For the third Monday in a row, I woke up feeling anxious. While seeking a job that would bring me closer to my family—and ultimately, my future wife—I felt impatient. I had grown tired of waiting for God to provide a solution and, as a result, began to doubt his plan for my life. I wondered if a plan existed at all.
In this moment, I came to a discouraging realization: few experiences bring about more anxiety, grief and uncertainty than waiting. I had prayed, my family had prayed, my fiancé had prayed, and yet I still found myself alone, without direction, searching for some sense of control. Instead of relying on God through this period of waiting, I tried to manage the outcome on my own, spending all hours of the night looking for a job—and an escape from my anxiety. The process felt suffocating.
Can you relate to this experience? You may be waiting for a spouse to share your life with or a loved one to recover from an illness. Maybe you’re waiting for a promotion, which would provide the financial flexibility your family so desperately needs. Regardless of the circumstance, your impatience begins to wear you thin. You question God, wondering if he hears your continual prayers. You don’t know how much longer you can wait before you give in to feelings of exhaustion and fatigue. You begin to doubt.
When you find yourself traveling down this uncertain road, turn to God’s Word for clarity. The Bible promises comfort for those who remain steadfast and patient, even when faced with seemingly insurmountable challenges. Find peace for the present, and hope for the future, by meditating on God’s Word today.
These six verses will get you started:
- 1 Corinthians 15:58 (GNTD)
So then, my dear friends, stand firm and steady. Keep busy always in your work for the Lord, since you know that nothing you do in the Lord’s service is ever useless. - Isaiah 40:31 (GNTD)
But those who trust in the Lord for help will find their strength renewed.
They will rise on wings like eagles;
they will run and not get weary;
they will walk and not grow weak.
- James 1:12 (GNTD)
Happy are those who remain faithful under trials, because when they succeed in passing such a test, they will receive as their reward the life which God has promised to those who love him. - Micah 7:7 (GNTD)
But I will watch for the Lord; I will wait confidently for God, who will save me. My God will hear me. - Romans 12:12 (GNTD)
Let your hope keep you joyful, be patient in your troubles, and pray at all times. - Psalm 130:5-6 (GNTD)
I wait eagerly for the Lord’s help,
and in his word I trust.
I wait for the Lord
more eagerly than sentries wait for the dawn;
than sentries wait for the dawn.
