God Still Clothes the Lilies, Lesson 6: Wait Expectantly for God
Have you been praying for something crucial, but you have yet to receive an answer? Are you in an overwhelming situation with no end in sight and your endurance is wearing thin?
There is a word for you today in Psalm 27—and vital direction. The previous lesson was based on Psalm 27, a passage of scripture that revolutionized my life in a season of prolonged suffering. (See parts One and Two of the post.) Today we look at the last two verses of this great chapter. They offer unlimited hope and encouragement in protracted seasons of suffering and uncertainty.
Lesson #6: Wait Expectantly for God
Psalm 27:13-14 says,
[What, what would have become of me] had I not believed that I would see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living!
Wait and hope for and expect the Lord; be brave and of good courage and let your heart be stout and enduring. Yes, wait for and hope for and expect the Lord. (Psalm 27:13-14, AMPC)
After a few disappointments, it can be challenging to expect God to answer your prayers and work on your behalf. It can seem that He has turned His back on you … or that He doesn’t care … or that He answers everyone else’s prayers, just not yours.
We lose hope that God is even interested in our concerns, let alone that He is intervening. The enemy slithers in on our despondence and whispers lies that discourage us from drawing close to God—the very thing we need in such seemingly hopeless times.
In Times of Twisted Perception
Don’t lose heart! As Psalm 27:13 says, you will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
What, what would have become of me had I not believed that I would see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living! (v. 13, AMPC)
The New King James Version says it this way,
I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. (v. 13, NKJV)
This verse was water on dry ground for me when I had prayed for my suffering to end (and God had even given me personal promises assuring me that it would), but every week, every month, every year things only got worse, with no end in sight.
It’s one thing to grapple with hopelessness when you’ve been praying over a matter for a few days or weeks … or months. But to believe God for years on end? With things only worsening every passing year? And there’s no sign He’s honoring His promise, no sign He’s working on your behalf?
In such times, it feels like He’s doing exactly the opposite of Luke 11:11-12, which says, “What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?”
It feels like God is giving you a snake when you asked for a fish, and a scorpion when you asked for an egg! It seems He’s acting contrary to what you know to be true of His character… or at least what you thought you knew.
The whole realm of prayer, belief, expectation, and God’s response—well, it feels upside down. Totally twisted.
It’s hard to hold on to hope.
God Will Come Through . . . In the Land of the Living
When God spoke to me through Psalm 27, I was suffering indescribably from sickness. God had given me promises that He would restore my health. As things worsened, I began to wonder, “Did He mean that He would do so in Heaven, not here before I die?”
It was a no-brainer that dying would have brought healing. But through Psalm 27, God urged me to believe and expect Him to fulfill His promises here, while I was on earth, in the land of the living.
Most of the needs weighing heavily on our hearts today (finances, health, job crises, broken relationships, etc.) will automatically be alleviated when we go to Heaven. But even still, we have to endure them while we remain on earth. So we’d like to see God’s goodness here, in the land of the living!
This verse speaks to God’s timing in another way also: He will come through before it’s too late. When it matters—not afterward—you will see His hand working and experience His goodness in your situation.
However, in order to wait with expectation, you may have to adjust your deadline, the deadline you attempted to impose on God.
We must be willing to define “too late” as God defines it, according to His timeline. Just as we have to view our needs from heaven’s end-of-time perspective, we also have to view the time frame as well.
God is always right on time. Which, in terms of our ideal, always seems perpetually slow—more like dreadfully late.
But that’s a good thing. Because it’s in the delay that the heat of the fire finally begins to burn off bondage and weights that have entangled us—weights like:
- Pride (which believes we’re capable of being—and should be—god of our own lives, capable of choosing what’s best for us and the time frame in which it happens)
- Idolatry (things we’ve been clinging to more tightly than God)
- Spiritual coldness
- Indifference to the word of God
- Prayerlessness
- Spiritual blindness (seeing only according to the temporal realm, not the eternal, spiritual realm)
- An image that doesn’t reflect Christ
- Trusting in “horses and chariots”—solutions of man—instead of God
Good things happen in the delay.
- It’s in the holding pattern of suffering that we finally relinquish control of our lives and fully surrender everything to God.
- It’s in the delay that we realize Christ alone is enough and learn to live in His sufficiency.
- It’s in the delay that we learn to live by and love the Word of God.
- It’s in the delay that we finally begin to see from God’s end-of-time perspective.
- It’s in the delay and death to self that the life of Christ is revealed in us. (2 Cor. 4:10-11)
- It’s in the delay that we’re forced into total reliance on God for our answer.
After a Little While
In the delay, it can seem like God is absent, like He vanished from the scene long ago. But He’s been right there working all along.
He has a higher, wiser plan that He’s accomplishing. (Isa. 55:9) He’s achieving eternal glory in us through our lingering trial—glory that far outweighs our present suffering. (Rom. 8:18, 2 Cor. 4:17.)
And after a while—after He has accomplished His purposes in our suffering—He will deliver us. He WILL!!
And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you (1 Peter 5:10, ESV).
In this instant food, microwave oven age, we detest the word “wait.” “Set it for sixty seconds already and let’s get on with the show!” we demand.
The last thing we want to hear is “after a little while.” We don’t even hear the word “little” because the word “after” throws us into such shock. Give us no “after”—only “now!” To be forced to wait is bad enough. To suffer while waiting? That’s even worse!
