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The following comes from the devotional book “What Now?” by Ashley Akers. To learn more, go to www.whatnowdevo.com.
Patience
We live in a society where everything is literally at our fingertips. If you want to know something quickly, you Google it—results come in less than half a second. If you are hungry, you go through a drive-thru where your food comes in 2 minutes. If you don’t have the money for something you want now, you charge it. If you order products online, a lot of merchants offer free 2-day shipping, so you don’t have to wait as long to get it. Employers push employees to work harder and faster and we even expect our kids to do the same.
Consequently, we have become an impatient society! I find myself doing a lot of these things for my ultimate convenience because I enjoy having things quickly. I have always considered myself an impatient person. If an idea strikes me, I want to start on it right away and not waste any time. I can train myself and others to act quickly, but that doesn’t mean I can put God on my timeline.
Psalms 27:14 says,
Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!
Sometimes I find myself trying to wait on God and then if He doesn’t give me an answer in my time frame, I go forward with whatever I think is best…and I usually mess it up. Moving forward on my own actually implies that I don’t trust His decisions. Ouch. Even though waiting for God’s timing doesn’t come naturally, His answer is worth the wait.
Lamentations 3:25 says,
The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.
He is the One who holds all knowledge and wisdom, not us. And despite our actions, He is ultimately in control. Only God has the power to work out any situation for our good. But, being patient with God is not easy. But when you are faced with an issue or need direction in your life, I encourage you to be S.T.I.L.L.
Seek God in prayer.
Turn to scripture and meditate on it.
Ignore the advice of the world.
Let God work in His timing.
Listen for His answer.
God knows what you are going through and knows your circumstances. Lean on Him and wait for an answer. The answer may not be what you think—it will always be better!
God is so big that He holds the world in His hands. We can trust Him with decisions, our circumstances, and our lives. Nothing is too big or too small for Him. I have found when I trust God and wait for His timing it is always perfect and works out better. I even laugh about the way He works things out—He is brilliant.
Reflection Questions
1. How often do you find yourself trusting God and waiting for His answer?
2. How has being impatient made your situation worse?
Copyright © 2025 by Ashley Akers @ whatnowdevo.com. No part of this article may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from Lifeword.org