by Vicki Lessman
When I took on the task to write a devotion about waiting and patience, I waited. I waited for inspiration, the right words, the Aha! moment. I did not wait patiently. I fretted, I worried I would say the wrong thing. I feared I wouldn’t have anything to say, or conversely, I would say too much. Then, talking to a friend about it, I realized I had not really prayed about it. I had not truly turned it over to God. Oh, I had said a little prayer here or there that I wouldn’t mess up. But I carried it on my shoulders, I hadn’t put it on God’s shoulders.
Impatience is like that. It causes fear, worry, despair, anger, paralysis. It makes waiting harder. It is a worldly thing. The world offers us quick solutions, instant results. We are not relying on God. We are breaking the First Commandment by putting the world, or ourselves, before God.
Patience reveals our faith in God’s timing, His omnipotence, and His love for us. We gain endurance through suffering. Why do we need patience? Because we spend our lives waiting. We wait to be fed, we wait to be old enough to go to school, we wait to be in High School, we wait to graduate, we wait for a college acceptance letter, we wait to get into that class that we really need, we wait for the perfect job for our career path, we wait for the right partner to come along, we wait for a baby to be born, we wait for that teenager to come home (way past curfew), we wait for our adult child to visit us, we wait for our spouse to get well, we wait for Jesus to come. We pray “Come, Lord Jesus” and then we wait.
Waiting is not easy. Do we wait with impatience? In fear, anger, despair, disobedience? Keeping it all on our shoulders? Or, do we give it over to God? Do we trust His love, omnipotence, timing, and wisdom?
Do we say “Carry this for me, Jesus. I am not strong enough to do it by myself. Come, Lord Jesus.”
I leave you with these words of hope from Romans 8:24-25 “For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.”
Dear Jesus, We know you love us and you only have plans for our good. You have already taken the burden of our sin upon your shoulders. During this time, we need you to take on our fear and impatience. Please help us endure and persevere. Do this in your perfect timing and by your will. In Your name, O Lord. Amen
Vicki Lessman serves as the Volunteer Coordinator and as a member of the Council at Fairmount Ministries & Coffee Company.
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