The Weight of Waiting - Your Nightly Prayer - March 27th

Amber Ginter

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Your Nightly Prayer

The Weight of Waiting
Your Nightly Prayer
by Amber Ginter

TONIGHT'S SCRIPTURE

“The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him." - Lamentations 3:25

SOMETHING TO PONDER

Have you ever been in one of those seasons that never seem to end? Maybe it's waiting for the answer to a prayer you've been praying a thousand times over, or maybe it's longing for a spouse to make his or her way into your life?

For others, maybe this season is dark and desolate. The anxiety and depression are so thick, you wonder if life is worth living. For some, this season is just long and testing. Exhausting at best and deteriorating at worst. You feel like gold refined in the fire, but wonder what the purpose of the suffering is. Regardless of what you're waiting for in this season, I want you to look at Psalm 84:11. The Scripture reads this way:

"For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless" (NIV).

When I read this passage, I'm reminded that God withholds no good thing from those who trust and rely on Him. He is light. He is life. He is our shield.

While these facts don't inherently make the waiting any easier, they point to what Lamentations 3:25 is trying to get across: Waiting is hard. It's not for the faint of heart and often takes prolonged periods of time. But God is good to those who wait on Him. God is good to those who seek Him in the waiting. Why?

First, God is good. Regardless of our circumstances, God's character cannot and will not change. He's faithful, loving, true, and good always. But second, God desires us to come to Him in the waiting so that we may be strengthened. When we're weak, He's strong (2 Corinthians 12:10), and that's a promise. He cares about us and wants to hear how we're really doing.

After Jesus' crucifixion and death, His Disciples faced great tension between grief and glory. Jesus had told them that He would be raised to life, and yet, they were confused about how this could be true. They saw His bloody body hanging on a cross and him breathe His last breath. But God.

Jesus endured the cross, and His people waited with an ache too great for words. Yet, their waiting birthed a beautiful rest that comes from trusting and relying on Christ alone. When you're in the thick of waiting, cling to these promises:

-If it's not good, He's not done.
-God is good regardless of our circumstances.
-God cares about our suffering.
-God is with you in the waiting.
-God withholds no good thing unless it's good for us to wait.

The weight of waiting is heavy and often too difficult to bear. But God never asked us to carry those burdens alone. Run to Him, friends. Rest in the arms of He who keeps His promises to take care of you.

YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER

Dear Jesus,
Waiting is difficult for me, but you know what it is like. When I am in seasons of great anguish, confusion, and impatience, would you help me to look to you? Please strengthen me, equip me, and remind me that you only have me wait if it's good for me to do so. While I might not know or be able to see the reason now, you are good, and your plans for me are always better than I could ever ask, think, or imagine. I love, praise, and thank you, Jesus.
Amen.

THREE THINGS TO MEDITATE UPON

1. Memorize Psalm 84:11. When you're feeling weary of waiting, ask God to speak this verse over your soul. Then, read a commentary on this verse and do a word study to learn what "waiting" really means and requires.

2. Take a walk and pour out your heart to the Lord. Tell Him about the season of waiting you're in, and ask Him for answers. Then, listen in silence for 5-10 minutes. If your mind wanders, it's okay. Simply ask the Lord to bring you back to the present moment.

3. Journal about a waiting season you've survived. Compare it to the one you're currently in. Ask God what He wants to teach you in this season about Him and your circumstances.

Reflect on tonight’s prayer and share how God met you there. Join the Your Nightly Prayer discussion on the Crosswalk Forum.

Amber Ginter is a teacher-turned-author who loves Jesus, her husband Ben, and granola. Growing up Amber looked for faith and mental health resources and found none. Today, she offers hope for young Christians struggling with mental illness that goes beyond simply reading your Bible and praying more. Because you can love Jesus and still suffer from anxiety. You can download her top faith and mental health resources for free to help navigate books, podcasts, videos, and influencers from a faith lens perspective. Visit her website at amberginter.com.