But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior;
 my God will hear me.

 Micah 7:7 NIV

“I love waiting!” said no one, ever. Can you think of a time when you prayed for something that meant a lot to you—I’m talking fervent prayer—and waiting for an answer seemed to drag on? Did you get impatient? Did you lose faith and take matters into your own hands?

I can think of huge blessings where God showed up and awarded my waiting and obedience to His will—my husband being the greatest blessing of all. I can also think of times when I’ve carried shame or sought forgiveness as a result of being impatient.

What about when we are wronged or witness an injustice?

What about experiencing tragedy or trauma?

What if God forgot or does not hear us?

Throughout Micah, Psalms, Proverbs, and many other books of the Bible, we find commands and hope in waiting on the Lord. What does this mean? We can trust in His plan, with confidence and without needing understanding. He hears us and knows the burdens of our heart.

In Luke 22, Jesus is about to be arrested: And when those who were around him saw what would follow, they said, “Lord, shall we strike with a sword?” And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. But Jesus said, “No more of this!” And he touched his ear and healed him.

This is what I envision it looks like when we do not wait on God’s command or will. We become hasty and, hopefully only metaphorically, start cutting off ears. Jesus can still be glorified and we are still worthy of redemption, but imagine what it would look like to just wait on His command to begin with.

Personally, after trying for many years, my husband and I have received news of infertility. We are currently praying and waiting on God’s will for children in our life. We know His plan will be much better than anything I we can ever come up with. With prayer and courage, we can seek the Lord and wait on His answer to our prayers.

Lord, thank you for hearing me and knowing the deepest desires of my heart. Please forgive me for times when I have doubted Your will or grown impatient. Thank You for being the Savior over all things, for Your healing and restoration. Give me courage to trust and wait on You, even in hard times that seem hopeless. May my reliance on You be glorifying and encouraging to others to look to You as their Savior. Amen.

Taylor Newton