Before I got married, I remember praying and waiting for the Lord to bring the man He had for me into my life. To be honest, the waiting was excruciating at times. Thoughts of doubt would invade my mind and rob me of the peace and joy I knew He wanted for me. I’d imagine myself a lonely ninety year-old woman in a little house until I centered myself on the Lord and the promises in His Word, which would never allow me to settle for less than what the Lord had waiting for me.

Over the years I’ve seen so many women do what I was tempted to do. Panicked, tired, or frustrated, they settle for less than what the Lord would have for them in a mate out of fear and end up in misery. However, we have to always be mindful in every situation to wait upon the Lord to move or for change. He always has our best interest at heart and waiting on Him is the only guaranteed way we can we experience real peace and joy.

Isaiah 40:31 says, “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” Just as Isaiah is speaking to Israel’s captivity with these words, we too can feel like we are in captivity while we are waiting, but we must wait on the Lord because He will renew our strength.

I’ve discovered that we must be clear that our desires line up with what He desires for us, and if so, we must be willing to wait for His perfect timing. So many times I have asked the Lord for things, desperately and secretly longing for His will to line up with mine, which is certainly contrary to the Word and will of God.

It is very important to know the Lord and trust Him. Knowing Him requires action. We must read and study the Word. We have to pray and seek Him. He can’t just be first. He has to be the center of everything we are, say, and do. The more we know Him, the more easily we can trust Him.

In turn, when we trust Him, we can wait on Him, knowing that He will give us the strength to endure and to wait. Habakkuk 2:3 explains that “For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it: because it will surely come.” When we’re truly waiting upon the Lord, we should be in a posture of expectation. At our appointed and set time, it will happen. Until then, He will provide us with the supernatural strength we need to rise above life’s difficulties and demands, enabling us to wait patiently for His answer.

I often think about Job’s afflictions and how he handled the trials he faced. Despite Job displaying his human frailty at times with pessimism, he says in Job 14:14, “all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change comes.” In utter despair, he still had hope that the Lord would change his situation, and of course, He did.

Through times of waiting on the Lord, He has built my character and faith in ways that wouldn’t have happened otherwise. I’ve learned that we can say all the right things sometimes. We can study, pray, and have intellect or head knowledge about the things of God, but the tests refine us and yes, can even help to define us, by showing us ourselves and where we really are.

I’ve heard that during a drought, the roots of a tree dig deeper to find water. Similarly, when we’re experiencing a trial that requires us to wait, it can drive us beyond the superficial to depth in relationship and dependence on God.

So, what are you waiting for? Is it your healing? Maybe a job? What about a mate or a spouse? Something else? No matter what it is, Isaiah 40:29 says “He giveth power to the faint.” How are you waiting for it? Are you anxious, depressed, or stressed? The second part of that verse says, “to them that have no might he increaseth strength.” Lean on Him and trust Him, knowing and believing that He will renew your strength until your change comes.

Blessings and Love,
MaRita Teague

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About the author

MaRita Teague is the author of the novel The Taste of Good Fruit, published by Walk Worthy Press and Harrison House Publishers (May 2008).

MaRita writes in Christian fiction because she desires to draw others to God through realistic and entertaining stories. She writes characters facing heart-wrenching losses and revelations who ultimately find solutions to their problems through faith.

Although The Taste of Good Fruit is Teague’s first published novel, she has publications in Living the Serenity Prayer; The Cup of Comfort (Adams Media 2008): Daily Inspirational for Christian Mothers Women’s Devotional (Adams Media 2007); All My Good Habits I Learned From Grandma (Thomas Nelson 2007); Maryland Women of Worship Devotional (2007). She is a member of The American Christian Fiction Writer’s Group.

MaRita has a Master’s degree in English from The University of Alabama in Huntsville and a Bachelor’s in Political Science with a minor in Russian from The Ohio State University. She has taught English Composition at Alabama A&M University, The University of Alabama in Hunstville, Calhoun Community College, Rochester Institute of Technology, and most recently at Northern Virginia Community College. She and her husband, Zedric, and three sons have just accepted a temporary relocation to Dayton, Ohio from the Washington, D.C. metro area.

Visit MaRita online:

EMAIL: MaRitaTeague@gmail.com
WEBSITE: www.MaRitaTeague.net
BLOG: www.MaRitaTeague.blogspot.com

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