When waiting is hard…

It is unclear where we get the notion that our lives are meant to be easy as believers. Maybe it’s just a hope we have, that since we know God, everything should work for us seamlessly.

We quote scriptures such as “all things work together for good to them that love God”, forgetting that all really means all, the good and the bad.

We celebrate the blessings of Abraham and forget that he waited for a child until he was 100 years old.

We desire to be like Daniel, Joseph etc, but forget that they were first captives in foreign lands before they became princes.

Have you wondered how Joseph must have felt as years passed by and he was a slave, then a prisoner. Things even got worse for him before they got better.

Maybe his childhood friends were getting married, having kids, getting degrees, and he was just there, stuck in time, seemingly no hope for a bright future.

Maybe he hoped to be at least released and given a chance to pick up the pieces of his life. Maybe he wondered where he’d start from.

Even if he hoped to return to his father, that hope will be shut down when he remembers his brothers were the reason behind his predicament.

What worse fate may befall him should he return? They’d probably kill him this time.

Esther was simply thankful for an uncle who gave her food, clothing and shelter, only to be captured to marry an heathen king. This wasn’t a love match, the last queen was shamefully dismissed, what would become of her?

Yes, the idea of being queen may seem endearing to some, but for me, it seems just like being asked to be the First Lady of a certain US president that I shall not name, I recoil at the mere thought of that.

One thing however, that stands out in the stories of all these patriarchs is that they saw God in their challenge, they fixed their eyes on Him and that made the difference.

Maybe they felt deserted and helpless, but they chose to ignore their feelings and stay focused on His faithfulness.

Job said “my ears had heard about you, but now my own eyes have seen you”(Job 42:5).

Joseph said “God sent me before you to preserve you, and to save your lives”(Genesis 45:7).

Mordecai challenged Esther saying “who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”(Esther 4:14) In other words, see God’s purpose in this, and she did.

Whatever pain, delay, disappointment you may be going through, be it a consequence of sin, or an attack of the enemy, there is only one sure way out for you – fix your eyes on the God, who alone can bring you out.

Don’t make an enemy of your helper, don’t let your troubles separate you from your only source of help. See His good purpose for your life, even in your pain. See His faithfulness even in your despair, fix your gaze on Him.

Here are some practical ways to do this:

1)Reassure yourself with hope from His word:

What promise has He given you concerning that situation or aspect of your life? Read it to yourself daily. Abraham stayed fixated on the promise and wholly trusted that God doesn’t make promises He can’t keep.

Don’t wait for the proof, rejoice in the promise.

2)Remember your past victories:

In what ways has He showed up for you before? What previous challenges did you experience that turned into testimonies? Recall them and be grateful for them.

3)Reflect on what He’s doing for you right now:

There are more things working for you than you know. It’s just that you’re blinded to them because of the one thing you lack or believe is not working.

So fix your eyes on all that is working, make a thanksgiving list of them because they are all the acts of a faithful God in your life!

This month I’ve been doing just that – thanking God for all He has done and is doing for me and the testimonies are already rolling in. First it was healing for my daughter, then release of a certain payment that has been held back for months.

Rejoice in what He has done and by doing that you’re reminding Him of what is left to be done.

Rejoice, because there is no hopeless case with our Father, He is the God with whom all things are possible.

Did this resonate with you in any way? Share with me in the comments. I’d love to hear from you.

With Christ’s exotic love,

Mrs Omoghene.

P.S: are you in a relationship and waiting for the right conditions to be married, download a free copy of praying guide for intending couples. It’d help you prayerfully prepare as you wait.