“The Lord has established and fully intends to use every moment of the wait to refine us into His likeness, to bring glory to His name, and to magnify the persevering power of His promises” (Waiting for God, Xochitl Dixon, p. 42).
As I read this statement again, I’m praising the Lord! He has “established” every moment before He even created us. Hallelujah! God “fully intends to use every moment of the wait,” every moment. Not one second will be wasted as He works to bring glory to His name. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
I can experience the fullness of His overflowing love for me as I soak up His infallible words. And when my feelings fail me, when my understanding or patience or wisdom wanes, I can follow Him faithfully and trust He will remain reliable. I can’t trust the ever-changing circumstances or feelings I face each day. But I can place my life in the hands of the One who created life itself, the one who determined all of my days before one of them came to be. Hallelujah!
As you read F.R.O.G. Faith in Waiting for God, I pray the Lord will encourage you through Bob and Betty’s story.
I’m looking forward to reading your thoughts as we prayerfully consider today’s reflection questions.
Reflection Questions
- How can considering God as creator and sustainer of all help us trust He won’t forget us, even when we forget Him in the wait?
When I think of how God manages the Universe day-to-day, it’s easier for me to remember that He can manage my life. I feel comforted when I focus on His sovereignty and limitless power. It sure beats gazing upon my never-ending weaknesses or my past, present, and inevitably future failings.
- What situation are you dealing with that seems to have no end in sight?
My healing journey. It’s often frustrating when I consider a lifetime of pain management and fatigue, a lifetime of not being able to help my husband, a lifetime of struggling. But it helps to know I can be fully reliant on God. I can count on His trustworthiness. God is using my experiences to help me grow closer to Him, to refine my character so I can be more like Him, and to serve others as I point to Him.
- What makes it most difficult to be fully reliant on God when your circumstances don’t seem to be improving on this side of eternity?
It’s difficult to confess my weaknesses. Fear and worry can make me focus on my limitations instead of God’s unchanging character and dependable faithfulness. To rely on God is to depend on Him with confidence, to bank on His trustworthiness, to hope in Him . . . completely. In order to accomplish this measure of faith, I need to surrender to the Holy Spirit, to allow Him to empower me to believe what God says is true, to invite Him to be all I need . . . my strength, my peace, my hope . . . even when my circumstances feel unbearable and the wait feels endless.
Please share your thoughts in the comment section below the original post on my website.
If you’re just joining the conversation and would like to share your thoughts on the previous chapters, I’ve posted the links below.
End-of-Chapter Questions
Chapter 1 – The Weight of Waiting
Chapter 2 – It’s Not All About Me
Chapter 5 – Resting in God’s Refuge
Chapter 6 – Enough for the Wait
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*** Thanks for joining me to discuss the Waiting for God end-of-chapter questions. Please remain focused on what God is doing in and through your life and refrain from sharing full names or personal information (yours or anyone else’s) so we can keep this blog family a safe place to share. All comments will be monitored and modified to maintain a loving and encouraging atmosphere that is glorifying to the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I look forward to growing with you.
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I find difficult circumstances of life when my husband has two Doctor appointments in two different areas of town and my 94 year old Mother has one in between his, in another area of town. They both have limited mobility, also. I could not make it if I didn’t fully rely on God! I marvel at God’s faithfulness and care for me and my family as packed expressways open up in front of me, before my wait in yet another Doctor’s office begins. Available parking places very often are awaiting our arrival. Only God!
Oh, Jana. Serving as a caregiver is a 24/7 job, an ongoing opportunity to experience the power of God infusing us with persevering strength, and a privilege that enables us to encounter God face-to-face as we love with Spirit-empowered selflessness. Hallelujah! You are such a wonderful example of God’s grace in action. I’m so glad we’re on this journey together, Sister.