THE WAITING GAME

Psalm 37:1-7
1 Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; 2 for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. 3 Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. 4 Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will do this: 6 He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. 7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.

I pace back and forth in front of my living room window, feeling helpless because there's nowhere to go. It has been 2 years since I graduated with a degree in computer science, and still--no job. Why is it that ever since I dedicated my life to God, everything has seemingly come to a standstill? At the moment, life has become a waiting game.

Still, in the midst of all my waiting, God is faithfully moving in my heart and life. He has done amazing things these last 2 years. During the first 12 months, and for the first time in my life, I opened the Bible to find out about Jesus.

During the second year, God placed me in a teaching credential program, which I have recently completed and am waiting patiently for my chance to teach at the elementary school level. All this happened, I believe, because I waited on the Lord.

King David believed in God's faithfulness when he declared, "Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun" (Psalm 37:5-6).

Following his declaration, David said, "Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him" (v.7). When we wait on the Lord and delight in His ways, He will give us the desires of our heart (v.4).

In Old Testament times, God's people waited for the greatest gift of all, our Savior Jesus Christ. Next time you catch yourself pacing back and forth in front of your living room window, remember what God has already done in giving you His Son. And keep waiting and trusting Him. --Michael Chen (California)

Written by a fellow Soul Journey reader

DESTINATION POINTS

* How will I slow down and see what God is doing in my life?
* When was the last time I stood still and waited for God's direction?
* What are some things I can do while I wait patiently for God?

LINKS:
When Life's On Hold
http://www.christianitytoday.com/tcw/2002/005/5.66.html

The Flight Of Your Life
http://www.christianitytoday.com/tcw/8w3/8w3048.html

bottom line: To wait patiently for God is to trust.

soul journey