1 Corinthians 1:3-5 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ.”
When we are waiting on God to move in our situation, or show us the direction or decision to take, it can be hard, because our natural instincts is to take matters into our own hands. It is in the waiting where we find ourselves more vulnerable and we wonder if God is even there. But thank God that He is, and we can take comfort that he hears us; is guiding us and fighting our battles even if we don’t see it.
Through this waiting period we realise that when we don’t take matters into our own hands, we are literally at the mercy of God, and it is in this we start to understand what full submission to God looks like. In our submissions the Lord is pruning our character and readying us for what he is preparing us for. He is developing the areas that need to be pruned. It may be that we need to develop in perseverance, patience, faith, dependency, whatever it is, it’ll work out for your good. The bible says in Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Therefore, God can’t take us to our destination as we currently are, we need to go through our trials and tribulations to build the character that the Lord knows is already within us.
This reminds me of the story of Noah (Genesis 7 & 8) in the beginning of chapter 7, we see God telling Noah to go with his family into the ark that he built. Noah is locked in the ark with 7 members of his family and with all species of the air and land.
I wonder if the family must have been terrified during this time, they were locked in with some animals who hunt each other to survive. Not only that, they were most likely tormented by the voices of those who drowned when the rain flooded the earth for 40 days and 40 nights.
While the water remained on the earth for 150 days they were trapped in the ark. During this time, Noah didn’t hear from God. How unsettling and uncomfortable it must have been for Noah and his family, let alone the animals, not knowing what was going on out there, and wondering how long they would be in the ark for.
It is in these times where vulnerability starts to seep in, and the enemy starts to make you believe that God has abandoned you, he starts to use people around you to doubt the goodness of God. Similarly, to Eve in the Garden of Eden, Eve had a relationship with the God, spent time with Him daily, knew the Lord will supply all her needs, but she allowed Satan to put doubt into her mind (Genesis 3). She had forgotten everything that God had done for her.
You will notice whilst Noah and his family were in the ark, God was silent, however, it didn’t mean He wasn’t there, He was still moving - the animals were at peace with each other, Noah and his family had food to sustain them, everyone was protected from everything that was happening outside of the ark.
“Even when I don’t see it Your working, even when I don’t feel it, Your working!” (Song by Sinach - Waymaker).
Though God is silent during our time of waiting, He gives us a glimmer of hope - in chapter 8 we see that Noah sends out a Dove to check whether the waters had receded from the earth. He sends the Dove out twice, and on the second return the Dove comes back with a leaf, this leaf told Noah that the water levels were reducing significantly, and although it would be a little more waiting, it won’t be long until they were out of the ark. What hope has the Lord given you in your waiting?
We see later in the chapter the waters have completely dissipated and finally the Lord speaks to Noah and tells him it’s time to leave the ark. Hallelujah!
Your time is coming when the Lord will tell you your waiting is over, and walk into the destination He has prepared for you. Remember, He has not abandoned you. It will work out for your good and the Lord will be glorified throughout it all! Amen x