I wait for the Lord, my soul waits..…for with the Lord there is…..abundant redemption. (v. 5, 7)
Sweet ones, are you waiting for something? For someone? For a change of circumstance? For a change of heart?
Are you waiting for a man to come along?
Are you in a difficult marriage and you are waiting for your husband to change or for that magical healing?
Are you separated and waiting for your limbo to come to an end?
Are you divorced and waiting to feel normal again?
I know. It’s okay. I’ve been all of these women.
Is your soul waiting?
And if so, is it waiting on the Lord? Are you waiting on God?
Or are you waiting in frustration? And discontentment? And in desperation?
I know. It’s all okay. I’ve waited so much over the years…..for many, many good things…..some that have come to pass, some that have not.
And I have waited the right way…..on the Lord.
And I have waited the wrong way (read: all the other ways).
So it’s okay. All grace for you here.
But here is what I have found out after walking with Jesus all this time. When I place myself in a posture to wait the quote-unquote right way…..on him…..something happens to me in the waiting.
I am changed. I find strength. I have a sense of hope. I can see just beyond the bend, even if just a little glimpse.
And then…..when the thing I was waiting for comes into view…..I see and taste that the Lord is good and I experience his abundant redemption. Truly.
Because I believe the journey is just as important as the thing – however amazing the thing is – that we were waiting for. And in the journey, if we are yielding to Christ, yielding to the waiting, yielding to the pain, yielding to the lessons, yielding to the transformation, yielding to the loneliness, then when the redemption comes – and it will come, sweet girls – we will experience it so much more richly and deeply and abundantly.
So in this Lenten season, wait. Don’t fight it. Surrender. Lay it down. Hold out your hand. God will take it. And wait.
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I answered yes to just about every question – the good and the bad. I waiver – somedays I am good at waiting on God with hope, and other times I have a hard time and get disappointed and frustrated. Thanks for the reminder and encouragement!
We all waiver, Kara. But thankfully, there’s so much grace for us! Thanks for commenting!
“And if so, is it waiting on the Lord? Are you waiting on God? Or are you waiting in frustration? And discontentment? And in desperation?”
Boom, convicted, as soon as I read that. I’m single and waiting for my future husband. But lately, every guy that walks into a room makes my heart whisper, “Is he the one?” I’m frustrated because I’m still single and all my friends are getting married. I’m discontent because I feel like I deserve it more than anyone else. And I’m desperate, so desperate.
I’m not waiting on the Lord, and your post convicted me so deeply of that. Thank you for your words and your encouragement – they are much needed and much received.
Amy, this can be so hard, I know. I’m so sorry for your pain the waiting. This post of mine from last week might be good for you as well: http://www.elisabethcorcoran.com/i-deserve-a-good-man-darnit/. Thanks for commenting.
“….Don’t fight it. Surrender. Lay it down. Hold out your hand. God will take it. And wait.”
— Thank you so much for these beautiful words!
“something happens to me in the waiting…. I am changed. I find strength. I have a sense of hope. I can see just beyond the bend, even if just a little glimpse.”
— and this! I’ve been waiting… and it seems like the Lord wants me to wait some more… but yes, I am changed, and I know I am stronger than I ever was after that season of miscarriage… and even right now in this season of waiting and holding on to His promises…. I don’t know how much longer, but I can see the beauty of this season now… I can see God’s beauty. Thank you for sharing your heart! God bless you!
Thank you for commenting, Misce. I’m so sorry for your pain, but I’m glad you can see God’s beauty in the waiting.
And in the journey, if we are yielding to Christ, yielding to the waiting, yielding to the pain, yielding to the lessons, yielding to the transformation, yielding to the loneliness, then when the redemption comes – and it will come, sweet girls – we will experience it so much more richly and deeply and abundantly.—-
AMEN!! AMEN!!! AMEN!!! Just what I needed to hear today!! GOD IS SO AMAZING!!
Kim, I’m so glad God used these words to encourage you today. -Elisabeth
Wait. Oh, so often I want to stop my foot down and say “no Lord, not this time, I don’t want to .”
But in a life of ministry I have learned, not well, I’m still learning that His timing is nothing less than perfect…for everything. He asks nothing more of us than a faithful walk alongside Him, and yet we want spiritual greatness, ministry greatness, souls turned to Him now…we want it all now. And why doesn’t He? I don’t know. But I do know that He is great, and as I walk with Him, wait on Him for those things that I so desperately want right now…He shows me more of who He is. And I would not trade that for anything.
Thanks for sharing your heart.
Liesl, I loved this: “He asks for nothing more than a faithful walk beside him…” So beautiful and true. Thanks for writing!
“And if so, is it waiting on the Lord? Are you waiting on God? Or are you waiting in frustration? And discontentment? And in desperation?” Thank you for this! We’re all waiting on something but it is how we wait that determines the outcome. Often times the waiting process is more beneficial to us than the thing that we are waiting for. Bless God fire His mercy.
Yes, how we wait matters. Thanks, Stephanie!
Trying to get my head around this. I need to. I’ve waited 13 years….I’ve reached a point of giving up and shut down. Scary to start expecting again.
Sheila, I totally get this…I’ve been too scared to hope again, but Jesus always meets me in my fear. -Elisabeth