“Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” — Psalm 27:14 (ESV)
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As human beings, I think one of our greatest weaknesses is our inability to be patient. Our eyes are often looking for the next best thing.
“I can’t wait until I play collegiate ball.”
“I can’t wait until I’m married one day.”
“I can’t wait until I can afford this house or that car.”
Growing up, my least favorite time of the year was when my team was in our offseason period. I just wanted to play games all the time, and those two or three months of winter training felt like torture! While I would put in the same amount of effort at practice and during lifting sessions that I did during a normal season, I just couldn’t be content until I was able to see my work pay off in a game.
We can all probably relate to the waiting game in many other areas of life too. But the Bible has encouragement for us in these times of waiting:
“The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him.” — Lamentations 3:25
“Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” — Psalm 27:14 (ESV)
“Jesus replied, ‘You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.'” — John 13:7
Elizabeth waited her entire life — she was in her late 80s — before she was gifted the ability to conceive and bear her son, John the Baptist (Luke 1). And Sarah was even older — in her 90s — before she saw the fulfillment of her heart’s desire with the birth of her son, Isaac (Genesis 17-18).
Jesus’ mission on earth wasn’t accomplished in one day. He had to grow up like every one of us, and was more than ready when God had Him begin His quest for our ultimate redemption (Luke 3:23).
When I really step back to look at the bigger picture of my life, the periods of waiting have been the most fruitful. There is always a purpose for our waiting, regardless of whether or not we can understand it. If you’re waiting for a season to come back around, that starting spot on your team, the right person to come around, that perfect job or whatever your heart desires, know that God has a plan for you and is intentional with your wait.
Often, He is trying to teach and grow us, even if it is just to give us a break from the constant hustle of life. It’s when we fully embrace what a blessing our season of waiting can be that we can find joy and peace with where we are and with the person we have been called to be.
— Emily Reitz
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