Waiting For God's Answer

  More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering 
 produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character
 produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has
 been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to 
 us. - Romans 5:3-5

 The Christian life would be easy if the space in time was small between
 when you first believe God's promises and when you receive what He
 promised. If you could read about it one day and get it the next, Wow -
 wouldn't that be great!?

 But life's not like that.

 The hard part is in the waiting between God's promise and His answer; and
 even harder, when the waiting comes with uncertainties.

 Where's this going? Where am I going to end up? What's my future look
 like?

 The reality is, we just don't know how circumstances will play out and
 it's this not-knowing that crushes us. We doubt because we don't know. We
 worry and despair because we don't know. We falter and sometimes fail -
 all because we don't know. If only we knew how this trial was going to
 end, we would be okay. But we don't.

 We all have areas of uncertainty where we need to hold tightly onto what
 God has said while we wait for Him to work. I couldn't go forward another
 day if I didn't believe what He told me. So here's what we each must do:
 We must review His promises all the time. We must remind ourselves that
 our faith is in God and not in what He does for us. He knows what He has
 promised, He can't lie, and He can't forget. He will deliver on time, all
 the time. Who else can make promises like that?

 God knows that it's hard for us to walk by faith. So He assures us, I'm
 not going to leave you wondering what I'm going to do. I don't want you to
 be overcome by fear. So I'm going to make some promises to you so that you
 can get through the difficult days. You don't have to take your view of
 life only from what you can see happening right in front of you. You're
 not imprisoned by the crazy talk someone is putting into your head that
 you know isn't true. Hang onto the things that I told you.

 And while we wait, God builds our faith.