I’m still waiting  for something important to take place in my life. It continues to get delayed and it is trying my patience. My natural response is to get tough on the people who are delaying and push my weight around with threats and talk of justice. I know I could do this but I also know this is not  what God wants me to do. It doesn’t reflect His love in me.

James 1:3 tells me the trying of my faith brings patience. Could it be that God is allowing these circumstances to build patience in me?

At times, our relationship with God the Father is like our parent-child relationship. When you watch your child work at something and see no immediate response to that hard work, you encourage your child to hang in there. The reward is around the corner. I remember doing this my daughter’s senior year of high school. She was tired of studying, tired of pushing herself and wanted to stop working so hard. But the reward of multiple college scholarships was right around the corner. I could see it and knew how patience in her studying would pay off. Because of the encouraging voices of mom and dad, she was motivated to keep going, keep pushing, doing what she knew she had to do and it all paid off. And she developed the study habits she needed for college.

God, our Father, is a good parent. Even though I can’t clearly see the closure of this problem, God is cheering me on–hang in there, let the trying of your faith bring patience, I am working it for your good, your reward is around the corner. You can’t see it but I can. And He continues to build character in me.

Honestly, I don’t like to wait, yet waiting on the Lord is what brings us strength. We live in a culture that promotes immediate gratification and teaches us not to wait but, indulge the moment. Yet waiting builds character and patience.

So today, I wait on the Lord. Renew my strength. In the process, help me to treat those creating delay with kindness. You are God, in control of my days and watchfully keeping your eye on my situation. Perhaps the wait is also another opportunity to trust.

Psalm 130:5-6
I pray to God—my life a prayer— and wait for what he’ll say and do. My life’s on the line before God, my Lord, waiting and watching till morning, waiting and watching till morning.