“I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”
Psalm 27:13-14 NIV
When we are in despair we think things moved at a snail’s pace. We want things fixed pronto. We are so used to getting things done at a microwave pace. We are so addicted to instant gratification that we think we even rush God. We are so hooked that we are easily disappointed when God’s timing is different from ours.
A prime example of being discouraged while waiting is when I was fresh out of college. I thought my honors BS degree will open doors of opportunity immediately. So I faithfully applied for jobs for five and a half months and I had no prospects. I needed a job quickly because my father was unemployed and all the burdens fell on my mom. I was angry. I was scared. I was impatient. I was questioning the effectiveness of my prayers for a job.
My mom, as moms do, encouraged me to talk to my mentors at Claflin. I was full of pride and fear of judgment. I didn’t want to go crawling back to school. However, I sucked it up and explained my woes to my department chair. I had two opportunities to work and I’m still here 14 years later with another degree and a job that I loved doing.
I learned a few things that summer. First, never doubt who God is. Second, God’s plans for you are far better than what you had in mind. Third, believe in the gifts God gave you and believe in yourself. Fourth, pride will get you nowhere. Last but not least, trust your mother’s wisdom!
We must remember to rely on our faith and how things look like at the moment. Had I given up on God, I don’t know where I would be today. Everything I’ve accomplished God’s Grace and presence were there before I got there. Everything was mapped out so that I could be successful. So we all must wait patiently on God. We must keep the faith that everything we prayed for will work out. We must never lose hope. We must never lose sight of our goals. He has never failed us before and will never fail us now.
Stephon's Thoughts 