It’s been said the waiting is the hardest part.
Anne Graham Lotz notes in a recent issue of Decision Magazine,
“Waiting for anything can be so hard. I don’t like to wait for my computer to boot up, for the light to turn green, for the oven to preheat, or for a scheduled call to come in. Waiting can seem like such a waste of time, especially when I have so much to do. It’s so hard to sit still.”
Those are the insignificant things – as hard as it is to be patient in these instances, the real challenge is when we’re waiting on far more important matters:
- The call from the doctor’s office.
- The offer from a potential employer.
- The sound of a teen’s car in the driveway late at night.
Waiting on things that could change the course of your life and knowing that God doesn’t always grant us quick answers . . . that’s when the waiting becomes most difficult. As Anne reflects:
“But without a doubt, waiting on the Lord is the most difficult of all. Waiting for His promise to be fulfilled, for my prayer to be answered, for a door to open … His delays can seem so tedious.”
Sharing about The Risks of Waiting Impatiently vs. The Risks of Waiting Patiently, Anne notes:
“If, like me, you are waiting on the Lord for something He has promised, watch out! Guard the temptation to take matters into your own hands or run ahead of Him. Impatience is risky and more than likely will result in delay, disappointment and even disaster.”
Referring to Scripture as she does in her radio programs, Daily Light for Daily Living and the weekly broadcast, Living in the Light, Anne shares that when waiting patiently, we experience:
- Serenity: When waiting on God, what replaces our stress? Read Galatians 5:5; Psalm 33:20 and Romans 8:22-25.
- Strength: When waiting on the Lord, what does He promise? See Psalm 37:23- 24
- Success: If you have resisted the temptation to be impatient, yet are still waiting, what encouragement do you receive from Exodus 14:13-14? Isaiah 30:18?
Whatever it is you find yourself waiting for today, Anne’s encouragement is, as we read in Psalm 27:14, to “Wait, I say, on the Lord!”
(Contact me at lee@ambaa.com to add either the daily or weekly feature from Anne to your station line-up!)
