3 Things To Do in Seasons of Waiting

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June 10, 2020

Can you remember the first time you ever thirsted? Think about a time where you felt like you were in utter desperation or need for water. Do you remember it?

I can remember the first time I felt dehydrated. I was in early elementary school and it was a hot summer day and I had been running around outside for hours. When it was time to come inside, there was a line at the drinking fountain. I kept thinking, “If this line doesn’t move fast enough, I’m going to pass out.”

Maybe as you read this, you’re going through some things. It may feel as if you aren’t going to make it if things don’t change. It could be an issue at work, family drama, or financial struggles, but my guess is your life is not perfect on all fronts. We all experience peaks and valleys. All of us know what its like to be spiritually thirsty, to be desperate for a move of God in our lives. As I think back on those moments in my life, I think of King David and how he was referred to a man after Gods own heart. He was one who chased after God and who desperately wanted to be in alignment with the heart of God. Throughout the Psalms you see David continually asking, “God, where are you?”.

Psalm 42:1–3 says:

As the deer pants for streams of water, so, my soul pants for you, my God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?
My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”

David is not painting a picture of serenity, but one of desperation. He says, “as a deer pants for streams of water”. Have you ever seen a dog panting for water after being outside on a hot day? The dog almost seems frantic, desperate for something to drink. It’s not a beautiful sight. David says, just like a deer is desperate, that is my soul for you God. However, I want to draw your attention to what David says next, “my tears have been my food day and night”. Here David is saying, “I can’t sleep.” The turmoil he is in he cannot escape from. Maybe your struggle feels like this. It haunts you when you try to sleep, and it is all you can think about. So, what do we do, when life seems to be so difficult and there doesn’t seem to be a solution? What do you do in the moments when you are desperately waiting for God?

Let’s look at three things that we can do amidst seasons of waiting:

🌞 Acknowledge true comfort that lasts is found in God’s presence. During the chaos David knows something we need to know. He says in Psalm 43:3 “Send me your light and your faithful care, let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell.” David understands the guiding force out of this turmoil will not be found in him being clever enough to find a way out, or in him mustering up his own strength. David asks God in this moment to send HIS light. David is acknowledging he needs Gods direction and the only place he will find true comfort is in God’s care for him. It is important to spend time with Him.

🤲 Remember the times God has of being faithful in your life. As we continue in Psalm 43, we see David nearing the end of his lament. He says in v.4 “I will go to the altar of God”. David says, “I will go.” In saying this, he is demonstrating he is full of faith. In David’s heart and mind there is not a doubt if God is going to move in his life. Earlier in Psalm 43, David reminded himself of all the times he has found God to be faithful. This reminder moves him to continually anchor his trust in God’s faithfulness. David’s going to the altar was not him asking for forgiveness, it was an opportunity for David to celebrate and fellowship with God.

🚶‍♂️ Walk in obedience as you wait for God to move in your life. It may not be immediate, but His plans are always good. God is not trying to rob from you in your waiting.

Too often we go to a variety of things to try and satisfy our thirsts. While those things may take the edge off for a moment, ultimately, they only further our thirst. Our world offers so many “solutions” but only Jesus can satisfy your thirst for eternity. If you are in the midst of waiting for God to work in your pain, continue walking in obedience and trust His goodness is your inevitable outcome.