Peaceful Waiting

I was praying for some friends this morning as they had requested I do. They had asked for me to pray that the Lord would give them peace as they wait on Him to provide for the specific things they are in need of. Without going into the specifics here, I realized that these two things are hard for our culture. Having peace and waiting. And somehow they really go hand in hand. It is hard to wait in a culture that is fast paced, always on the go, and looking for solutions to anything that doesn't happen quickly. And when we are forced to wait we have trouble experiencing peace in these situations. Just think about the last time you had to wait in a long line. Were you constantly watching the other lines to see which one was moving the fastest? Or think about the last time you sat in traffic. Did you have a sense of peace about having to wait? If you're anything like me, you have little peace because you are watching the other lanes so that you can strategically move back and forth and weave your way through the traffic jam!

Fortunately, God helps us in both of these things. His word speaks to both waiting and having peace. Isaiah 40:28-31 says the following:

"Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth
Does not become weary or tired.
His understanding is inscrutable.
He gives strength to the aweary,
And to him who lacks might He increases power.
Though youths grow weary and tired,
And vigorous young men stumble badly,
Yet those who wait for the Lord
Will gain new strength;
They will mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary."

Some versions use the word "hope" instead of "wait." I think if we had the confident expectation in the Lord that biblical hope exudes then we would be able to better wait on Him. And then we would be able to better experience the peace that is talked about in Philippians 4:6-7

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Maybe it all comes down to our trust in God. The more we trust His good character and nature the more we can wait patiently with the confident expectation that He is going to do what is best for us. And as we wait for this we will experience His peace that truly does surpass all comprehension. It is my prayer for you reading this, as it was for my friends this morning, that as you wait on God that you will experience the greatness of His peace.