Waiting

Life is filled with times of waiting. In fact, I think that we do more waiting than we realize. Waiting in traffic, in lines, on the phone, for important events, and the list goes on. The painting on the left is a watercolor of a gladiola plant that once bloomed in my garden. That particular summer, I decided to plant gladiola bulbs. Then came the waiting! There wasn't much that I could do to speed up the process. It was worth the wait! I had never planted gladiolas before and wasn't prepared for the beauty and elegance of the flowering plant. So it is in life! Waiting has purpose and can be a time of great spiritual growth. The end result for the one who submits to the waiting and trusts in the Lord is that of greater refinement and beauty. Patience is learned through waiting! Patience is a fruit of the spirit and should be greatly desired by those who are chosen of God to be His people and who represent Him in this world.

Waiting is NOT easy! It can be painful. Often I've cried out the words of the Psalmist (39:7), "And now, Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in You." Psalm 27:14 says, "Wait for the Lord; Be strong and LET your heart take courage: Yes, wait for the Lord." Psalm 25: 3 says, "Indeed, none of those who wait for You will be ashamed...." and Isaiah 40:31 has given me courage many times while waiting to see the outcome of a difficult situation. "Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary."
So, friend, if you are in a difficult waiting time, what can you do? You can rest in the Lord and keep His ways (Psa. 37:34). God will enable you to do so, if you ask Him? What a blessing that God has chosen to work in your life through a time of waiting. Be thankful that He is at work in your life. "He who began a good work in you, will complete it." (Phil. 1:6) "We are His workmanship." (Ephesians 2:10) God doesn't do shoddy work and those who "put their trust in Him will not be disappointed." (Isaiah 49:23) Offer praise and thanksgiving to God. Think of all the blessings that He has bestowed upon you! Remember that He will keep His promises! He has to because He is faithful and He does not lie. His Word clearly says that "He will lead and guide you for His name's sake". It also promises that "He will never leave or forsake you." It's so important to read God's Word! It is a living WORD! Psalm 1 promises that those who meditate on God's Word day and night will be "like a tree firmly planted by the streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers."
I would encourage you to cultivate your relationship your heavenly Father! He loves you far more than any person on this earth ever could. He has your best interest at heart! He wants you to succeed in your walk with Him! Trust Him! Praise Him! Study His Word and obey Him and you will bloom like a flower in the garden of life!

Another hymn.... (words by Anna Waring)

Father, I know that all my life
Is portioned out for me,
And the changes that are sure to come
I do not fear to see;
But I ask Thee for a present mind
Intent on pleasing Thee.

I ask Thee for a thoughtful love,
Through constant watching wise,
To meet the glad with joyful smiles,
And to wipe the weeping eyes;
And a heart at leisure from itself,
To soothe and sympathize.

I would not have the restless will
That hurries to and fro,
Seeking for some great thing to do
Or secret thing to know;
I would be treated as a child,
And guided where I go.

Wherever in the world I am,
In whatsoe’er estate,
I have a fellowship with hearts
To keep and cultivate;
And a work of lowly love to do
For the Lord on Whom I wait.

So I ask Thee for daily strength,
To none that ask denied,
And a mind to blend with outward life
While keeping at Thy side;
Content to fill a little space,
If Thou be glorified.

And if some things I do not ask
In my cup of blessing be,
I would have my spirit filled the more
With grateful love to Thee,
More careful, not to serve Thee much,
But to please Thee perfectly.

There are briers besetting every path
That call for patient care;
There is a cross in every lot,
And an earnest need for prayer;
But a lowly heart that leans on Thee
Is happy anywhere.

In a service which Thy will appoints
There are no bonds for me;
For my inmost heart is taught “the truth”
That makes Thy children “free.”
And a life of self renouncing love
Is a life of liberty.

May you be blessed as you submit to God during your times of waiting!

~Ruth