Psalm 130:5 (NLT)
“I am counting on the Lord; yes, I am counting on him. I have put my hope in his word.”
The thought of waiting on anything is hard for most of us. Whether it’s waiting in line at the grocery store or our favorite fast-food joint, none of us are too keen with wanting to wait because we’ve grown accustomed to getting the things we want easily and quickly. Even though we know that God requires us to produce the Spirit’s fruit of patience, we just don’t like to wait. So, it stands to reason that when it comes to waiting on God, many of us struggle. We think that our faith is moving too slow and that in order to get what we desire quicker, we need to jump ahead of faith, and take control. This move isn’t in the league of our greatest ideas. Trying to get ahead of faith is equal to trying to get ahead of God, and this will always put us behind.
My friend June reminds me of how much time can seem like an enemy when you feel that it is moving slower than your faith. She does a good job of balancing motherhood and juggling her career as a single parent. It’s been over three years since she went out on a date. She said sometimes it feels like the chance of meeting someone compatible is slipping further away. She believes in God’s promises and honors His standards for marriage, but at 38 years old, she wonders if there are men out there who love God the way she does. She’s losing hope that a man will be willing and able to love her the way Christ loves the church.
Anyone that’s been waiting to see results in their lives for a long time will probably agree that our believing has highs and lows. Sometimes, you’re excited about the future, and sometimes it feels like you’re just going through the motions and every day is the same. Psalm 34:7-10 The Message (MSG) gives us just the encouragement we need. It says, “God’s angel sets up a circle of protection around us while we pray. 8 Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see—how good God is. Blessed are you who run to him. 9 Worship God if you want the best; worship opens doors to all his goodness. 10 Young lions on the prowl get hungry, but God-seekers are full of God.”
The passage in Psalm 34 is a loving reminder that God is fully aware of our longings. He knows what we need before we ask Him, and He hears our prayers. We must take comfort in knowing that He hears us, and He knows what’s best for our lives. Linking up with the wrong man can be a very challenging and sometimes very damaging thing, especially for single mothers. Bringing someone new into our children’s lives will have an impact, and our prayers should be that only the person GOD sends will be allowed to influence our kids.
We must be always careful not to become cynical or to think for one second that God is withholding the blessing of marriage from us. Faith is a very dynamic and powerful spiritual substance. It is not slow, but our believing sometimes moves at a snail’s pace. We want what we want when we want it, but our believing is sometimes not where it needs to be. When this is the case, God helps us. He walks with us as we mature spiritually and learn to prioritize Him and His righteousness first in our lives. Prioritizing the things of God in the number one position is the thing that tells Him exactly where our believing and motivation lies. When our believing is evidenced through the things we do for His Kingdom, our faith gains momentum.
Once we understand that our faith moves according to the momentum that our believing sets, we can then increase the degree to which we trust God, trust His timing, and trust the plan He has for our lives. We must keep a close eye out that we don’t allow our thoughts to travel along the road of doubt, negativity, and bitterness. These are blockers that keep love from occupying space in our hearts and minds.
James 2:26(NLT) tells us, “Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works.” Make sure your faith is lively! If it is, you are living your life for the Lord. You are not engaging in actions and behaviors that do not please Him. We are all works in progress, learning to love and honor God through Jesus Christ greater each day. The pace of your blessings cannot exceed the pace of your faith, so renew your commitment to grow spiritually in Christ, and cling to him with all that you are. When you do this, you will increase in spiritual strength and stamina as the Lord blesses and protects you and those you love so dearly. ■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright ©1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.
“When Time Moves Slower Than Our Faith” written by Kim Times, edited by Fran Mack for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2022. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!