Rest in the Lord; wait patiently for him to act. … Don’t fret and worry—it only leads to harm. Psalm 37:7-8 TLB
Isn’t it hard when you are in a hurry and the person with you isn’t? Oh my! It seems most families have a hurrier and a dawdler in them, and that reality tends to bring tidbits of tension into the typically happy home from time to time.😊
It can feel even more stressful when you are in a hurry and God isn’t. When we are desperate, and God seems to be taking too much time to do something, we can forget that handling this is His responsibility, not ours. David discovered that when he allowed himself to forget, he was more likely to interrupt God’s work with his own decisions. That led to harm and further desperation and disruption of God’s process. One of the most foolish, desperate decisions a person can make is to take over when we think God is going too slow. Just ask Abraham and Sarah (Genesis 15-21). In fact, the Bible and history are full of examples of people who brought great trouble into their lives when they refused to wait patiently for God to act. It was never punishment – it was natural consequences from choices they weren’t wise enough to see to their end.
Daily resting in the Lord, daily giving your fears, worries, and the totality of your desperate situation back to Him is a profound act of faith. Speaking life and hope into your situation by affirming your trust in the faithfulness of God to come through with just what you need at the right time has great power. It will lift your own heart, enable your awareness of the presence of God even when you don’t feel Him, and be a strong witness to those around you.
Remember when the disciples were with Jesus in the boat on the sea of Galilee? A storm blew up and they got desperate. Jesus was sleeping in the bottom of the boat while the disciples were freaking out. They became distressed and woke Him up with a shout: “Why are you sleeping? Lord, save us! We are going to drown.”
Jesus got up calmly. Can’t you imagine His patient smile? “Hey, I’m here. Why are you afraid? Have faith.” Then He told the wind and the waves to settle down and suddenly everything became still and peaceful (Matthew 8:23-28).
If Jesus seems asleep in your storm today, know He always knows what’s going on. He cares even more than you do, and His timing is perfect.
- What steps can you take today to remind yourself that Jesus is present in your storm? How can you intentionally rest and trust His timing?