Whenever I have experienced periods of waiting for God to act in my life, I always struggled to remember His promises. Even when the waiting meant that there was bound to be a good result, like when I was in the middle of pregnancy, the promises of God seemed so distant from me. I was so weighed down by how difficult the present was that keeping hold of God's promises seemed impossible. How could I keep God's promises in front of my eyes when I was exhausted, in physical pain, and emotionally drained from anxiety?
It requires a real faith that sometimes we just don't have in order to keep the promises of God in front of our eyes when we are waiting. Overcoming pain while waiting for God seems like too much for God to ask from us. How can we believe in all these great things coming to us when we're mired in so much downright tough stuff right now in the present moment? I think it can only come from a great outpouring of the supernatural faith, because waiting in the midst of pain can feel soul crushing.
There is so much wisdom in the Old Testament that applies to our hearts today. The people of Israel waited hundreds of years for the Messiah, for the fulfillment of these promises seen today from the prophet Isaiah. They went through persecutions, defeats, even enslavement; all of which are symbolic of the spiritual trials we ourselves experience in the spiritual life.
When we wait in pain for His rescue, Our Heavenly Father will hear our pleas of help. The struggles of our lives in this world can sometimes take years and maybe our entire lifetimes until we witness Christ's answer, but we have to remember His promises, especially in Advent. I know I have failed to remember that God wants to bind my wounds and heal the bruises of my heart. I know I am His beloved daughter who can hear His preachings and teachings now, today.
When we wait for His rescue, Our Heavenly Father will hear our pleas of help.Click to tweet
This Advent what are you waiting for from the Lord? Name and offer it to Christ at the foot of the Cross. Christ hears our pleas for answers and healing, so remember "Blessed are all who wait for the Lord."
Christy Isinger is a wife and mom to five lovely, loud children and lives in northern Canada. When not homeschooling, she is a devoted reader of English literature from Jane Austen to Agatha Christie. She writes about the beauty of faith, life, and the home at her blog and is the co-host of the Fountains of Carrots Podcast. You can find out more about her here.