By Toni Ford
I am not sure about you, but I am not a very patient person when it comes to waiting. I looked up the word “wait” in the dictionary and Webster defines the word as; “to stay where one is or delay action until a particular time or until something else happens.” As I was reading in the Gospel of John this week, I noticed the disciples also had a hard time waiting. John 6:16-18 says, “That evening Jesus’ disciples went down to the shore to wait for him. But as darkness fell and Jesus still hadn’t come back, they got into the boat and headed across the lake toward Capernaum. Soon a gale swept down upon them, and the sea grew very rough.”
I believe waiting can be a challenge for many of us, just as it was for the disciples. We see from the story in John that the disciples decided to get in their boat and head back toward Capernaum. However, very soon a storm arose and their challenge on the water became greater than if they had just been still and continued to wait for Jesus on the shore. What causes us to not wait on the Lord?
Lack of Control. When things around me are unstable or inconsistency begins to become more apparent, I begin to fight to take back control of my situation. The remedy – 2 Corinthians 4:18 (NIV) “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
Lack of Faith. I don’t 100 percent trust that Jesus can take care of my situation, so I start taking things in my own hands working to find what I think is a better solution. The remedy – Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV) “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Waiting is difficult and even when I wait, I might not get the outcome I wanted. However, I have learned that waiting on the Lord, His timing and His plans for my life far exceed my timing and plans for my life. Therefore, today my prayer for each of us is, Psalm 37:7 which says, “Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him.”
If you would like for me to join you in prayer on the things you are waiting on please email me at tonif77@gmail.com and I would love to pray for you.