But beloved, it’s good news! There is an “after a little while.” And it sure beats “never!”
Be of Good Courage — He Will Come
So be of good courage. Let your heart be stout and enduring. Wait for, hope for, and expect the Lord.
He will come through for you. He will deliver you.
You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For, “In just a little while, he who is coming will come and will not delay” (Hebrews 10:36-37, NIV).
If God’s deliverance seems slow, do not despair. Just be patient. His answer will be right on time!
But these things I plan won’t happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will surely come to pass. Just be patient! They will not be overdue a single day! (Habakkuk 2:3, TLB, emphasis added)
Don’t quit! Don’t lose hope! Don’t give in to despair!
Wait Expectantly
There’s waiting … and then there’s waiting expectantly.
In our waiting, we can collapse on the floor, slump shouldered, head hung low, eyes to the ground, bottom lip protruding, cheeks drenched in sullen tears—like a child who believes her dad left her at preschool never to return!
Or we can hop up, so assured of God’s imminent response that we’re able to enjoy the wait—like a child at school excitedly creating artwork to present to her dad when he returns to get her at the end of the day.
Our Father is going to come for us either way. But if we pout and mourn under the false assumption that He’s not coming, we only cause ourselves to suffer misery in the mean time.
“Be brave. Be strong. Don’t give up. Expect God to get here soon” (Psalm 31:24, MSG).
Let God strengthen your heart. (Psa. 31:24, NKJV) Be brave! Be strong! Don’t give up! Expect God to get here soon! Wait expectantly for Him. He is working on your behalf this very minute. He is busying Himself with your every step. (Psa. 37:23, AMPC)
So wait and hope for and expect the Lord! Be brave and of good courage. Let your heart be stout and enduring. Yes, wait for and hope for, and expect the Lord!
Questions:
- What have you been praying about for months or years that has seemingly gone unanswered by God?
- Is there an overwhelming or hopeless situation that has plagued you for a long time? Is your endurance wearing thin?
- Do you believe you will see God’s goodness here in the land of the living?
- Are you doubtful, angry, or despondent as you wait for God’s answer? Or are you waiting expectantly for Him to move on your behalf?
- Which of the scriptures mentioned today spoke to you the most? Psalm 27:13-14, Isaiah 55:9, Romans 8:18, 2 Corinthians 4:17, 1 Peter 5:10, Hebrews 10:36-37, Habakkuk 2:3, Psalm 37:23, or Psalm 31:24?
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More Tweetables
- Has the answer to your prayer been delayed? God will come through before it’s too late. When it matters—not afterward—you will see His hand working and experience His goodness in your situation.
- When the answer to our prayer is delayed, we must wait with expectation. But to do this, we have to adjust our deadline. We must view the timeframe from heaven’s end-of-time perspective and define “too late” as God defines it.
- God is always right on time. Which, in terms of our ideal, seems perpetually slow—more like dreadfully late. But that’s a good thing. Because in the delay, the heat of the fire begins to burn off bondage and weights that have entangled us.
- In the delay, it can seem like God is absent, like He vanished from the scene long ago. But He’s been right there working all along. He has a higher, wiser plan that He’s accomplishing.
- God is achieving eternal glory in you through your lingering trial—glory that far outweighs your present suffering.
- After a while—after God has accomplished His loving purposes in your suffering—He will deliver you. He WILL!
- “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” — 1 Peter 5:10
- “These things I plan won’t happen right away….If it seems slow, do not despair…. Just be patient! They will not be overdue a single day!” — Habakkuk 2:3
- “Be brave. Be strong. Don’t give up. Expect God to get here soon.” — Psalm 31:24, MSG #WaitExpectantly #GodIsOnTime
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OTHER POSTS IN THIS SERIES
- God Still Clothes the Lilies: 10 Lessons for Seasons of Uncertainty (Part 1)
- God Still Clothes the Lilies, Lesson 1: Rest in God’s Sovereign Rule
- God Still Clothes the Lilies, Lesson 2: View Your Needs from Heaven’s Higher Perspective
- God Still Clothes the Lilies, Lesson 3: Hope in God Alone
- God Still Clothes the Lilies, Lesson 4: Trust in God and His Deliverance
- God Still Clothes the Lilies, Lesson 5: Be Confident in God (Part 1)
- God Still Clothes the Lilies, Lesson 5: Be Confident in God (Part 2)
- God Still Clothes the Lilies, Lesson 7: Receive God’s Enabling
- God Still Clothes the Lilies, Lesson 8: Focus on God, Not Your Problems
- God Still Clothes the Lilies, Lesson 9 (Part 1): Give Thanks & Praise, Even in This
- God Still Clothes the Lilies, Lesson 9 (Part 2): Three Results of Your Worship
- God Still Clothes the Lilies, Lesson 10: Reflect on God’s Past Goodness
- God Still Clothes the Lilies, Bonus Lesson: Tell God How You Feel (Part 1)
- God Still Clothes the Lilies, Bonus Lesson: Tell God How You Feel (Part 2)
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I have read your write up in a moment of a heavy heart, i sometimes feel like giving up because I have prayed, fasted, cried, done all i can do but my situation seems drier. Waited patiently upon God to answer me. I sometimes feel God doesn't see me at all. Waiting is a period u feel like you running mad. It's so painful