Wait Quietly
I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion, therefore I will wait for him.” The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. Lamentations 3:24-26
Insight
I'm not one for sitting around. Being a mama, I'm always anticipating the needs of my children. Mama, I need a Band-Aid or Mama, I need some more milk or Mama, I need you to tie my shoe. Staying on the move has become the norm. Even in my waiting, I'm moving. While standing in line at the grocery store, I sway back and forth. While sitting at the doctor's office, I tap my feet.
Are my movements speeding up the cosmic forces of the universe, causing my turn to come any sooner? Of course not, yet I find the actions comforting.
I realize now that my actions are a way for me to try and control the situation. I've done this not only in the practical areas of life but in the spiritual areas as well.
Waiting can be frustrating because we feel like we have no say or control of the process in which we advance. We want things to move forward, and when they don't, we're tempted to take matters into our own hands. But when we do this, we're relying on our strength instead of God's.
God will sometimes put our lives on hold, so we can learn to hold on to Him. God doesn't want us exhausting ourselves, trying to make things happen. He wants us to be still and know that He is God.
This doesn't mean we check-out, but rather lean into the ways of the Lord. Oswald Chambers wrote, "Waiting is not sitting with folded hands doing nothing, but learning to do what we are told." Seek God in the waiting. As we hunger for answers, we will be satisfied in His presence.
Reflection
Do you find yourself trying to speed up the waiting process? If so, how does that leave you feeling?
Is the Lord your portion? In other words, are you delighting yourself in communion with God, or are you focused on feeling stuck?
Prayer
Heavenly Father, when we try to hurry things along, remind us that we are working from our own strength, leaving us feeling exhausted. When we relinquish control, we are allowing You to work in the wait. May we seek you and find you. May You become our portion so we are satisfied by You alone. In Your name, Amen.
Port City Care Coordinator Mandy Hughes wrote today’s devotional.
