Step 10- Waiting
Learn by Example
One person who knew much about waiting for God’s plan to be established was Queen Esther.
To recap the story as quickly as possible: Esther lived with her cousin Mordecai, who was a gatekeeper for the palace and took Esther in as his own daughter after her parents died. The king was looking for a wife and Esther was brought into the palace along with others for the King to choose from. (As a side note, Mordecai had discovered a plot to kill the king and reported it thus saving the king’s life, and he had an enemy named Haman who wanted to kill Mordecai and all the Jewish people). Ultimately, Esther was chosen to be the queen and saves her cousin along with ALL the Jewish people, while defeating their enemies.
There are a few things I think we can note of from Esther’s success in waiting:
- She had other people looking out for her and partnering with her.
Esther 4:16 (ESV): “Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink anything for three days, night or day, I and my young women will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish.”
- Preparation takes time. Esther spent an entire year preparing to meet the king (Esther 2:12).
- Esther found her identity in God rather than her position. She didn’t look to status or to her husband to save her but to God (Esther 4:13-14).
- Haman trusted in his riches, his family, his promotions, and his favor with the king, but he did not look to God, and he sought to take revenge rather than let go of his bitterness (Esther 5:9-14).
- Esther took her time before doing anything and waited on God to act on her behalf and open up doors (Esther 7).
- God comes to the rescue just in time. The king was in the process of looking for a way to honor Mordecai for saving his life just as Haman was coming to tell the King about his plan to kill Mordecai (Esther 8).
- God’s plan destroyed man’s plan. The very day when the enemies of the Jews had planed to overtake them, the Jews overtook their enemies (Esther 9).
- God turned their sorrow into gladness (Esther 9).
- God can take you from a place of death to a place of glory when you agree to do His will, humble yourself before Him, and put all your trust in Him (Esther 10).
“When the storm rages, I won’t be afraid. For I have locked eyes on you face to face.”- Come to Me by Bethel Music
The enemy can’t steal your salvation, but he can hinder your walk to where you doubt God’s goodness and promises. His deceitful whispers will sound something like, “You see.. He’s forgotten you. He never really had a plan for you to begin with.” If you’re not careful, you’ll begin to agree with those lies. Keep your eyes on God, and allow your heart to keep depending on Him DAILY. He will give you the strength to make it through each day. Ask God to bring everything into harmony and to start revealing more of the puzzle to you.
“How wonderful it is to be assured that as we choose to fix our hearts on God. He, at the same time, upholds them!” – Linda Dillow, Calm My Anxious Heart
He is still there in your expectant heart. He will sustain you and “bring you safely over the mountain.” He will provide you with spiritual food and the water of life. Look at all the merciful things He has done. He has never failed you, and He won’t begin to fail you today.
Learn Contentment and Confirm Your Calling
Paul speaks about being content as something that can be learned. If he learned to be content, we can too:
Philippians 4:11-14 (ESV) “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.“
Waiting for God to bring about his plan for your life or bring you a spouse could take months, years, or even decades. Confirm your calling as a Christian woman to bear fruit, and be effective in the meantime. Ask God how He can use you right now and in the future. Make daily steps towards both of those things. God can use you as a single woman. You are no less spiritual or spiritually mature than married Christian women. Continue to look to Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). God uses people in different ways, but this is the basic process of how to be fruitful and confirm your calling:
Faith + Virtue + Knowledge + Self-Control + Steadfastness + Godliness + Brotherly Affection + Love = Effectiveness and Fruitfulness in the Knowledge of Christ
2 Peter 1:5-11 (ESV)
5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. 10 Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. 11 For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
After a period of waiting for God to act when He seems like He is being insensitive and silent, you may look back and see that He was there all along. Like Jacob says in Genesis 18:16, you may find yourself saying (ESV), “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.”
^ How very often I am not aware!
A prayer for someone waiting on God:
Let me feel your presence wash over me and know that I am not forsaken and forgotten. I am placing my hope in you. Let me see your face through this season. Don’t let me have a heart of doubting, but make me as surefooted as a deer. Extend peace to me like a river and comfort me as a mother comforts her children. Let us enter into the inner place behind the curtain and rest in your presence during this difficult season. Quench my thirst for love. Let me hold fast to hope without wavering. God, you reward those who seek you. I am seeking you during this time of waiting. Thank you for teaching me endurance. Equip me with everything good that I may do your will. Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial. Lord, only you know how to rescue the godly from trials. Let me tune out every other voice but Yours’. I will not give Satan a foothold of bitterness, unbelief, or unrest during this season.
Comments
Post a Comment