Season's of Waiting and "Suddenly" Moments

  

   We often think that season's of waiting are idle, sedentary, or inactive.  However, it is just the opposite. 

"Waiting on God-is not a passive season, it is actually one of the most spiritually active times in your life. The word 'wait' in Hebrew means to be expecting, looking for, longing for-with an outstretched arm and heart-ALL of the GOODNESS of GOD to show up in your life!" - Joyce Meyer.  We are to have an expectant heart.  I started a new journal entry this morning titled: "Expecting with Faith and Outstretched Hands," and following that I made a list of all the things I am expecting God to keep His promise on.  I figure GO BIG OR GO HOME, so I am PRAYING BIG here.  I want to continue doing this each morning, casting my cares on Him. And also casting my EXPECTATIONS and HOPES on Him, with confidence and faith in His promises.  

   I definitely struggle with expecting the worst at times.  Some painful things have happened in my past that have caused me to want to, "self-protect."  The funny thing is, expecting the worst is no protection at all.  It is actually an invitation and open door to fear.  But somehow I thought that if I expected the worst, then I would not be disappointed, or hurt, or that maybe-just maybe I could control the outcome.  I was trying to play God.  He is in control, not me. No matter how many times I tried to run the scenario through my head to make myself feel safer (prior to it happening) I was still not in control.  I was still walking in the grips of fear. You see fear was controlling me, I wasn't controlling it.  "Fear causes us to expect bad things to happen. Satan wants us to expect something bad, because fear is the opposite of faith. And it takes faith to receive anything good from God. We open the door for God and His blessings by expecting good things." 

   Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life.-Psalm 23:6  Speak that Truth over your life. Just say it out loud to yourself.  It is easy to expect the worst but it takes faith to expect the best.  Every good and perfect gift comes from God.-James 1:17  He is for YOU! He wants to bless you! He is not mad at you! He does not want to punish you!  HE is FULL OF GRACE!! HIS very nature is LOVE! That is why He sent His son to die for our sins.  GRACE GRACE GRACE!!! So we have every reason to put our HOPE in HIM and expect GOOD from Him!  

Taste and see that the LORD is good! How blessed is the person who trusts in him!-Psalm 34:8 

   Many times because we do not SEE it, we do not BELIEVE it.  We may not see anything changing in our lives so we doubt that God is working.  We are praying earnestly and fervently for deliverance, healing for a family member, for discernment and vision, for a life change.  Trust Beloved, that God hears every prayer and He is answering in His way.  "God is working in [YOUR life and] MY life right now. When we get our breakthrough it is a result of what God has been doing for a LONG time. Just because you don't SEE anything and don't FEEL anything, does not mean that God is not working. God is always working in our lives as we keep praying and believing."-Joyce Meyer 

   So sometimes God won't change our circumstances (in our timing) because He first wants to change our hearts. God uses seasons of waiting to do some of the deepest heart transformations in us.  Don't waste your waiting season by just sitting around. It is a pivotal, fundamental time in our relationship with God.  There are always reasons WHY He is making us wait.  So I am continually coming to God asking for help to see through HIS eyes and by His Spirit. I don't want to walk by my finite human sight, but by faith in the infinite God; trusting in His plan and timing!  Believe and know that you can get your "SUDDENLY" at any moment.  You know that moment in a book when the character suddenly: advances, moves forward, presses on. That moment. It is impending. It has already begun. It is in the works. God is meticulously working it out. He is doing all the behind the scenes work in your heart and preparing your circumstances way before you are even aware that you are waiting on Him for something. Amazing. And then BOOM, suddenly-you get your breakthrough.  

Fun Bible Facts: 

In Genesis 41 Joseph got his suddenly moment. After years in prison and being betrayed and abandoned by his brothers, Joseph becomes governor of Egypt. God never abandoned Joseph and never stopped working in his life. He planned out the timing of this moment before the foundations of the earth.