Hope Chapel
  • Home
  • Blog
    • Sermon Videos
    • Parents Corner
    • CREW Blog
  • About
    • Children's Ministries
    • Youth Ministries
    • Connected Organizations
  • Calendar
  • Donate
  • Contact
    • Join Our Newsletter
  • Blog

Hope Chapel Blog

Learning and living the Way of Jesus!

‘Times of Waiting’

4/27/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture

Daily Devotional – Tuesday, April 27, 2021

“The LORD is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him. So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the LORD.” (Lamentations 3:25-26, NLT)

This past Sunday, many in our congregation responded to the invitation to share how they have seen God at work in this last year. It was very encouraging to hear from everyone together and it was interesting to note that the theme of ‘waiting’ held a prominent place in our sharing. One individual described his recent experience with God’s ‘just in time’ response. And haven’t we all been there? We have a need, but it’s almost as though God chooses to wait until all hope is gone before he jumps in and ‘tada!’ Some of us are quick to give praise to God for his loving care; however, for others, it could appear as though God relishes in making us squirm, choosing to provide answers in the eleventh hour…when it’s almost too late, but ‘just in time.’

I’ve been thinking about it, asking God why he so often chooses to work in this way. We must be careful about declaring God’s reasons for working as he does, but I have concluded that our need to wait is, in part, one of God’s means for helping us to grow into spiritual maturity. When we perceive a need and bring it to God, he could instantaneously provide a solution, but more times than not he doesn’t. One of the reasons he does not immediately remove our ‘thorns’ is because they actually work to reveal greater needs—deficiencies in our character and relationship with him.

When you are faced with a difficulty and have turned to God in prayer, what next?
• Do you go into problem-solving mode? You may have control issues that need to be surrendered to God.
• Are you overcome with fear and anxiety? This may be an opportunity to grow in your ability to trust God.
• Do you begin to doubt God’s existence or goodness. The wait time may be to build your faith and knowledge of him.
• Are you overcome with anger? God may want you to mature in your ability to love him first over yourself.
• Do you become whiney and petulant toward God? He may know you need to grow in the area of being contented.
• Or do you, like most of the human race, simply find it difficult to be patient? God values patience, endurance and the ability to persevere in his children.
​
So why does God so often provide his answers ‘just in time.’ Because it is during the times when we are forced to wait for his help that deeper needs come to the surface. We are forced to face ourselves as we truly are, our lack of spiritual maturity, and the distance we still have to go before we can experience full and true freedom in Christ—free to know him and his great love for us. God doesn’t want us to resist having to wait, but rather to lean into it and see what other needs he may be wanting to help us with.
Be still. Listen. Wait.
~ Pastor Jane
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Pastor Jane 

    First licensed for pastoral ministry in 1994, Pastor Jane Peck has served in camp and church ministries in three denominations, five provinces and in a variety of roles.  Her most recent position is that of Pastor at Hope Chapel which she began in 2020.  She is excited to see what God can and will do in the days to come!

    Archives

    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020

    Categories

    All
    Addiction
    Agape Love
    Angels
    Armour Of God
    Correction
    Creation
    Devotionals
    Disappointment
    Discipleship
    Faith
    Fear
    Filling Up
    Forgiveness
    Generosity
    Gifts Of The Spirit
    Gospel
    Holy Spirit
    Honour
    Humility
    Idolatry
    Jesus
    Justice
    Lent
    Love
    Meditations
    Mental Health
    Mercy
    News And Updates
    Patience
    Peace
    Prayer
    Prayer Emphasis Week
    Pride
    Protection
    Redemption
    Rejection
    Rejoicing
    Relationships
    Repentance
    Revelations
    Self Worth
    Series: Be Different
    Series: Doing Life With Jesus
    Series: In The Beginning
    Series: “Our Family Tree Through The Bible In 2021"
    Series: The Bible Jesus' Story
    Servanthood
    Sin
    Suffering
    Sunday Notes
    Thanksgiving
    The Great Commission
    The Trinity
    The Word
    Wisdom
    Worship

    More Blogs

    Parents Corner
    CREW Blog
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
  • Blog
    • Sermon Videos
    • Parents Corner
    • CREW Blog
  • About
    • Children's Ministries
    • Youth Ministries
    • Connected Organizations
  • Calendar
  • Donate
  • Contact
    • Join Our Newsletter
  • Blog