The Holy Waiting Room

We are continuing our “best of” devotional series this week. We will return with new offerings next Tuesday. In the meantime, this devotion was written in May of 2013 but is a timeless reminder about how we need to handle waiting on an answer from God.

To you, LORD, I call; you are my Rock, do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if you remain silent, I will be like those who go down to the pit. Hear my cry for mercy as call to you for help, as I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place (Psalm 28:1-2)

I desperately needed an answer from God and I gave him until midnight Thursday to respond.

My friend and I had been on our knees about it on Thursday morning, tearfully asking for clarity in a situation that had been hovering for a long while.  I was at a fork in the road and needed to know which path to go down. I knew the Lord was with us and heard our prayers so I watched for his reply.  I even helped it along by reading his Word that afternoon. Thursday night, I read an entire book on prayer. Both enlightening, but no obvious word on this situation.  Maybe a devotion would come in on my phone giving me the answer.

Nada.

Two days later, I am still waiting for a word from the Lord on this scenario.  Didn’t he have mercy on us and see his daughters’ weepy request?  Doesn’t he realize we are asking to make sure we are in his will rather than going against his will? I believe he knows our hearts.

Why is God silent sometimes?  If you are not asking a prayer for the wrong reasons and your heart is right with God, then I think his silence means “to wait on him.” He doesn’t want you to make a move physically, emotionally, or mentally at this time.

I think God often asks his children to wait on him.  During that time of waiting, we develop patience and the Lord finds out if we really love him enough to trust him in the silence. I believe King David had to wait on God for answers numerous times because he mentioned it throughout the Psalms. Psalm 27:14: Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.  Psalm 37:7: Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him…Psalm 40:1: I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry.  

It appears that God made David wait often but David trusted God while he was in the Lord’s holy waiting room.

While I would like an answer to my prayer sooner than later, I am trusting that the Lord will respond eventually.  Even though I am disappointed in the silence, I know he loves me and will answer when the timing is right.

What are you waiting on?  Has God not answered one of your prayers yet? Trust that he will answer it in HIS timing, not yours, and while you are waiting, praise him for his eventual answer to your plea.