As a child, do you remember waiting on mother to open her Mother’s Day gift, or for Christmas morn to dawn? Along with the keen sense of anticipation there was a sense of excitement. Today, many of us find ourselves waiting for God to provide an answer to a prayer or for the fulfillment of a promise.

At times when you are experiencing waiting for God to intervene on your behalf, the Gospel of Luke serves as a handbook. Mary (Luke 1:30) and several others in the “Hall of Faith” such as Joseph (Matthew 1:20), the shepherds (Luke 2:10), Zacharias (Luke. 1:13), and Simeon (Luke 2:30-32) waited for God’s answer. During this time of waiting, we find many of them received the same message from
God, and it was “Fear Not!”

We also learn that every one of them was actively looking to God each day for the answer. It was during this waiting process that Simeon was prompted by the Spirit of God to enter the temple. There his resounding joy at seeing the child Jesus reflects his confidence and assurance in waiting for God.

When it is our turn for prayerful pursuit in waiting for God, we become vulnerable to inaccurate assumptions and conclusions about life, about God and about prayer. In Psalm 13, we can hear David’s frustration as he also wrestled with the issue of unanswered prayer. He questioned and even pleaded for answers from God. Yet at the conclusion, his doubts and fears turned into absolute trust in God. Despite his pain and struggle we see that the character of God and His concern for His child does not diminish.

So today, turn your cares into prayers as you wait for God.

a) Anticipate with unshakable assurance.
b) Be an example to others in the walk of faith.
c) Choose to experience the fullness of joy after the waiting period.
d) Determine to pursue until the battle is won.
e) Expect with excitement.
f) Fear not failure.

Again, I say, wait for God.