Is the Wait Killing You?
Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord! Psalm 27:14 (ESV)
Patiently waiting is one of the most difficult things we face. I have never met anyone who can honestly say, “I enjoy waiting!”
I’m not referring to waiting for dinner. The smell of the chuck roast in the oven permeates the entire house and those salivary glands must be stifled for yet another hour. Not that kind of wait.
When medical testing has been completed but the results have not been made available through your individual portal, how do you handle the delay? Is no news good news or does it stir up wild scenario games? Who is really patient when a life-or-death diagnosis or prognosis hangs in the balance? Yet Psalm 33:20 (ESV) tells us, Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. Do we believe this?
When faced with a crisis of any kind, our minds run amuck! We toss and turn in the darkness, eat less or consume more than normal just because. Perhaps the wine or mixed drinks go down faster and easier. Maybe an extra pill takes off the edge. Maybe…but not for long. The problem with all these crutches is that they only cover up the problem for a short time. Then we are left with the original issue plus the cleanup from our poor choices.
Whether they are big issues of war, health, employment, or finances, or smaller ones, our human tendency is to worry and play the “what-if” game. Imagine what a day might be like if we turned everything over to God before the anxiety crept in.
And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? Matthew 6:27 (ESV) makes it very clear that worry is a waste of time. It does nothing for us except put dark, rather ugly bags under our eyes.
Life can be very scary at times. We do feel fearful and rightfully so. The best antidote for such times is to have some verses handy. When I am afraid, I put my trust in you (Psalm 56:3, ESV).
There is so much that can be done while we wait for His response. We are not stuck. Even though it may feel like the wait is killing us, He has a plan.
Loving Lord, thank You for working in our moments of waiting. Help us to trust that Your promises are rock solid and that You want the best for us in all situations. AMEN.