What Happens After God Speaks
I often hear people say they want to hear from God—that they long to know what He wants them to do. I smile when I hear this because I understand the desire. We tend to assume that if we just knew God’s will, life would be easier. But the truth is, clarity rarely makes things simple.
We hope. We pray. We wait. We wonder if we’ll ever truly sense His leading. And then—eventually—God makes His will known. But when He does, it’s not uncommon to feel caught off guard. Despite all the waiting and preparing, we often feel completely unprepared. Not only that, we may face an unexpected crisis of faith. We start to doubt: Is this really from God? What if I’ve misunderstood? What if I fail?
That moment of hesitation isn’t always about lack of faith. Often, it’s fear of failure. Deep down, we want God’s will to come with guarantees—of success, of smooth roads, of minimal pain. But that’s not how it works.
Look at Scripture. The lives of those who followed God were filled with struggle: setbac...
Are You Waiting Well?
Do you have anything for which you are hoping or that you are hoping to accomplish in the future? The waiting can be brutally difficult – particularly if you haven’t practiced waiting and built your capacity to wait. Waiting is not an American value. We want things … and we want them soon! However, Scripture indicates that waiting is one of the ways God builds faith and hope in our lives. “Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.” (Romans 8:25) Learning to wait patiently builds character and faith. Those who wait, hoping in the Lord will renew their strength. (Isaiah 40:31)
The challenge is not to lose heart while waiting. Sometimes waiting can take its toll on our emotions and bodies. It can even work deep despair into our souls.  “Hope deferred makes the heart sick.” (Proverbs 13:12)
Zechariah was a priest two thousand years ago. He had been praying for a child, but his wife, Elizabeth, was barren – and they were...
A Season of Waiting … A Season of Preparation
This Sunday marks the beginning of the season of Advent. Advent means “Coming” or “Appearance.” This is a time when Christians around the world identify with Israel waiting hundreds of years for the Messiah – Jesus. It is also a time to intentionally stir our hearts with hope for the return of Christ. We are waiting and looking for His Second Coming. It’s an opportune period to practice waiting on the Lord. It’s also good to inform our waiting and refresh our faith and hope in God.
For what are you waiting? What burdens are you waiting for Him to relieve? What promises, biblical and personal, are you waiting for Him to fulfill? What rekindling are you seeking in your relationship with Christ? Write these things down – and begin to pray and wait with renewed faith in the faithfulness of God.
Faith is not just about waiting; it can also involve preparing for His answers and His coming.Â
This preparation is a powerful demonstration of faith. Noah didn’t just wait for the flood, he bu...
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