In The Waiting

Romans 8:28 ESV

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

We have all experienced a season in our lives that has required patience. I can think back to many such seasons with less than fond memories, because to be completely honest, I hate waiting. I am the girl that gets frustrated when someone takes a turn too slow, so you can imagine how I handle seasons of waiting. But like you, I have dealt with my fair share of waiting periods in my walk with God.

As I read through Romans 8 in The Message translation, “to wait” took on new meaning for me, and I began to understand it a little bit more. Verses 22-25 say this “All around us we observe a pregnant creation. The difficult times of pain throughout the world are simply birth pangs. But it’s not only around us; it’s within us. The Spirit of God is arousing us within. We’re also feeling the birth pangs. These sterile and barren bodies of ours are yearning for full deliverance. That is why waiting does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. We are enlarged in the waiting. We, of course, don’t see what is enlarging us. But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy.”

We are not diminished during the wait, but rather we grow. It may appear as though we are losing (peace of mind, joy, contentedness) but we are instead persevering, gaining knowledge and drawing nearer to God. We won’t always understand, but if you can wait, there is purpose and promises to be found.

Let’s shift our focus from trying to rush our way through the trying seasons of life, to cultivating a spirit and attitude of expectancy, knowing that God is always working. There are great things in store just over the horizon, if you can just hold on a little bit longer.

Prayer: God, help me to lift my eyes upward today. You are my help, and I know that even in this confusing season that I am in, that You are working and turning things around for my good.