Strength In Waiting
by Annalene Holtzhausen
‘Our culture is training us in impatience. Every single piece of technology is teaching you that you don’t have to wait’ (Beth Moore). This is in such contrast with what we read in Isaiah 40:31 where the Word says ‘But those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint’ (NKJV). This really had me thinking about my life and my often unrealistic expectations.
Do we really know what it means to wait upon the Lord? Beth Moore goes on to explain that if we only focus on waiting for an event, a person or a thing, our strength will be depleted day by day. The Lord specifically instructs us to wait upon Him and His timing. But if we are setting our focus and our longing on that job offer, proposal, breakthrough, healing or anything similar, we are setting ourselves up for disappointment.
To wait upon the Lord means to place our trust in Him and not on the outcome of our situation. It means to continue trusting Him, even if the outcome is not as we had hoped for, because the Lord promises us that He ‘will work all things for good to those who love Him’ (Romans 8:28).
Our biggest hindrance in waiting on the Lord is fear – fear of losing control (ungodly control over our situation), fear of failure, fear of lack, fear of rejection, or fear of just letting go and trusting the Lord, no matter what. When we experience a traumatic event, we often feel very unsafe and vulnerable. Suddenly all that was familiar is hanging in the balance – or that is how we perceive it. But actually the Lord is with us every moment. His heart is not to hurt us, but to save us – often from our own wrong decisions, habits and thought patterns. He longs for us to walk in the fullness of what He has in store for us. But first we need to take that big step, let go and let God. This decision restores the godly order in our lives and allows the Lord freedom to take over and perfect His plans for us.
Getting back to all our technology, and the impatience we experience when it isn’t working properly or fast enough … let`s not treat God the same way. His timing is always perfect and He is not a God of quick fixes. In Luke 12:31 we read: ‘Only aim at and strive for and seek His kingdom, and all these things shall be supplied to you also’ (AMP).
Prayer: Father, so often I have expected You to answer my prayers in certain ways and in my timing. Please forgive me. Teach me how to wait upon You and You alone, not on the outcome I think is the best one. You know best and hold me in Your hand. I choose to rest in this truth and to place my trust in You, even though I might be afraid to let go of so many things. I am safe in You. Amen.
Annalene Holtzhausen is on the Associate Team at Ellel, Africa. She is married to Renier, who introduced her to Ellel Ministries. She is a full-time mother to their two boys. Her passion is for the restoration of women’s hearts and for people to find their worth in the Lord.
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