We all face moments and times in our lives when we feel compelled to ask God “why” or are drawn to want to seek God more fervently about a particular thing we’re believing Him for or desiring.
I’m here to encourage you that God knows exactly where you’re at and desires that you continuously seek after Him. Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) says….
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
There have been many times in my life, especially the older I get, when I have experienced God closing certain doors or postponing a dream or goal that I wanted to accomplish because He was trying to save me from something, and most of the time, trying to teach me a lesson of patience, and trusting in Him whole heartedly.
Can you relate?
The one thing I’ve learned in my 39 years of life is that when God delays something that we desire, it’s not because He doesn’t care. In Psalm 37:4, it says….
Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Although it may not feel like it at times, God takes delight in the desires of our heart. The thing we have to remember is that He wants us to take delight in Him. Not us taking delight in our circumstance first, or our desires, or how we feel. No! No! No!
God wants us to take pleasure in Him first. The word pleasure is a synonym of “desire”. Once we take pleasure in God, THEN He will give us the desires of our hearts. It’s not the opposite way around.
In my experiences waiting on the lord for a particular desire to come to pass or a certain goal or dream I wanted to accomplish, God personally showed me three key things He wanted me to learn during my waiting period that I’m excited to share with you.
One message that has been a blessing to me that I believe will be a blessing to you, especially while you’re in this waiting period and believing God for something to come to pass in your life, is titled Living With Spiritual Margin. It’s by Worship Pastor, Tori Jewell from Summit Church DC. This is a great message where Pastor Tori shares practical steps on how to deal with the waiting period in our lives and how to live with spiritual margin.
I know it can be frustrating at times, so trust me, I get it! Here are the three key things that have helped me stay encouraged that you can apply to your own life:
- Spend time with God without focusing on the amount of time spent
- Focus on being grateful (1 Thessalonians 5:18)
- Study scriptures on faith and speak the word over yourself
Scriptures to meditate on:
Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (MSG)
Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. James 4:8 (NIV)
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. Psalms 46:10 (NIV)
God constantly reminds me that the reason we experience the things we do in life, especially when it seems uncomfortable, is because He is pruning the areas in our hearts that are fleshly and that are not glorifying Him.
I’ve experienced character pruning in the areas when I’ve experienced job loss, as I’ve failed forward while pursuing certain goals, in the area of overcoming fear, being delivered from having a controlling spirit, worrying about what other people think, and even beating myself up because I felt like a failure.
At the end of the day, know that what you’re experiencing today is only temporary in God’s eyes. It will not last forever. Let me say it again. IT WILL NOT LAST FOREVER! God has a plan for your life and that whatever you’re waiting for, trusting God for, or searching for, know that everything will work out according to His will.
Remember…….
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)
My prayer for you is that God will give you the strength, wisdom, and patience you need to endure your waiting period.
Thank you for taking the time to read this message. Please share with others as you’re led.
Thank you so much for reading this blog and embarking upon this inspirational journey of life with me! If you were encouraged, inspired, or can identify with the message/story, please feel free to comment. I’m sure others will be encouraged by hearing YOUR story.
Empower 
Thanks for sharing these words of encouragement and Healing And Faithfulness🙏🏼. I’ve been going through A lot Particularly Brokenness, Mental, Psychological, Emotional, Abuse and to know that God have A plan for us in His due time. Although, I know that but we{Me}as humans need to hear A word of encouragement from God and God sends his Word though people just as Jehovah God sent His Son Christ Jesus so, therefore, Jehovah God uses us as his agents so, I Humblely Thank You for your words through Christ🙏🏼🤲🏼❣.
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Praise God you were encouraged by the message. Know that you are not alone and that God is right there with you to heal your hurts, brokenness and to give you the peace you need❤❤❤
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Wow I loved this! A good read and I’ll remember this throughout my days. Thanks for the uplifting words Ryan! 💖
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Praise God you were blessed by the message. We’re always a work in progress, but thank God for His love, mercy, and faithfulness 🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾. God bless you @thepoeticgem in ALL that you’re doing.
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This message is very encouraging in the times we are living in today. We definitely need to trust God and the process He is allowing us to go through. He knows what’s best for us because He’s preparing us for something bigger and greater.
I pray God continue to give you insight and wisdom to speak to a dying and hurting world.
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Thanks so much Dee for sharing! I’m so glad you were encouraged by the message❤
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Very encouraging Ryan. Today I will be watching part of our online convention entitled “Always Rejoice”. This world is full of things meant to drag us down!
Here’s a link if you’d like to see a portion of this convention https://www.jw.org/en/library/videos/#en/mediaitems/FeaturedLibraryVideos/pub-co-r20_9_VIDEO
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So glad you are encouraged by the message! I appreciate your feedback and I’m so glad that you can relate to the message :-). I pray you’re having a wonderful time at your conference and that you are being blessed. Thanks for sharing the link 🙂
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Great message Ryan! So many of us are finding it hard to deal with the “pause” right now and just trust God. Thank you for the encouraging words and reminders to continue to trust God. We will get through this time and be better for it. 🙂
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Hey Andrea! Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and sharing from the heart. I’m so glad that I’m not alone, and that you can relate :-). We are going to all get through this together 🙂
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Thank you so much for sharing Andrea! I’m so glad that you can relate, and that I’m not alone :-). You are right! We are all going to get through this together.
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