Are you waiting for something? A breakthrough? A promotion? Possibly your house to sell? Something…
Waiting is one of the most difficult exercises that can come upon us. No one asks for it. We all want “it” to happen immediately, in our timing.
The challenging task of waiting can breed discouragement. Discouragement often leads to our questioning our decisions.
This morning as I read through the story of Joshua and the battle of Jericho I realized the ridiculousness of the Israelites circling Jericho once a day, in silence, for 6 days in a row, before they took any action. Why? Seriously, why would they need to circle the city once every day, return to their camp and do it again the next day? Seems a bit silly to me. And a waste of time…just get to the “action!”
Unless of course there was something to be learned in the waiting. Or a lesson – in the rote exercise of doing the same thing again and again. And again. Perhaps the Israelites saw something the 5th time around that they didn’t see previously. Perhaps God was working on their hearts to walk through a rote exercise that seemed meaningless – so that they would learn to trust Him. Perhaps He was working something inside the city walls that they could know nothing about…
Surely there’s more to the story!
And I think that’s the point. There IS more to the story. We can’t see what or why God is working in the way He orchestrates. We don’t have His perspective. We don’t see the entire picture.
Trust is trust. Plain and simple. A difficult task while we wait. While we are called to do the same rote task day in and day out. Often we are tempted to manipulate a situation so that what we are waiting for may come quicker. But that’s not trusting.
Trusting says that you know God is working all things for good. Trusting says that you understand that God has a very different perspective than you do.
Trusting is not “understanding,” but knowing that God has your very best in His heart.
coverofhispresence says
Yes! Thank you for this reminder. There is always more to His story than I ever imagine. Simply trusting Him is always best and will never disappoint! I can just breathe!