DO YOU HAVE THE PATIENCE TO WAIT ON GOD’S TIMING IN YOUR LIFE?

SCRIPTURE:
“Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” 
(Psalm 103:2)

MEDITATION:
Sometimes it is hard to accept 
that God can bring about His purposes through our trials. 
It is difficult to see past our circumstances 
to a future that, for us, doesn’t exist yet. 

But God is not constrained by time. 
He is not inhibited by our circumstances. 
Because of this, we have to trust that our limited perspective 
simply cannot understand and process His higher purpose.

There is a temptation during these times to take back control from Him, 
which, in essence, tells God through our actions that He cannot be trusted. 
We are saying to Him, “I’ll take it from here, God”.

David writes of this tendency in Psalm 103:2, 
when he says, “forget not all His benefits”.
David knew that he had to remind himself not to forget 
what the Lord had done for him in the past, 
so he could look forward to what He would do for him in the future. 
Like the rest of us, David struggled with remembering that God has a purpose
in every trial, and a benefit waiting for those who choose to persevere.

A man told about how he had an instant where he ran ahead of the Lord, 
because he didn’t want to wait on His answer.
His family was in need of a computer 
and had a little money they could spend. 
Since they were in the stages of still paying off debts, 
it was money that could have been spent elsewhere.

As he prayed about this decision, 
he felt God telling him to wait on this purchase. 
“God”, he responded, “we can’t wait any longer, we need a computer”. 
He couldn’t understand why God would tell him to wait, 
so he moved ahead with his plans to buy a computer.
He had wrestled the control away from God, once again.

About a month after he got the new computer, 
his mom called him to ask if he still needed a computer. 
“Well, no”, he told her, “we bought one already. Why?” 
She went on to explain that her friends were getting rid of a nearly new 
computer because they had decided to buy a laptop. 
Did they want it? 
In that moment he felt God remind him, “I told you to wait”.

Even though this was difficult, 
it was a very powerful lesson that he has not forgotten. 
They ended up with two computers, but were minus a large chunk of money 
invested in an unnecessary computer 
(that could have gone to paying off debts). 
God used this lesson 
to teach him that he has to wait on His purpose to be accomplished.

When he waits on God, 
his financial journey becomes intertwined with his spiritual one. 
This is part of growing in faith 
as we simultaneously grow in our relationship with Him. 
He realized that if he forgot to remember what God had done for him in the 
past, he wouldn’t be able to cling to His promises for the future.

ACTION:
Do you struggle with waiting on the Lord?
Remember, this is a sign 
that you lack adequate trust that God knows what He is doing.
It is also an indication that you lack adequate faith 
that God has plans for you, which include your waiting on His timing.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for having plans for me that I cannot visualize 
or comprehend. Forgive me for not having adequate faith and trust in You and 
Your purposes for me. Teach me to patiently wait on You and to use that time 
looking forward to, and thanking You for what You will reveal to me at a 
later date. Teach me to be thankful for the things You are doing that I 
cannot immediately see, and help me to have faith and trust that You have 
plans for me that requires me to wait on Your timing. Remind me of how You 
have benefited me in the past, so I can fully trust what You have for me in 
the future, if I will patiently wait on You instead of running ahead of Your
plans.”