What’s going on in your life today? Are you ready to wait for it? What’s causing the pressure or the anxiety? Where are you putting your trust that is keeping you from the being able to find peace? What if you could have a peace that goes beyond any understanding by putting all your hope and trust in God? Put your trust in God because no matter what it is that you are facing or dealing with, God’s timing is perfect for His plans for you are for good and not for evil, to give you a hope and a future. Imagine how your life will be different if by living and walking out the will of God. Are you ready to wait upon the Lord so He can renew your strength?
1. Trusting God’s Perfect Timing
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
— Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV)
Key Takeaway:
In the midst of waiting, it can be difficult to trust God’s timing, especially when life’s pressures are heavy. Jeremiah 29:11 reminds us that God’s plans for us are good, not evil. This verse highlights that He has a purpose for everything, and His plans are for our ultimate good. While waiting, we can take comfort in the fact that God is sovereign and that His timing will always align with His perfect will for our lives. Trusting Him with our future means resting in the assurance that He is in control, even when our circumstances seem uncertain or difficult.
Practical Application:
When feeling the weight of anxiety or pressure, reflect on God’s promises in Jeremiah 29:11. Take time to rest in the fact that He has a plan for your life that is good and filled with hope. Practically, this might mean taking moments throughout the day to reaffirm your trust in God and surrender any feelings of impatience or worry to Him. It might also mean meditating on God’s faithfulness in past seasons of waiting to build confidence in His ability to provide what you need at the right time.
2. WAIT for Peace Beyond Understanding
“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
— Philippians 4:7 (ESV)
Key Takeaway:
Philippians 4:7 tells us that God’s peace is not just for our external circumstances, but that it surpasses all understanding and guards our hearts and minds. This peace is a direct result of trusting God and His timing. When we truly let go and trust Him, His peace can fill us, even in the midst of waiting or uncertain times. This peace is a testament to God’s provision for His people, and it is available to us as we choose to trust in His timing and purpose.
Practical Application:
In the moments when anxiety rises or when the wait feels unbearable, pause and ask God for His peace. Trust that, even when you don’t understand why things are happening, His peace can still rule in your heart. You might set a reminder throughout the day to pray Philippians 4:7 over your situation, asking God to guard your heart and mind with His peace as you wait on Him.
3. Strength Renewed in Waiting
“But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”
— Isaiah 40:31 (ESV)
Key Takeaway:
Isaiah 40:31 speaks directly to the importance of waiting on God. It promises that those who wait on the Lord will be strengthened. The process of waiting isn’t passive but active in building spiritual endurance and reliance on God. This strength renewal doesn’t just come from waiting but from waiting in a way that trusts God’s perfect timing and provision. Waiting on the Lord is a posture of faith, and as we embrace it, God renews us and empowers us to keep moving forward in His plan.
Practical Application:
Embrace the waiting as an opportunity for spiritual renewal. Instead of seeing waiting as wasted time, view it as an intentional period to grow in strength through prayer, scripture meditation, and worship. Choose to rest in God’s timing and allow Him to refresh and empower you as you wait.
4. The Importance of Trusting Over Anxiety while you wait
“Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”
— 1 Peter 5:7 (ESV)
Key Takeaway:
Waiting can often stir up anxiety, especially when the outcome feels uncertain or delayed. However, 1 Peter 5:7 encourages us to cast our anxieties on God because He cares for us. Trusting God’s timing means releasing the weight of anxiety and surrendering our concerns to Him. This act of casting our anxieties on God isn’t just about verbalizing our stress but actively choosing to let go of control and trust in His care and provision.
Practical Application:
Whenever you feel the tension of anxiety creeping in, pause and take a moment to cast your worries onto God. Practice this surrender regularly by taking a deep breath, praying through your anxieties, and giving them to God. This can be an ongoing spiritual discipline as you wait upon God’s perfect timing.
5. Waiting with Hope for the Future
“For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O Lord, from my youth.”
