A Soul Waiting I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. (Psalm 130:5, niv) Evangelist John Guest was visiting Russia just weeks after the fall of the great Communist empire. He was stopped at the border by guards and asked his intentions for entering the country. A man traveling with him explained that they were there to preach the gospel of Jesus. One of the guards pulled the evangelist aside and asked if he would tell him about Jesus. Guest immediately began sharing the gospel with this man, who had never heard that Jesus had died on the cross for his sins. He gave a copy of the Bible in Russian to the large, burly guard, and as he told him about Jesus, he could see that the Holy Spirit was convicting him. The Russian gave his life to Christ, then said with tears in his eyes, “This is the moment for which my whole life has waited.” Is there anything in your life that you’ve been waiting for as long as you can remember? Is there a promise or a task or a person that you’ve been longing for God to give you? Maybe you’ve been praying and waiting for the right marriage partner. You’ve pleaded with God to bring you the right person, to give you a sign, to bring you someone that he has been preparing just for you. Maybe you long for a child. You’ve waited your whole life to be a mother or father, and now your childbearing years are nearly over, yet your efforts go in vain. You cry out to God at night, longing to hold a baby in your arms, yet he remains silent. Perhaps you are waiting for a promise to be fulfilled. The career that you were sure God called you to. The funding for the project or vision that God put in your heart. The rebellious child that God promised to bring back to himself. If so, then don’t give up hope. Don’t ever give up on the Lord. “Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord; O Lord, hear my voice,” cries king David. “Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy …. I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope” (Psalm 130:1-5, niv). Never mistake the silence of God for apathy. Never allow yourself to lose hope in his mercy. Never stop praying and waiting for God to fulfill his promises. Someday you, too, will be able to say, “This is the moment for which my whole life has waited.”
Today’s Reading Psalm 130:1-6 Reflection What is the promise your soul has been waiting for? In what ways is God preparing you for that promise or vision? Pray today for strength and patience as you wait on God.
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