It is sad how much people worry and fret, while in the midst of a spiritual ‘wait’—a headwind of varying circumstances that cause one’s heart to fade into a state of depression. It is sometimes easier to complain and give into feelings of helplessness rather than standing fast in the strength of God’s Devine Word.
Satan tries to steal God’s Word that we have hidden in our heart when we need it most, but the Word is sharper than any two-edged sword. God is faithful to deliver us. He will never allow anything to come upon us that we are unable to bear. The faithfulness of God reaches to the uttermost depth of despair, which enables a person that is losing heart to rise above the situation that has befallen them.
God is not only aware of the dilemma or perplexities that we are facing, He has the answer how to counter the problems to bring victory and satisfaction. As we trust in Him, rather than leaning upon our own understanding concerning a matter, answers and direction come, because Jesus is touched by the feelings of our infirmities. The Lord wants us to rely upon Him, because He cares for us and desires peace in our life.
(Hebrews 4:15-16), “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” vs.16 “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
We honor God through our trust in Him and He directs our comings and goings. Yes, waiting on God can test our faith and patience at times. It can become a tedious affair, because of our very nature. We want things now. No-one likes to wait when things are seemingly falling apart at the seams.
(Proverbs 3:5-8), “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding;” vs.6 “In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” vs.7 “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil.” vs.8 “It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones.”
If the wait is allowed to consume every waking hour with worry, rather than giving it to God, the anticipation is full of defeat and confusion. The ability to trust, without worry, is dependent upon the depth of a person’s belief system.
The natural instinct within us is to want things immediately, without the wait. Impatience is a typical flaw in people, which can reveal an individual’s inner character. It shows forth especially in times when something doesn’t go exactly the way they think it should.
Everyone needs more patience, but patience comes with a price; tribulation and trials. God loves us so much that He is not satisfied or willing to allow us to live below our privileges in Him. He desires that we live an abundant, fulfilled life, which means that He permits certain situations to come our way to test our faith, which draws us closer to Him, thus, building our level of patience and longsuffering.
It is hard to live by the quote, “Good things come to those who wait.” Patience is a virtue; it is not easy to be tolerant. God knows when we learn patience that our blood pressure remains healthy and our stomach is not tied up in knots, causing ulcers. Our whole physical makeup is healthier when patience prevails.
(James 1:2-4), “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,” vs.3 “knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.” vs.4 “But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”
Some individuals are insistent on allowing impatience to rule their better judgment, rather than waiting for God’s best. Counterfeits are sometimes mistaken for the real thing, thus, bringing more confusion and heartache in the days that follow.
When these people ask for self-control, tolerance, and forbearance, it goes something like this, “Lord give me patience, and I want it now!” Learning to wait for God’s plan to unfold and reveal itself is most difficult, but the dividends are great when we do so, because God’s plan is perfect.
There is a propensity or tendency within people that limit the ability to trust that God is really in their corner and wants the best for them. If they could get it into their head that God is all caring and loving, they would wait without complaining.
Everyone must learn that the faithfulness of God is not dependent upon creed, culture, our nationality; how beautiful or ugly we think ourselves to be, or how wealthy or poor we are. God is no respecter of person. We are all made in His image and likeness.
God is omnipotent (all powerful), omniscient (knowing all things), and omnipresent (in all places), yet people limit the faithfulness of God through impatience, which initiates doubt. It can cause them to get out of His will and pursue their own plans and wishes. Doing so, without the blessings of God, is not wise.
The following story speaks to the faithfulness of God. It is about two people; living in two different cities; going about their daily routines; but having the same common denominator. Both wanted a Christian companion.
They were raised in Christian homes by God-fearing parents that desired God’s will for their children. These parents believed in God’s providence; that God was always faithful and that He was never late, but right on time.
The boy in one family and girl in the other had certain expectations as to what they envisioned a perfect scenario of life should be. While years passed, each child fulfilled certain goals in their teens, but as adulthood quickly approached, goals changed with maturity. Each knew that God was sovereign and could grant their deepest longing, which was a Christian companion; the person of their dreams.
Time was slipping by without the perfect scenario coming to pass. The wait was agonizing and long; unbearable at times. It seemed that God was afar off, and their faith was being tested.
Tired of waiting, they ventured out on their own and tried to work out their own future. Frustration and disappointment soon closed in on them bringing questions of whether or not they would ever see the faithfulness of God fulfilled in their life. Their faith was shaken.
This was a hard place to be for them, because Satan made it seem that they were unworthy of such blessings and that it would never happen. The devil is a liar and the father of all lies. The sooner we realize this, the better off we will be spiritually. We must guard our mind against the wickedness of Satan’s deceptions by taking the helmet of salvation as a daily precaution, which is part of the ‘whole armor of God’ spoken of in (Ephesians
It didn’t take long before each of them realized that perfect peace, joy, and real satisfaction had evaded their grasp. In their heart of hearts they wanted God’s perfect plan to be revealed, but the wait was tough. They became weary and began to have doubts if their dream would ever come true.
The saying, “God may be slow, but He is never late” became just that, a meaningless saying. Their faith was beginning to waiver, because the wait was a heavy burden to carry by them alone.
Giving their future, unreservedly to God, was hard to do, whereas, most people find this difficult. The two, tired of the wait, struck out in their own impetuous search for Mr. and Ms. Right. They hoped that they were in the will of God, but not knowing for sure, both continued cautiously on their quest.
I believe that when a person lays everything before God and truly surrenders all to Him and says, “Not my will Lord, but yours be done,” is when the faithfulness of God and His perfect plan can come together and be revealed. It wasn’t until they totally surrendered their will to God that things started to materialize.
Paths not yet crossing, the young man and woman continued in faith, becoming fulfillment in God; knowing He had everything under control and that in His time Christian companionship would come to pass. They trusted the words in the Bible and stood on God’s promises.
(Psalm 37:4-5), “Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.” vs.5 “Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.”
Though counterfeits presented themselves, coming and going like the seasons, they continued to trust God, because they believed that His timing was perfect, and that the wait would be worth it all. Their hope was in God not in their own unfulfilled endeavors to find someone. Both knew if they were patient, the right person would come along to complete them.
The faithfulness of God goes without saying, but I will say it anyway, “God is faithful!” We may not be able to see around the corner or beyond the horizon, but God sees all. He has asked only that we to trust and obey His Word, and then see the fruition of our faith come to pass.
A fluke occurrence took place that caused the paths of these two people to cross. They fell in love, got married, and had children of their own to raise in the fear and admiration of a holy and righteous God.
My wife and I are the happily married couple that this story was about. God has never failed, nor forsaken us. He has supplied our every need these four plus decades. The truths in the Bible have sustained our relationship in the good times and hard times, because it is truth—without error. God’s Word is perfect and everlasting.
Was it a fluke happening that brought us together or the faithfulness of God? I believe it was the faithfulness of God working in both our lives.
Written by,
Papa Boyd
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