Gems of Knowledge

Today’s One Year Bible Verses: Job 23:1–27:23, 2 Corinthians 1:12–2:11, Psalm 41:1–13, Proverbs 22:5–6

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Wait Upon The Lord

Waiting can be one of the hardest expressions of faith. It makes me think of pregnancy.

Once a woman knows she is pregnant, she knows something is coming. She may not be able to see her baby yet, hold it, or know exactly what life will look like once it arrives, but something very real is developing within her. And no matter how excited—or uncomfortable—she becomes, she cannot simply decide she’s tired of waiting and make the baby come before it is ready. There is a process that must take place.

Today the Lord whispered this Gem of Knowledge to me,

“All good things come to those who wait. Wait upon the Lord. Stay faithful and diligent. Stay consistent and hopeful. You can’t force anything. Instead, you create or persuade with your faithfulness.”

Waiting doesn’t mean nothing is happening. Something may be developing that simply isn’t ready to be delivered yet.

A pregnant woman doesn’t spend those months doing nothing. She takes care of what she’s carrying. She nourishes and protects it, prepares her home, learns what she needs to learn, and begins making decisions today based upon what she knows is coming tomorrow. She cannot control the development taking place within her, but she can faithfully participate in it.

There are seasons with God that work much the same way.

Maybe God has given you a promise, a calling, a dream, or someone you’ve been faithfully praying for. You believe God is working, but you cannot yet see the finished result. The longer you wait, the easier it becomes to wonder whether you should do something to move things along.

That’s where we have to be careful. Faithfulness and force are not the same thing.

We can pray, prepare, obey, work, love, and remain consistent with what God has asked us to do. But there are things only He can bring forth, and trying to force them before their proper time won’t make them mature any faster.

Job understood the frustration of being in the middle of something he couldn’t see or understand. In today’s reading, he searches for God everywhere:

“I go east, but he is not there. I go west, but I cannot find him. I do not see him in the north, for he is hidden. I look to the south, but he is concealed.” (Job 23:8–9, NLT)

Yet Job follows those words with an incredible declaration of faith:

“But he knows where I am going. And when he tests me, I will come out as pure as gold.” (Job 23:10, NLT)

Job couldn’t see God, but God could see Job. Job didn’t understand the process he was going through, but he trusted that something was being produced through it.

The same can be true during our seasons of waiting. We can become so focused on the thing we are waiting for God to bring forth that we miss what He is developing within us along the way. Our patience grows. Our faith is exercised. Our character is strengthened. We learn to depend upon God rather than constantly trying to control our circumstances.

Perhaps that is part of what the Lord means when He says, “Instead, you create or persuade with your faithfulness.” We cannot force another person’s heart to change, but faithful love can influence them. We cannot manufacture God’s promise, but our continued obedience can prepare us to receive it. We cannot dictate the outcome, but we can create an environment where what God is doing has room to grow.

Paul touches on this in today’s reading when he explains that he wasn’t trying to dominate the Corinthians’ faith but wanted to work together with them (2 Corinthians 1:24). He could teach, encourage, correct, and love them, but he couldn’t force spiritual maturity upon them. That work ultimately belonged to God.

So if you’re waiting today, don’t assume nothing is happening simply because you cannot see it.

Think again about pregnancy. Much of the most important development happens completely hidden from view. The mother’s responsibility isn’t to rush the baby into existence. It’s to faithfully care for what she’s carrying while allowing the process to reach maturity.

Maybe that’s what God is asking of you right now.

Care for what He’s given you. Stay faithful. Stay diligent. Remain hopeful. Prepare for what you believe He’s doing—but don’t try to force the delivery.

God knows what He’s developing, and He knows when it will be ready.

Wait upon the Lord. 💎

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Action (5 Minutes with God)

Take time to be with the Lord today, even if its only 5 minutes. Ask Him:

• “Lord, what do You want me to know about this personally?”
  • Journal what He gives you through His Holy Spirit.
• Then ask, “What do You want me to do?”
  • Journal what He reveals – then do it!

Consider what you’ve been waiting on God for. Have you been faithfully tending it, or have you begun trying to make the outcome happen yourself? Ponder with the Lord what faithfulness in waiting looks like when waiting. Then focus on what He gives you to do today and leave the timing with Him.

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Prayer

Dear Father, teach me to wait well. When I cannot see what You are doing, remind me that unseen does not mean inactive. Help me remain faithful, diligent, consistent, and hopeful without trying to force what belongs in Your hands. Show me how to care for what You have entrusted to me and allow this season to develop me as well. I trust Your process, Your timing, and what You are bringing forth. I give you all the praise and glory in Jesus’ mighty name, amen.

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