Process Over Progress
"I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him." Psalm 40:1-3
Insight
My first phone call today was from a dear friend with some great news. Over the last three years, he has been through some really tough times, one of which has been a 3-year battle with a potentially life-threatening illness. Today he called me with tears of joy and said, "I just left the doctor's office, and she told me that I am completely HEALED!" We both gave shouts of joy out loud and prayed a prayer of thanksgiving together for this great news!
For three years, that's 36 months, or 1095 days, my friend has waited and prayed for healing. Waiting 1095 days for anything, much less petitioning God to bring healing from a painful illness, will shape you and form you in unimaginable ways.
Numerous moments throughout the Scriptures give us a window into the lives of people as they waited on God for healing, deliverance, and rescue. Sometimes God answers in ways we desire and understand, and sometimes He does not. Nevertheless, He always hears the cries of His people, and He always has their best interest at heart.
In Psalm 40:1-3, we find King David crying out to God for rescue. In Verse 1, David said, "I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry." To wait patiently for something is hard. As humans, we like forward motion; we want results; we like to see action. Humans value PROGRESS, but God values PROCESS. God uses the PROCESS of waiting to shape us and mold us in ways that are necessary for us to become more like Himself and more capable of handling the difficulties of life in a fallen world.
As I spoke on the phone with my friend and celebrated God's healing in his life, we both talked about how valuable the long PROCESS has been for him. God has used the 36 month period to help make him stronger. He's also used the period of waiting to help him become more vulnerable with his community of fellow believers, as well as more dependent upon God Himself. The last three years of waiting have been instrumental in my friend's walk with God. Learning how to wait, and wait patiently, is vital in our spiritual formation.
No matter what we face in this life, we can be certain that God hears our cries and will respond in His perfect timing. His response is far not dictated by our need for physical progress, but rather our need for spiritual process. The challenge for us is to learn how to 'patiently wait' so that we can embrace just what it is that God wants to do in our lives.
Reflection
What are some areas of your life where you are waiting?
Are you able to wait 'patiently'? Why or why not?
In what ways do you need to surrender your desire for PROGRESS and instead patiently embrace God's desire for PROCESS?
Prayer
Lord, I know that waiting is hard. I know that sometimes I struggle with being patient and trusting Your timing. Please help me to surrender my timeline to Yours. Help me to embrace the PROCESS of spiritual formation and yield my need to see PROGRESS. May the desire of my heart be to operate at your pace instead of my own. May I learn to wait for You patiently. In Your Name, Jesus, Amen
Port City's Multi-Site Pastor Danny Rogers wrote today's devotional.
