Working on Waiting!

“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” – Isaiah 40:31

I cannot believe that it has been 71 days since I began my journey to optimal health. If you have been following my travels, you may remember there were two major components upon which I have been focusing.

The physical aspect targets weight loss and developing healthier habits of life. 27 pounds is a great amount of weight, but there have been times when the scale has been reluctant to move. I have had my moments of frustration in waiting for the pounds to come off. My health coach has cautioned me about weighing myself so often, but I confess I still check the scale daily. This has made me quite aware that I am not very patient. (Not really a surprise to me!) My life verse is Isaiah 40:31 for a reason. “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” I need to be reminded of the importance of waiting. I know that if I follow my food plan and apply the habits of healthy living that I am learning, I will see the results for which I so desire. So… I am learning how to wait.

The spiritual aspect is the second part of my journey. While I have been saved since I was a young girl, there are areas in my life that need to be healthier spiritually. One area has been my Bible reading. It has been a long time since I have read through the Bible, and I made that my goal for this year when I began this health journey. I am learning to wait upon the Lord’s Holy Spirit to open my eyes to what I am reading, thus making His Word much more meaningful to me. This means that sometimes I am off schedule for my Bible reading. The wonderful thing about this is that it no longer bothers me!! I have learned to read for quality, not quantity, and my time in the Scriptures has become rich beyond measure! Again, I see the wisdom in my life verse. I am waiting on the Lord to teach me, which means I am learning to LISTEN to the Lord through His Word! This is so exciting for me! I am growing in my Christian walk, and it is the best journey I could ever be on! It has been so profitable for me spiritually to wait upon the Lord, and it just gets better and better!

So, what have I really learned? Perhaps the greatest thing I have learned is that biblical principles can definitely be applied to the everyday things of life. I have learned that God cares not only about my spiritual being, but He cares about every other aspect of my being as well, be it physical, mental, emotional, financial, etc. Everything I glean from Scripture is applicable to each one of these other areas of my life. All I need to do is read His Word and commune with Him, listen to what He has to say to me, and then wait on Him to do His good work in me.

No matter what you call it… patience, longsuffering, or waiting… it is something that does not come easy, but is a necessary part of me growing in my faith. I will commit my way unto the Lord, both physically and spiritually, and I will trust Him. God shall bring it to pass! (Psalm 37:5)

Master, speak! Thy servant heareth,
Waiting for Thy gracious word,
Longing for Thy voice that cheereth
Master, let it now be heard.
I am list’ning, Lord, for Thee;
What hast Thou to say to me?

Master, speak! and make me ready,
When Thy voice is truly heard,
With obedience glad and steady,
Still to follow every word
I am listening, Lord, for Thee:
Master, speak, oh, speak to me!

(from “Master, Speak! Thy Servant Heareth” by Frances Ridley Havergal)

“The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.” – Lamentations 3:25

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Good things may come to those that wait, but good GODLY things come to those who wait on the Lord!