How to Trust God in the Delays
By Rick Warren
“Brothers and sisters, be patient until the Lord comes again. See how farmers wait for their precious crops to grow. They wait patiently for fall and spring rains. You, too, must be patient. Don’t give up hope. The Lord will soon be here.” James 5:7-8 (GW)
Whatever problems you're facing, you need to remember that God is working behind the scenes. You need to trust him and be patient.
But how do you do that? What do you do while you’re waiting? How do you build a faith that trusts God during the delays?
The Bible says, “Brothers and sisters, be patient until the Lord comes again. See how farmers wait for their precious crops to grow. They wait patiently for fall and spring rains. You, too, must be patient. Don’t give up hope. The Lord will soon be here” (James 5:7-8 GW).
Like a farmer, you need to wait expectantly. While farmers wait, they prepare for the harvest. They get ready. They don’t sit around thinking, “I wonder if this is going to grow or not.” They expect their crops to grow. They prepare for the harvest so that when it comes, they can reap the benefits.
So, you expect God to act and provide. Psalm 130:5 says, “I wait expectantly, trusting God to help, for he has promised” (TLB). That promise is all over the Bible, in verses like Isaiah 49:23: “No one who waits for my help will be disappointed” (GNT).
What have you been waiting for God to do? Maybe you’ve been waiting for him to transform your marriage, solve a financial problem, heal a hurt, or reach someone in your family who is not a believer. Whatever you’ve been waiting on God to do in your life, do you really expect him to do it? If you’re not preparing yourself while you wait, you’re not really expecting anything to happen.
Quite often when we think we're waiting on God, God is actually waiting on us. You may not be ready to handle the blessing he wants to give you, and so he’s waiting on you to spiritually mature.
One thing that will help you wait patiently on God is to remember his goodness and grace. He is working in your life, even when you can't see what he's doing and even if you think his timing is too slow.
Get still, spend time in God’s Word, and learn how to be more like Jesus. Then get busy doing the work that will prepare you for the harvest.
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This devotional © 2018 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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