Best Of Post (Ten Lessons in Waiting)

This week I am traveling so I am sharing a part of my earlier post, "Ten Lessons in the Waiting" you can read my whole post here and the excerpt below.

• God's thoughts are not my thoughts, and His plans and ways are higher and better than my ways (see Isaiah 55:8). When we get past the frustration of not seeing plans or timing come together as we thought they would, there can be great peace and joy in resting in God's sovereign plans. He is in control.

• God is more interested in sculpting us for an eternity with Him than He is simply placating us in our passing circumstances.   Our struggles are light and momentary ones and will pale in comparison to the beyond-compare eternity that Jesus is preparing for us right not. That stated, God also cares about us and for us in the hard times of life.  He will never stop being the ever-true, never-failing Father who will never leave us alone.

• God's desire is that we want Him more than the things He gives to us.  One of my favorite scriptures is Psalm 37:4 "Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart." When we desire the stuff God graciously gives us more than His presence, we are actually worshipping ourselves and making material things false gods. God knows what we need, so love Him, trust Him, and let go of everything else.
• Those who worship God honor Him by waiting for Him and on Him. I believe the prophet Isaiah had this in mind when he wrote:

• God is not surprised by the challenges in our life, as He is before the beginning and after the ending, and is in control.  With this in mind, God reminds us to trust Him and not despair. He is working everything together according to His master plan, and He has a great outcome awaiting us!

• God can handle our cries and pleas through the storms of life, so go ahead and pour out your heart to Him in your prayers and thoughts, just like the Psalmist did:

• God also calls us to keep our eyes on Jesus above the problems and challenges we experience. The Bible put it this way:

• Our desire should be that God is spotlighted and credited with the victory and answer that will eventually come. Thanking and acknowledging God for both little and big things in your life is a key to maintaining spiritual health and perspective while waiting for God's answer to be manifested in our circumstances.

• All the way to the end of our struggles, true worshippers can be strengthened by God to stand firm in Him.  There is a crown of life waiting for those who hang in there with God and don't succumb to the downward pull of the world and the enemy of our soul.

• Finally, the key to persevering through uncertain times is allowing God's Holy Spirit to fill us, give us peace, and help us to wait. For me, this is both a prayer and an ongoing decision to relinquish my thoughts, emotions, and plans to Him, and bask in His presence.