The Waiting Game

I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from him.

Psalm 62:1 (NLT)

“I’ve got this.” The words flew into my mind and wouldn’t leave. They gave me peace, because I knew they were true. I had been praying to God for some time about a bunch of stuff happening in my life – mainly some medical issues that had surprised me . As I was giving thanks for the assurance from above that God was on it, a second message came into my mind, “But it’s going to take a little while.” Suddenly, my thanks turned into a game of Twenty Questions. What do you mean by a little while? Do you mean seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, or years? Is the little while in human years or in God’s timing, which is timeless? Why is it going to take a little while? Can’t you heal right now so we can just get on with our journey? Yup. I began questioning God’s motives.

One of the things I’ve learned about God over my lifetime is that He is OK when we question His motives or timing. He understands that in our humanity we can’t understand His divinity. Don’t believe me? Just read the story of Job who endured years of persecution by Satan before God delivered him. Job regularly questioned God. He was frustrated. His friends kept giving him advice in an attempt to help, but they were actually just frustrating him more. Yet, God allowed Job to question Him. Now, of course, God didn’t provide immediate answers for those questions. Instead, it was the faith of Job which carried him through God’s timeline.

Our verse today highlights this internal struggle that we all will face at some point in our life. Timing. As King David profoundly stated, “I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from him.” In other words, we must claim God’s promises and hold on to that faith. He will come through. Our issue, often times, is that we lack the understanding to comprehend why God is making us wait. It’s not until after His victory that we can look back and see His timing. And, it’s all for good reasons that we couldn’t fully see in advance.

Today, maybe you’re going through your own Job experience. Maybe you’re dealing with physical, emotional, or psychological pain. Maybe things just aren’t working out the way you hoped. Hang in there. God’s got this. Thank Him for His everlasting mercies. Praise Him for His limitless love. Trust in His timing and He will give you victory.