“In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” Proverbs 16:9
“I was young, and now I am old. Yet I have never seen the man who is right with God left alone, or his children begging for bread.” Psalms 37:25
“I know God is working and I know He has a plan, but what am I supposed to do while I wait for Him to tell me what that plan is?”
This has been my anthem for the past year-ish. While it sounds logical, what I’m actually saying is, “I know God is working, but He is not working my way. What can I do to help Him out?” Reading it back, it sounds even more ridiculous than it does in my mind. Who am I to offer help to the Great Physician? What qualifies me to think that I can aid the Creator?
I am not writing this to you from hindsight. I am still sitting in the waiting with no clue how this will turn out, and time is ticking. I don’t know the answer. But I do know God. And I do know that He has done things in the past that were miraculously better than any of the plans, suggestions, or “help” I offered up in prayer to Him. I know He is faithful because He has been nothing but faithful to me all my life.
I feel that life is full of waiting seasons, long and short. And perhaps this is because as children of God we are called to be in a constant state of expectancy that what we are waiting for (the coming of Jesus) will come to pass. I also understand that when you are in the middle of the waiting there are no words that can truly make you “feel” better. In all of my waiting seasons, I would find temporary peace and encouragement in the words of humans. And I encourage you to seek Godly counsel when you are struggling to wait! However, I cannot give you a magic sentence that will make you feel less miserable in the waiting. What I can give you, you already have as a born-again believer, you just need to be reminded of it.
As a child of God, you have a purpose in this life (Jer 29:11), meaning that if God is making you wait, there is a reason! God does not play with our emotions and minds. I want to encourage you to run to God with your waiting. Tell God that it hurts, that you don’t understand, and then watch how He shows up. You may simply receive enough peace to get you through each day left of your waiting season, or God may allow your waiting to come to an end immediately. But Psalms tells us that the righteous have never been forsaken (Psalm 37:25). If God has not forsaken His children in the past, He will not forsake you, His child.
Let's pray:
Father God,
I come to You today as someone who has been and still is in the waiting. I ask You to guard me against taking a step when I think it is the right time when I am too impatient to wait on You. Please give me Your peace so I may wait how You would have me wait. God, You do not forsake Your children; please walk with me and talk with me in the waiting. Amen.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/franckreporter
Olivia Lauren is a graduate student passionate about Scripture, particularly the Book of Romans showcasing God's grace. Outside her studies, she enjoys teaching her dog new tricks and finding quicker ways to silence the smoke alarm after trying a new recipe.
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If you've been feeling tired, overwhelmed, depleted, or just quietly wondering where God is in the middle of a very full life — this episode is for you. And honestly? It might be for me too, because I'm recording this in one of those seasons myself.
Today we're doing something a little different. Instead of going deep in a passage, we're talking about what to do when deep feels like too much — when you need less, not more. Specifically, I'm walking you through one of my favorite practices for weary seasons: handwriting scripture.
Not typing it. Not scrolling past it. Actually writing it out, slowly, in your own hand — because something happens in your brain when you do that. The words land differently. They go deeper. And over time, they become part of that personal library of God's voice that the Holy Spirit can pull from when you need it most. That's what Psalm 119:11 means when it says I have hidden your word in my heart — it's scripture moving into your long-term memory, where it lives and stays even when you haven't opened your Bible in weeks.
I'm sharing the five verses I wrote out for myself today — and why each one hit me fresh even though I've known some of them for years. This episode is part of our How to Study the Bible Podcast, a show that brings life back to reading the Bible and helps you understand even the hardest parts of Scripture. If this episode helps you know and love God more, be sure to follow the How to Study the Bible Podcast on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
Originally published Wednesday, 04 December 2024.
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