Waiting Upon the Lord in Times of Uncertainty

2 Nephi 18:17 - "And I will wait upon the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him."

Elder Robert D. Hales - "We realize that the purpose of our life on earth is to grow, develop, and be strengthened through our own experiences. How do we do this? The scriptures give us an answer in one simple phrase: we 'wait upon the Lord.' Tests and trials are given to all of us. These mortal challenges allow us and our Heavenly Father to see whether we will exercise our agency to follow His Son. He already knows, and we have the opportunity to learn, that no matter how difficult our circumstances, 'all these things shall [be for our] experience, and … [our] good.'” 

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:12

Welcome to Speak this Peace, a daily podcast dedicated to drawing closer to the Savior through the powerful truths found in the Book of Mormon. Each episode, we focus on one verse that helps us walk more faithfully in his footsteps.

SPEAKER_01 0:31

There are moments in life when we heaven can feel quiet. We may pray for answers, relief, direction, or understanding, and wonder why the answer is not coming as quickly as we hoped. In those moments, it can be easy to think that God is distant or that he has forgotten us. But often, the times when we feel we are waiting are some of the most important times for our spiritual growth. Isaiah lived in a time when the people of Judah were facing fear, uncertainty, and the consequences of turning away from God. Many people were looking for answers in the wrong places. They trusted in political power, worldly wisdom, and false sources of security. Yet Isaiah chose a different path. Even when it seemed like the Lord was hidden from his people, Isaiah declared that he would continue to wait upon the Lord and look for him. Second Nephi eighteen seventeen and I will wait upon the Lord that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him. As we study this verse today along with teachings from Elder Robert D. Hells, we will consider what it means to trust the Lord during seasons of waiting. One of the great tests of mortality is learning to trust God when we do not immediately understand what He is doing. It is much easier to have faith when prayers are answered quickly, when blessings come on time and when life is moving in the direction we hoped it would. But discipleship often requires patience before clarity comes. Isaiah said, And I will wait upon the Lord that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him. This teaches us something important. Isaiah did not say he would stop believing because God seemed hidden. He did not say he would give up because answers were delayed. Instead he chose to keep waiting, keep looking, and keep trusting. There are times when the Lord may seem distant, but that does not mean he is absent. Sometimes he allows us to move forward without immediate answers because he is helping us grow in faith. If every answer came instantly, there would be little room for trust, endurance, or spiritual maturity. Waiting often becomes part of the answer. Faith is not only believing that God can act, faith is continuing to trust him while we wait for him to act. It is believing that he is still aware of us even when circumstances do not change immediately. Elder Robert D.

SPEAKER_02 3:33

Hells taught We realize the purpose of our life on earth is to grow, develop, and be strengthened through our own experiences. How do we do this? The scriptures give us an answer in one simple phrase. We wait upon the Lord. Tests and trials are given to all of us. These mortal challenges allow us and our Heavenly Father to see whether we will exercise our agency to follow His Son. He already knows, and we have the opportunity to learn that no matter how difficult our circumstance, all these things shall be for our experience and for our good.

SPEAKER_01 4:32

Waiting on the Lord does not mean doing nothing. It does not mean sitting still in discouragement, fear, or frustration. Waiting on the Lord means continuing to pray, continuing to obey, continuing to serve, and continuing to trust while the answer is still unfolding. Many times we want immediate solutions. We want to know how everything will turn out. We want the pain to end quickly. We want the next step to become obvious. But the Lord is often more concerned with what we are becoming than with how quickly our circumstances change. That is why some of the greatest spiritual growth comes in seasons of uncertainty. In those moments we learn whether we will keep following Jesus Christ when life is difficult. We learn whether our faith depends only on blessings or whether it is rooted in the Savior Himself. The Lord may not remove every challenge immediately, but He can strengthen us while we pass through it. He can give peace before He gives answers. He can give hope before He changes circumstances. He can help us become stronger, more faithful, and more dependent on Him. Many of us are probably waiting on something right now. We may be waiting for guidance about family, work, health, finances, or a relationship. We may be waiting for a prayer to be answered or for a burden to feel lighter. We may be waiting for spiritual confirmation, healing, or peace. In a world built around speed and instant results, waiting can feel frustrating. We can get almost anything immediately, messages, information, deliveries, entertainment. Because of that we may begin expecting God to work on our timeline too. But the Lord does not measure time the way we do. Sometimes we may think that because we are waiting, nothing is happening. But often the Lord is doing some of his greatest work beneath the surface. He may be preparing us. He may be softening our hearts. He may be opening doors we cannot yet see. He may be teaching us to rely on Him more fully. While we wait, we can still move forward in faith. We can continue reading the scriptures, praying, serving, attending church, keeping covenants, and doing the small things that invite the Spirit into our lives. We do not have to understand everything before we keep trusting God. Isaiah said, And I will wait upon the Lord and I will look for him. That is what disciples do. We keep looking for the Lord in our lives. We look for his hand in small blessings. We look for his peace in difficult moments, we look for his guidance in quiet impressions, and as we keep looking for him, we often begin to realize that he was never far away at all. So here is today's challenge. Think about one area of life where we may feel like we are waiting on the Lord right now. Instead of focusing only on what has not happened yet, spend time looking for ways the Lord may already be working. Write down a few blessings, impressions or small evidences that He is aware of us. Then choose one faithful action to take while continuing to trust Him. Thank you for listening to Seek This Jesus. I hope this message helps you draw a little closer to the Savior, Jesus Christ. Please, don't let this podcast be your only scripture time today. As we open the scriptures for ourselves, the Spirit will teach us things no podcast ever could. And if you are exploring the truths of the Book of Mormon for the first time, you can receive a free copy using the link in the description found in every episode of Seek This Jesus. I invite you to come back tomorrow for another verse and message to help you stay focused on Jesus Christ. Until next time, keep seeking this Jesus.