The Importance of Waiting

“Let patience have her perfect work.” James 1:4

Have you been asking God, “Why do I have to wait so long?” If so, here are four important things you need to know: (1) Waiting trains you. Time spent waiting can be time spent learning. And if you’re learning, you’re not losing. God will train you for battle because He’s a good general. “Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle” (Ps 144:1 NIV). (2) Waiting corrects you. The Psalmist wrote: “Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep Your word” (Ps 119:67 NKJV). Pain can be profitable. Adversity can lead to spiritual advancement if you’re willing to glean from it. Pain forces you to look to God for answers, to lean on Him instead of others, to learn where you went astray, to hunger for His presence and His healing touch, to listen for His instructions and be sensitive to the changes He wants to bring about in your life. Yes, you can turn your pain into progress. (3) Waiting reveals those around you. Motives are not easily discerned. Trust God, but test people. That’s scriptural. “The Lord your God led you …forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart” (Dt 8:2 NIV). People can keep their intentions and motives covered for a long time, but waiting generally forces the truth to the surface. (4) Waiting gives God time to solve the problem. He’s a miracle-working God, so don’t get ahead of Him and rob Him of the opportunity to demonstrate His power in your life.

 -As i was looking for a perfect devotional online, I passed by to this from Word for you today. And it made me think how long has it been since I received GOD's Word and confirmation that I am going to do missions and will soon undergo a missionary training. And the waiting period has given me different kinds of experiences, let me stress that as overwhelming experiences. These waiting season of my life has been both ups and downs, specially in my spiritual life. But GOD continues to lift me up whenever I fall down. HE continues to remind me that He will never leave me nor forsake me ( Hebrews 13:5). That whatever happens, nothing can ever separate me from HIS love (Romans 8:38).

This waiting season strengthened me through trials. Corrected a lot of weaknesses in my life and still correcting me. Shown me good friends who are with me, inspired me to go on and fight for what GOD has planned for me, shared their wisdom, and stayed with me and understand me through the worst moments. And appreciated my family more, their support and wisdom has been a big help to me. And though sometimes I would ask HIM when and why does it taking so long, He would again remind me that He has determined the exact time and place I should live my life ( Acts 17:26).