Faith in God's timing

by Lauren Ewings

    Wait for the Lord;
be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

- Psalm 27:14

I used to consider myself a very impatient person. I would rush to finish others' stories for them. Waiting in a line for a ride at an amusement park was absolute torture. Detailed storytellers were my worst nightmare.

Many times I found myself impatiently questioning God’s plan for me.

“This is not what I pictured my life to be like right now.” This is a phrase I oftentimes found myself thinking, while selfishly praying for companionship and becoming frustrated when it seemed like God wasn't listening or answering. I know that sometimes my sinful expectations of prayer have been that God will answer quickly and he will answer the way I expect him to.

Many times during my early years of college, I expected the perfect man to be placed in my life, thinking, "God, don’t you know how happy this would make me? Don’t you understand that I don’t want to be single anymore?” My selfish prayers were heard ... and although I didn’t see it at the time, they were answered as well. God did not answer with an immediate yes as I had hoped. Instead he answered with “not right now.”

Not until my senior year did I finally recognize God’s answer to my prayer. I was student teaching, living independently, miles away from many of my friends and my family, and things were okay. I discovered that going out by myself was enjoyable. I was able to explore the city without feeling the need to be in constant contact with others. I dug deeper into God’s Word and found comfort in his love.

A psalm of David (Psalm 27) reminds us to wait for the LORD, to trust in his plan for our lives, to have faith that he is always working for our good. Faith in God means faith in his timing. It may not always be easy to accept, but know that your prayer is not going unanswered. God is working for your good.

Prayer: Dear God, please help us remember to be patient. Help us remember that you hear our prayer, and that you always answer. Give us strength and comfort, and remind us of your everlasting love while we wait for you. Amen.