I don’t wait well. Long drive-thru lines, grocery stores with ten customers and one cashier, even slow downloads make me grumpy. The longer the wait, the more I struggle with patience.
I find it especially difficult to wait for something I want badly. The grown up version of “I just can’t wait ‘til Christmas” becomes, “Why isn’t my career, financial situation, ministry, relationship, or ____________(fill in the blank) getting better? When will something change?”
I suspect you struggle in similar ways. You desperately want your husband to get a new job so finances will improve and he’ll be happier. You struggle with a prodigal child, a difficult marriage, or a challenging ministry, and you wonder when the breakthrough will come. You give and give and give, and pray and pray and pray, and some days you wonder if you’re just wasting your time. Should you give up on the hope, the dream, the prayer?
James, the half-brother of Christ, penned words of encouragement for times like these:
This blog post has moved over to my new site, REFRESH. To read the rest of What Are You Waiting For? please click HERE.
That's in the Bible? I've never noticed that before!
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Refresh Your Faith contains 66 culturally relevant, story-driven devotions, one from each book of the Bible. Each real-life story spotlights an unusual verse or Bible passage that you may have overlooked in your usual Bible reading. Lori Hatcher challenges you with additional features like an uncommon thought to ponder; an unusual faith action step; and an unfamiliar passage suggestion for additional Bible reading.
When the fabulous has become familiar and your quiet times are more like nap times, it's time to step out of spiritual boredom and ignite the spark that will keep you growing. No matter where you are on your faith journey, Lori's conversational and engaging style will challenge you to think about things you've never thought about before.
“Real-life inspiration and candid wit. These 5-minute devotions will change your life.” —Psychologist and best-selling author Dr. Kevin Leman, commenting on Lori Hatcher's devotional style
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I’d love to send you a 5-minute e-mail devotion twice a week to start your day off with the Lord.
Sign up for a free subscription to Hungry for God by CLICKING HERE.
Then, be sure to VALIDATE the confirmation email you receive.
Note: I promise never to spam you or share your email address.
Because busy women need to connect with God in the craziness of everyday life.
Ive been praying for patience, and struggling to be patient, while waiting for my boyfriend to come around after we decided to take a break. There were no parameters set, and I pray that he takes all the time he needs, but being patient is hard, yet I know it is what God wants. If I rush, and push him, the relationship will further suffer. So I wait. and I pray. And I remind myself that He knows better than I do...
ReplyDeleteI'll pray with you, Aletha. May God lead you both as you seek his will for your relationship. Blessings to you.
DeleteSometimes the waiting is the most difficult part. How many times have I watered the seeds of my writing efforts with tears during prayers for God's guidance and help to make me better. It isn't success or notoriety I seek, but impact for His kingdom. So often, God reminds me that I cannot apply worldly measures and standards to kingdom work. Just as we can't see a plant's roots growing deeper and feeding the plant growth, we can't see how our ministry efforts are impacting others. Faith gives us the patience we need to trust God is producing the intended harvest to come. What a wonderful reminder Ms. Lori. God's blessings ma'am.
ReplyDeletePatience can be so hard for me! Thank you for this word, which is an answered prayer. :-)
ReplyDeleteLori, waiting is hard for me, too. These statements in your analogy reminded me that God is always at work: “He also knows that the flat, black earth isn’t a barren wasteland. It’s an incubator for growth and change.” Waiting as we pray for the salvation of those we love is hard.
ReplyDelete