Pause by Lisa Burkhardt Worley

            Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him. (Isaiah 64:4)

            The subject in this week’s Bible study lesson is “How Long?” It’s all about patience.  How did God know the message is exactly what I needed? God’s timing is always perfect.

            Have you ever felt like your life is on pause? It’s not a comfortable place to be.  When God places my life on hold, I am like the show you’ve paused on the DVR.  If you leave it frozen too long, eventually it’ll start playing again on its own because it can only pause for so long.

            But many times, the Lord drops us into a period of rest and waiting. It is a place where I believe he prepares us for the next assignment and builds our strength up. 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. (Isaiah 40:31 KJV)

            God knows when we need rest and renewal but I confess I’m not good at being in pause. What about you?

            Years ago, I was in between jobs for six months.  If I had known I’d land a new position at the end of the six month period, I would have been able to relax and enjoy myself but instead, I was worried, and made almost daily calls to my agent to see if any television jobs had opened up. I did not trust this pause was only temporary.

            Are you restless while you’re in pause?

            I have a tendency to “help” God along while in a waiting period. This time, I have sent out a couple of job applications, inquired about a speaking opportunity with a church and I’m trying to get a new book to the publisher. I can rest in the fact that God will direct my path. Whatever happens will be of Him because it’s been prayed over.  In the meantime, I have spent many hours having too much fun and not enough time resting.  I am not sure if this is about the holiday season approaching or too much restlessness. Do you get too busy when God has you in pause?

            Living in pause is not easy.

            Psalm 27:14 says, Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD. The Lord knows our human tendency is to be impatient.  It actually takes more strength to be patient and to wait on God’s timing. Think about that statement and reflect on your own struggle with impatience. God doesn’t want us to jump ahead of Him but we are like race horses being restrained in the starting gate, anxious to race to the finish line.

            Instead, as a part of the waiting process, we should remain strong by pausing and spending the extra time in His Word, praying for God’s teaching and guidance and asking Him to reveal the next step.  Our answer may not come overnight because if it did, we would not be waiting.

            One thing is for sure, in our time of pause, God will meet us there and there will be a word from Him.  We just have to stop long enough to hear it.