SPEAKER_00: Lamentations three, twenty-five through twenty-six says the Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him.
SPEAKER_00: It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.
SPEAKER_00: Waiting is rarely easy.
SPEAKER_00: When answers seem delayed and the way forward unclear, hope can feel fragile.
SPEAKER_00: The Bible even acknowledges this when Solomon writes in Proverbs, hope deferred makes the heart sick.
SPEAKER_00: But the Bible also tells us over and over again that God is working even in the silence.
SPEAKER_00: His timing is perfect, and his goodness never fails.
SPEAKER_00: Anchor your emotions first by taking 30 seconds to thank the Lord that his plans are good and his timing is trustworthy.
SPEAKER_00: Even when you can't see the outcome, he is still faithful.
SPEAKER_00: We aren't asked to put our head in the sand or ignore the difficulty of waiting or delayed answers to prayer.
SPEAKER_00: God welcomes our emotional response and promises to be there in the waiting.
SPEAKER_00: Talk to God about the area where you're waiting for breakthrough or direction.
SPEAKER_00: Ask him to strengthen your faith and fill your heart with hope as you wait on him and ask him for those answers and directions.
SPEAKER_00: Picture yourself sitting quietly before God, content, still, at peace, knowing He is at work behind the scenes.
SPEAKER_00: Take another deep breath in and out.
SPEAKER_00: Make space for God to speak to your heart or mind through a feeling or a picture or a scripture verse or his still small voice.
SPEAKER_00: While you are in this season of waiting, is there someone you can also pray for who you know feels stuck in waiting or who might be discouraged by delay?
SPEAKER_00: Ask God to renew their strength and fill them with fresh expectation.
SPEAKER_00: Breathe in and say, In the waiting, and breathe out and say, I know you are good one more time, Amen.