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Lamentations 3:25-27 – The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. (ESV)
By nature, I am an impetuous person. My body and mind are currently a little slower, but that's okay when writing — or reading. These days, they would say that when I was young, I had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. So, waiting has been my bête noire. Like most of the world, I want it, and I want it now: safety, healing, food, things, sleep, and winning with God.
I have had a fall lately, and it turns out that I have cracked a few ribs into the bargain, so I need to be careful until I heal. To add insult to injury, literally, we have had storm-force winds that blew some fences down. Having retrieved Daisy, the dog, from next door, I knew the repair could not wait. So, I have been out in the garden stringing up the posts that have broken and replacing the fence that was splintered beyond repair, with no small amount of pain in the doing. I was not happy with God. I thought, "Really? I do not need this! Please help me to get it done", which He did.
Other times, I just have to wait. As I write, I am waiting for acrylic paint to cure on a bass guitar neck. Until the paint cures and is silky smooth, I can go no further with my painting project. It has reminded me of the irony of the saying, "I would rather watch paint dry", because that is exactly what I have to do: wait! Occasionally in the past, I have messed things up by being impatient with applying consecutive layers of paint. This required a do-over, stripping down and then starting again from the bare wood or metal. It takes time. So, now I wait.
It is a hard lesson to face when we see what we know could happen, happen right in front of us, when we should have waited. So, too, our lives and relationships can be like that. Sometimes, we just have to wait and say nothing, because to do otherwise would be a mistake.
Our walk with God can be like that, too. Sometimes, we have to be silent before God. God may allow our lives to be stripped back by some event or situation, and we find out where our faith lies. To rail against Him is a mistake. Our commitment can be instant, but faith grows by walking with Him humbly over time. Sometimes, we have to work through the tough stuff before we know the final outcome — heaven. We have to wait.
Keep the faith!
Prayer: Lord, for all of us wondering, "Do You care?" help us to be still. Bring Your peace and solace, in and through Jesus' name. Amen.
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Monday, March 24, 2025 – In the Middle East — We recently received a message telling us that one of our dear local friends has passed away. This was so hard, as we are on home assignment which makes it even harder. Please pray with us that the Lord will comfort his family and children and that Christ's name will be glorified. Help them to stay strong in their faith in the face of opposition..
friend: "Update March 21, 2025; Please continue to pray for Hilde who has had dizziness for many months..." 
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True words, my friend.
Thanks Rod, blessings.
Best wishes for complete recovery.
(Manitoba)
I’m sure we can never have too many reminders on the value of “waiting”. Your illustrations are very helpful!
Hi Rod,
Thanks for sharing your experiences with learning to be patient and encouraging others. Blessings.
Praying for your full recovery. May you feel God’s Presence as you wait.
Thank you for sharing this encouraging devotional with us today. To God be the glory! Waiting is not my strong suit, either. Blessings.
I know a chorus based on Isaiah, Those who wait on the Lord, shall renew their strength, they shall mount up on wings like eagles; they run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. Help us Lord, help us Lord on the way.
Hello, your words about “waiting” answer my thoughts about being confrontational with one of my adult children. Your words in this message have helped to calm me and to know that God has sent me a message through you today.
Thank you.
I am sorry that you have some cracked ribs, I hope you heal well. Remember Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble, but remember I am with you always, even until the end of the age.” Maybe not quoted exactly but this scripture brings me great comfort.
Thank-you.
Hi Rod,
Thank you for writing this devotional.
Waiting.
For God’s word comfort and music.
Blessings and blessings.
Waiting and waiting.
Blessings.
Hello Rod,
I am sorry about your injury; I hope the healing is progressing well. But God uses you through it: as he taught you, so you faithfully pass along the teaching. You really said it well: “Our commitment can be instant, but faith grows by humbly walking with him over time.” A pastor of ours, who had gone through a huge trial, said he’d had to pray that God would lift it, but not until he had learned what God wanted him to learn from the trial.
May the Lord grant you with amazing patience as you wait and heal.
Blessings.
Many thanks Rod for another of your interesting and encouraging devotionals.
Sorry to hear you are dealing with some cracked ribs. That is sure not an easy situation to get through and the healing does take time and patience. Yes, there are times we need be patient and we sure do experience that at times when we are awaiting answers to prayer. We seem to expect an immediate answer, but our loving Lord has His way of giving answers to our pleas in His timing and in the end His timing works for best outcome. He sure is deserving of our ongoing faith and gratitude for His caring ways. Blessings for your writings.
Hi Rod. It is where I am also waiting. Had a bad virus at Christmas, still battling lasting effects. Lay on couch and wait. No singing. Minimal talking. Using a rollator if I have to get up. This too shall pass. In KJV it says: and it came to pass in the days of… then I laughed: it didn’t come to stay!! Read Henri Nouwen’s little book: the Way of the Heart. 3 sections: solitude. Silence. Prayer. My third or fourth reading. Drawing into God in those three aspects. Based on the Desert Fathers lives. Perfect book for this time, to deal with the bete noir! Be still and know that I am God (Psalm 34:10-11. May it bless you. My motor is always running too. Even in neutral!
Thanks, Rod. I needed to hear that today. My husband had a heart attack 2 months ago today and it’s been a long and hard 2 months. He reacted to some of the meds he was on and has become very weak and has been in a lot of pain. It’s been a long, slow time of waiting! There have been some improvements, and we are grateful. It’s also been a long hard winter here at the beach in Ontario, Canada. A lot of snow to deal with! Thankfully our daughter is living with us and has been able to keep our driveway clear. And so we wait patiently for Spring. Over the past 2 months I have read so many devotions about waiting. I guess the Lord is trying to tell me something. Anyway, thanks for today’s devotion and God bless you as you recover from your recent fall.
Thanks, Rod. I can definitely relate. It’s been almost a year since I broke my patella and I’m still waiting for complete healing. And I have a friend who is going through the diagnosis and testing phase for heart issues, who wants answers and is not getting them speedily.