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February 5, 2013TCW Verse of the Week: Psalm 25:4-5
My hope is in you
From God's perspective, waiting is an exercise he's designed to help us develop patience, a sign of spiritual maturity. The New Testament writer James urges us to "So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing" (James 1:4, NLT).
Sometimes waiting builds our character; other times it's God's way of granting us a much-needed rest. For example, last year my job ended abruptly. While I looked for another, my less-hectic schedule provided opportunities for me to enjoy my family, exercise more, and dabble in projects. I was thankful for the breather when, as suddenly as the first job ended, another employment opportunity opened up. God knows when we're exhausted, and he wants us to have time to catch our breath. Psalm 23:2-3 reminds us, "He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul."
When I'm called to wait, I think the worst. But the Bible reminds us to wait hopefully. "Show me the right path, O LORD; point out the road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you” Psalm 25:4-5. Biblical hope isn't a wishy-washy, "I hope this will turn out for good, but maybe it won't" attitude. Biblical hope is the confident assurance that God's in charge—no matter what.
We can have the same hope the Old Testament patriarch Abraham had awaiting the fulfillment of God's promise he would become the father of many nations. The Bible says, "Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed … he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead … yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised" (Romans 4:18-20).
As we wait on God, we must stay obedient. He'll come through.
Excerpted from TCW article "When Life's on Hold" by Faith Tibbetts McDonald.