Waiting

Psalm 5:1-3 – O Lord, hear me as I pray; pay attention to my groaning. Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for I pray to no one but you. Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly. (NLT)

In 1991, my husband and I prepared to go to post-communist Czechoslovakia to help start a Christian school. Actually, God had planted the idea years previously. Now, through a series of circumstances and confirmations in Scripture, it was happening! The hurdles that needed to be overcome, however, made us feel very unsettled. Terry had to request a leave of absence from his teaching job in our small village in British Columbia, Canada. The small Christian school that our three boys attended suddenly folded, and we found ourselves home schooling. The pastor in Bratislava was still waffling on whether he would actually agree to have a school. My mum wrote us a fearful letter, saying, "It will be so hard to live there." A huge challenge was knowing that we didn't yet have accommodations for our family. As the months of getting ready went by, the hardest part was just waiting to go.

The apostle Paul also experienced waiting. He had been arrested after preaching and taking part in a purification ritual at the temple in Jerusalem.

Acts 23:11 – That night the Lord appeared to Paul and said, "Be encouraged, Paul. Just as you have been a witness to me here in Jerusalem, you must preach the Good News in Rome as well." (NLT)

Despite this wonderful promise, some time elapsed before Paul actually came to do what God had said he would do. The Roman governor Felix kept Paul in prison in Caesarea for two years, biding his time instead of deciding his case. On his way to Rome, Paul faced delays and challenges with a fierce storm at sea.

Acts 28:30-31 – For the next two years, Paul lived in Rome at his own expense. He welcomed all who visited him, boldly proclaiming the Kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ. And no one tried to stop him. ( NLT)

As our family waited to go to Czechoslovakia, plans slowly began to fall into place. The pastor finally signed the contract with the company who sponsored the school program. My husband received permission for a year's leave of absence from his teaching job. My mother resolved to be brave and write positive letters. And an hour before we left our home, we received the phone call that we had accommodations in Bratislava!

We have to wait expectantly for God to act. Sometimes, circumstances have to be worked out. God is always there, working on our behalf, even when we don't immediately see any evidence. Let's put our trust in the Lord, daily bringing our requests to Him.

Prayer: Thank You, Lord, for working on our behalf, even when we doubt. Help us to trust You and just wait. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

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About the author:

Alice Burnett <terrencera.burnett@gmail.com>
Red Deer, Alberta, Canada
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