God forgot about what He said He was going to do for you?
I've certainly been there; quite recently, to be honest. There are some things I've had before the Lord, and some things He's promised to do in my life, for quite some time now. It's seems as if I've been waiting, anticipating, expecting, and praising in advance for a LONG time. At least it appears that way to me. I mean, how much advance praise do I need to give before the Lord makes good on His word?! Don't act like you've never felt that way. *giving you the side eye*
I noticed the enemy trying to come in and plant the seed of doubt in my mind, so I quickly went to my Father for reassurance. I had a little talk with God, and 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)
OK, I'll continue to wait, but can you give me an idea of when things are going to manifest? He answers, "To everything there is a season..." (Ecclesiastes 3:1)
I left that conversation with the Lord with my faith and strength renewed. He ministered to my heart, and assured me that my waiting is not in vain. I am all the more encouraged to hold on to my faith and my promise from the Lord, trusting that things will manifest in His perfect timing. I am furthermore persuaded to continue believing that although He may not come when I want Him to, He is right on time...not according to my watch, but His. And in the meantime, I am confident that He will never fail to meet every need in my life, and yours.
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 alarm to go off. I don’t know about you, but I never want to become so impatient with God that I obtain a premature counterfeit substitute posing as a blessing. I want the real thing, the one that makes rich and adds 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)
LaKeisha Rainey-Collins is a wife, mother of two beautiful boys and inspirational blogger. She believes that God has purposed her to use her gift of writing to share her experiences as a Christian woman, wife, and mother, in order to touch the hearts of other women just like her.
Email LaKeisha:
kcollins@eewmagazine.com
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