Waiting—A Subject We Like to Avoid
Today’s de
votion is written by Janis Van Keuren who I was blessed to meet in the month of March 2014. To find out more about Janis and her ministry, please visit her website “Heart-Filled Moments“.
Earphones dangling ‘round my neck, I trekked along on the gym’s treadmill listening to Christian music when one of the songs caught my attention. The lyrics talked about waiting. An upbeat tune giving hope to times when life seems to stand still. But everything can change in a moment the young woman’s voice sang—if we just wait.
Waiting. We cringe at the idea. In the midst of waiting, we count the moments. Eyes focused on the object of our heart’s desire. The answer to our whispered prayers. Fulfilled desires. Hopes that seem to have been crushed.
We endure with gritted teeth. We say, “This will pass and I will be stronger for having waited through the test.” We keep ourselves busy. To sit quietly could lead to fear or anxiety so we keep beating our feet on the path of waiting until our time comes—until the moment comes when the waiting is over.
In that time of waiting, though, the Lord longs to draw us closer to Himself. He calls us to rest in Him. To listen to Him. To discover His purpose and His plan. To recall how He has worked in our lives before. To remember and to trust Him.
While I couldn’t find the exact song I heard that day in the gym, the lyrics of a song by Casting Crowns captured its heartbeat and gives us hope for the moments, days, months or years we spend in God’s waiting room.
“Already There”
“From where I’m standing
Lord it’s so hard for me to see
Where this is going
And where You’re leading me
I wish I knew how
All my fears and all my questions
Are gonna play out
In a word I cannot control
….
To You my future is a memory
Cause You’re already there
You’re already there”
Copyrighted
Released in 2012
My greatest challenge in a time of waiting on the Lord is that I do not have control. I am a problem solver. I like to dig beneath the surface and discover the underlying cause of my circumstances. But when I jump ahead of God and take the reins out of His hands, I make a mess of my situation. Like a child who takes apart the workings of a clock only to find he cannot put it back together, I find myself perplexed because I discover that I made the waiting longer or more painful when I mistakenly thought I knew how to cure the problem.
The Lord declares,
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways” Isaiah 55:8 NIV
If we sit before the Lord while we wait, we are strengthened as we allow Him to work within us and to work out His plan.
“I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” Psalm 27:13-14 NIV
In an instant, the waiting can pass.
Janis Van Keuren
Thanks for this today, Janis. I do believe the waiting becomes easier as we humble ourselves by means of casting our cares on Him. 1 Peter 5:6-7.
Anita, thank you for your words of wisdom here. Humility and trust go hand in hand. And when we can humble ourselves to give our cares to our faithful, caring, and capable Father, the waiting will be easier.
Thank you for stopping by.
Blessings,
Janis
This devotional is beautiful, Janis! Love the Ps. 27 quote. Waiting – no control. I understand so well.
Hugs,
Mary
Hi Mary,
We are creatures who need to control everything. We’ve deluded ourselves into believing that in attempting to control our circumstances, everything will work out to our liking.
I’m so glad you stopped by today!
Blessings,
Janis
Waiting – a journey of faith that is so very difficult sometimes. No control, that is why the waiting is so hard. But, just as your lovely devotional says, we never walk alone. The Lord is in our tomorrows, and in every moment of today.
GOD BLESS!
Thank you, Sharon, for stopping by. The waiting can be painful but I think we all agree it’s because we lack control. Thank you for reminding us that Jesus is in our tomorrows as well as walking beside us today. Thinking of you, my dear friend.
Blessings,
Janis
Janis….Thank you for sharing this beautiful devotional. I always seem to read exactly what I need to hear;
as this applies to me and my family in so many ways. I’m glad I was on here today and was able to see this and I’m so very thankful that God had our paths cross. <3
Betsy~it’s such a blessing to see you here! Thank you for leaving a comment! I think all of us have a lot of waiting in various areas of our lives and God ultimately wants to strengthen our walk with Him and grow in trust that He has every circumstance in our lives in control. It’s hard to let go and learn that over and over and over again–at least for me.
I feel blessed, too, Betsy, that God has brought us together on this journey. Look forward to sharing more with you.
Blessings,
Janis
Janis, This is a beautiful devotional. It’s my prayer that I would always remember exactly Who is waiting with me. Sure would make the waiting easier!
By the way, I think the song you heard in the gym was “While I’m Waiting” by John Waller. It’s a wonderful song!
Hi Marie~Thank you for visiting today. I’m so glad the devotional blessed you! Don’t we seem to get ourselves all tangled in a mess when we forget the One who is walking beside us? It’s our human inclination to try and handle things on our own and then finally remember, “Oh, Lord, You are right here! Help me, lead me, show me Your way.”
Thank you for the title of the song. How thoughtful of you!
Blessings,
Janis
Janis, in this time of waiting for me your words have truly touched my heart. And I know how true this is now, “If we sit before the Lord while we wait, we are strengthened as we allow Him to work within us and to work out His plan.” I’m so grateful for the work He is doing within me during this time. There are days the waiting feels harder but I know His plans are far better than anything I can imagine. Bless you. Thank you for sharing with TWW.
Hi Beth~this has been such a difficult time for you as you wait for your hubby to return from deployment. Lines of communication can get strained during these times because both husband and wife are under extra stress. But the Lord has showed you a solution through the Love Dave Challenge! And He is working marvelous things in your marriage, your heart, and even this deployment. Some day you will praise God for this particular deployment because of all that He has done! (Your heart is always beautiful and filled with love. It’s one of the reasons so many are drawn to you!)
Blessings my friend,
Janis
Ah …waiting! Now that’s something I too struggle with at times. After going through a long period of stress and uncertainty (and still ongoing), I can see God’s hand at work. I journal and so it’s amazing when I read what I had written and see how He answered my prayers. It was definitely in His perfect timing and often not as I anticipated. But He is so good and He is so faithful. I think it’s good to remember how faithful He has been in the past to help us get through our struggles today.
Blessings and love,
Debbie
Debbie, thank you for your personal insight into how the Lord has worked with you during your times of waiting. Journaling and going back to read how the Lord has worked in our circumstances increases our faith in God and His faithfulness.
Thank you for visiting!
Love you,
Janis