Reading: Luke 7, Psalm 37:7

7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him;

For most of us, patience is not our strongest quality. Our minds and bodies have a natural bias towards movement and activity. And waiting for anything feels like a waste of time. We are always looking for life’s “cheat codes”. Whether it’s hunting for the shortest checkout line, googling hacks, eating another meal in our car while driving, or paying extra to skip lines at airports and amusement parks, our culture has developed an allergy to waiting.

But this tendency rarely serves us well in at least four areas: our physical health, our finances, our relationships, or our walk with God. Some things are not meant to be hacked. Some waitlines are not beneficial to skip. The microwave may be the fastest way to heat leftovers, but it’s rarely the best way to prepare a delicious meal. All real growth and lasting progress happen over time through regular cycles of disciplined action and meaningful rest. This is true whether you are growing muscles, an investment portfolio, an enduring career, a healthy marriage, or a robust relationship with Jesus.

In this passage, the Lord reminds us that trusting Him to bring our heart’s desires to pass means trusting His timing. In scripture, God’s men and women had to learn to wait for His timing. David waited almost 20 years for His promised coronation. Abraham waited 25 years for Isaac to be born. Moses waited 80 years before God lit up a bush and greenlighted his calling. Why do we put God on a clock?

Thankfully, He is not trying to torture us by making us wait. He is not lazy or inattentive to our distresses. His delays are not His denials. The Lord uses the time we wait on Him to develop deep character within us. Waiting has a way of slowing us down, lowering our blood pressure, and silencing our anxieties.

Waiting on the Lord requires us to crucify our flesh and its need for control by surrendering to the wisdom of His timing. James teaches us to allow patience to have its “maturing” work in us while we wait for God to answer our prayers (James 1:1-4). Hebrews reminds us that it is only through faith and patience that we inherit God’s promises (Heb. 6:12).

As you approach the Lord in prayer today, quietly consider where this virtue of patient rest has been sorely lacking in your life. What is God’s Spirit pointing out to you? In your journal, identify these areas and list the top places where patience is needed most.

Take three deep, slow breaths. As you exhale, speak the Name of Jesus out loud as a one-word prayer. As you do, trust His loving care and surrender to His perfect timing. Now sit and worship, calming your mind and listening to what arises in your heart. Write in your journal what comes to you.

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