I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till he please.
Song of Solomon 3:5, KJV
There are times in a woman’s life that I look forward to: a time to be married, a time to have babies. I thought I would be married by the age of thirty and have three kids. However, I have none of that. God knows me, and if it’s not the time, He knows the reason. Thus, I have learned how to wait with no limits.
I found hope and, therefore, don’t despair. I asked God for what I want. I had a goal which I wrote everywhere in my home to help me be more focused. I prayed about it to be sure I was in agreement with God. As Seneca, the philosopher stated, “If a man does not know to what port he is steering, no wind is favorable to him.” Yet I know that if I run ahead of God’s timing, I will regret it. So, I prefer to wait and respect God’s will and timing. He sees what I don’t see.
Patience is a seed of the Holy Spirit that will help me be victorious in my “inner fight.” At times, I will be content to wait; other times, I may suffer and cry. Indeed, being patient is to be in training with the Holy Spirit as a coach. God’s patience has no limit. Thus, He will help me wait, putting no demands on Him, though sometimes that is hard to do.
During the wait, I think of the reasons I would like to marry, have children, and move elsewhere. In the past I wanted these things to satisfy myself without asking if these were God’s plans for me. I have studied my motives and goals. I now see that marriage should lead me to a mission at the side of my husband like Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Marriage should not be only about relieving my loneliness. I also accept that I’m not yet ready. “Patient” is also the word for the person who is waiting to see a doctor to obtain a cure for illness or wound, and that takes time. So, while waiting for my prayers to be answered, I am also waiting for God to heal and prepare me for a fulfilling marriage relationship. He will tell me when I am ready.
Do not be discouraged in your wait on God. Ask for patience to wait for the blessings God has for you. Respect the divine process of heart preparation and the steps you may need to take (even if difficult) to be ready—in God’s timing. Don’t give up. Show faith and wait in confidence, as if your dreams have already been fulfilled. Then smile on your life.
Lynn Mazarin is a secondary teacher and personal coach living in France. She is a Christian blogger at mysunnyposts.com and involved in the women's and your ministries at Neuilly SDA church in Paris.
New Every Morning Copyright© 2022 by Pacific Press Publishing Association