remain. ready.

"For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken."

~Psalm 62:5-6

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I want now, give me now, I need it right now. of all the fruits, i think patience is the one that humanity has the greatest struggle with. answers-now. heart change-now. seeing God's hand-now. immediately after we say a prayer, we want an answer. then and there, we have an expectation of God to deliver a response. our hearts forget who we're talking to- the creator of the universe, Savior of the world. who are we to demand ANYTHING of our God? oh the entitled spirit we must have...

wait. that is what the King is telling us to do when we do not see His answer right away. wait, wait, wait. the complete opposite of our now, now, now. just like those crosswalk voices telling us to hold on, preventing our walking out into incoming traffic; that is the voice of the Lord holding us back from crossing over into the next season. but why does the Father call us to wait? why is God so adamant to not give an answer right away if He has our best interests at heart? do our prayers not stem from the things that we feel we need, that our hearts desire? i've always been taught that the reason the Lord gives us a period of waiting is to instill the fruit of patience deeper in our souls. there is significant truth in this reasoning; and patience is one of the greatest and hardest blessings that one can experience. that being said, there's just gotta be something more, some precious jewel hidden within the waiting that the Lord wants to reveal to us.

the word wait is used in reference to our souls in many circumstances throughout Scripture, but never explicitly defined. the scholarly definition of wait is as follows- "to remain in readiness for some purpose." okay yeah i think there's some soul truth in there for sure. so then, Christ's calling for us to wait doesn't mean to back off and become like a sullen toddler in the corner pouting because we didn't get our way. it means to remain, to dwell with the Father in eager expectancy and remembrance of the ways He has consistently been faithful to us. to dwell... oh OH wait that reminds me of something... dwell... rest... hmm do these sound similar to anyone else? that's funny- a synonym for wait... is rest. WHAT

ok ok just hang with me for a second! so the Lord calls us to seasons of waiting, the in between of our prayer and His answer. and these seasons can be loOoOng and draining to our spirits. but here's the true reason behind why these times feel so draining to us -we're running ourselves weary looking under every stone trying to uncover the "secret" we feel God is keeping from us. we are trying to play God and exhausting ourselves doing it. why do we not realize that these seasons of the in between are a gracious gift from the Father to us? He knows the answer you are waiting to receive is going to shift the way you view and live life, and He understands that your heart needs preparation for these changes. so, He graciously gives waiting. He gives rest. His simple desire is that we would lean back into His arms and release our weary souls to His care as we wait on the way He is choosing to deliver. trust Him. know that His timing is so perfect and His answer so tender. use the time He has given to rest to prepare your spirit for the journey He has ahead of you; and trust that the King of Kings is protecting you as your your soul is being fully restored.

patience, waiting, and rest. three words that from the outside do not go together, but wow how their root meanings have the capacity to shift thinking and reform lives. rest your soul in the Father, in the waiting- expectancy for the adventure He has planned next. and reap the beautiful fruit of patience in the process! OH how He loves us and OH how great a provider He is for our every. single. need. surrender yourself to the waiting; and allow the Lord above to break the chains of control from your soul and give you the sweetest of freedom found in trusting His heart for you!

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"that miserable, uncomfortable, painful

word "wait" is one of God's most

powerful tools to set us free."

~scott hubbard