— Psalm 71:5 (ESV)
Key Takeaway:
Psalm 71:5 emphasizes the hope and trust that we can place in God, especially during seasons of waiting. The psalmist expresses a deep-rooted trust in God from youth, showing that waiting on Him isn’t new, but part of a life built on faith. Trusting in God’s faithfulness and looking forward with hope allows us to endure any season of waiting, knowing that He is faithful to fulfill His promises.
Practical Application:
Take a moment to reflect on how God has been faithful in the past and let that strengthen your hope for the future. When waiting, let the promise of God’s provision give you peace. Trust that, just as He has been faithful before, He will be faithful now.
Embracing Peace in God’s Perfect Timing
“Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.”
— Psalm 37:7 (ESV)
Key Takeaway:
In today’s fast-paced world, waiting can feel like an uncomfortable challenge, but through scripture, we learn that God’s timing is always perfect. Waiting with unwavering courage, trusting in God’s plans, and embracing His peace equips us to face life’s challenges with confidence and serenity. The ultimate lesson is to wait patiently, trusting that God’s timing is always worth it. As we wait, we are reminded to be still, trusting in His sovereign care and relying on His strength to carry us through.
Practical Application:
Make today a day of intentional stillness before the Lord. When anxiety or impatience creeps in, pause and focus on God’s perfect plan and timing. Speak His Word over your life and trust that His peace will guard your heart and mind, renewing your strength as you wait on Him.
Today’s Devotional:
This year, I am utilizing the 365 Daily Devotions book I received for Christmas, applying its teachings specifically in the context of fatherhood. It’s called WALKING WITH GOD by DAVID JEREMIAH. It’s exciting to learn from a new resource this year as we have tried different options the past two years and will keep working through this for 2024. For more information about the author and his ministry, visit DavidJeremiah.org.
Topic: OUR TIMES ARE IN HIS HANDS
Verse: Mark 4:39
‘And He got up and [sternly] rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still (muzzled)!” And the wind died down [as if it had grown weary] and there was [at once] a great calm [a perfect peacefulness]. ‘
Let’s be the dads who are still and waiting upon the Lord for His peace that surpasses all understanding to guard our hearts and minds. Let’s trust God so that we can be calm and find perfect peace in the midst of everything going on in our lives.
The Long Wait of a Storm’s Journey
Today’s Devotional kicks off speaking of a natural disaster and asking if we remember it. It spoke of Hurricane John and how “it formed in the Pacific in 1994 and set a world record as the longest lasting and farthest traveling hurricane in recorded history.” Imagine if that storm had of lasted that long and come across land instead of “remaining mostly at sea” and how much damage a storm of that strength would have caused over a month.
Waiting in the Storms of Life
Today’s Devotional goes on to speak of storms that take place in our lives and how they can “seem to go on forever.” As I’m writing this, I’ve been trying to find a job for over 36 weeks and yet kept waiting on the Lord and trusting Him. Today’s Devotional provides us with examples of storms in life such as “a health crisis, a job disruption, a damaged relationship, and a tough period at church.” It speaks to how “for the disciples, the storm lasted far too long.” It went on to explain how “they feared death by drowning while their Lord slept peacefully in the stern.” Let’s reflect on the story from scripture and grab a hold of how Jesus knows what we are going through and can meet us right where we are at in His perfect timing.
When We Wait: Trusting Jesus in the Midst of the Storm
‘On that [same] day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us go over to the other side [of the Sea of Galilee].” So leaving the crowd, they took Him with them, just as He was, in the boat. And other boats were with Him. [Matt 8:23-27; Luke 8:22-25] And a fierce windstorm began to blow, and waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was already being swamped. But Jesus was in the stern, asleep [with His head] on the [sailor’s leather] cushion. And they woke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are about to die?” And He got up and [sternly] rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still (muzzled)!” And the wind died down [as if it had grown weary] and there was [at once] a great calm [a perfect peacefulness]. Jesus said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith and confidence [in Me]?” They were filled with great fear, and said to each other, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”’
Mark 4:35-41
Today’s Devotional provides us with the following challenge:
“Learn to weather the storm by faith in Him. Our times are in His hands, and in His timing He will say ‘Peace, be still!'”
“No waters can swallow the ship were lies the Master of ocean, and earth, and skies.”
MARY A. BAKER
