Waiting With A Hope-FULL Heart

Wait for the Lord’s help. Be strong and brave, and wait for the Lord’s help.  Psalm 27:14 NCV

“Waiting on God requires the willingness to bear uncertainty, to carry within oneself the unanswered question, lifting the heart to God about it whenever it intrudes upon one’s thoughts.”

―Elisabeth Elliot

My grandfather used to say that waiting on God was the most difficult thing for a Christian to learn.

Well, I wouldn’t argue with that, but honestly, “Isn’t it difficult for anyone to do?” I mean who wants to stand in a long line that isn’t moving or wait at one of those six-way lights, in heavy traffic, that changes in less than ten seconds so only one or two cars can move through the intersection?

Can I hear an amen?

We are not a society that likes to wait.

We want it now. Doesn’t matter what it is. We want it NOW.

I’ll confess it has taken me most of my six decades to learn this lesson of waiting with some semblance of grace and patience. And I’ll go granddad one better. It isn’t just difficult, it can be quite painful!

When you are in a season of waiting that last years and years with no end in sight, believe me, you have not only carried the difficulty but the pain.

So, how do we keep a heart full of hope when our days stretch out before us like some endless barren wilderness?

Hope-Full-Waiting In Spite of…

In spite of what?

In spite of our pain, in spite of the difficulties, in spite of all the uncertainty, in spite of [insert your own tag here.]

What is the secret?

Elisabeth found it. I finally did, too, though it took me years to discover and accept it.

I believe the secret to “waiting for God with a heart full of hope” lies in our own WILLINGNESS and our INTIMACY WITH HIM.

The willing heart trusts God’s plan more than their own.

That’s it in a nutshell.

Confident hope means trusting.

And, to do that involves walking with Him in daily intimate prayer, believing He is GOOD, that He loves you, and that His plans for you are all good.

When you come to the place of believing all of that?

The pain might still be there—but it will no longer own you.

His peace will.