In episode 181, “How to Wait Well”, we talk about fully trusting God’s timing, and what we can do while we wait for God’s plans to come to fruition. Hear how to actively wait, rest in Him, and lean on truths. We begin our book study mini series over Autumn Miles’ book, “I Am Rahab” in episode 172, and it goes through episode 187. Learn how Rahab’s story mirrors our lives of being touched by God and fully restored.
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God’s Timing
Let’s be honest (aren’t we always?). Maybe the better question is, will you be honest with yourself for a minute. Think back to a time that you had to wait. A challenging time when pressure was felt, and the sense of urgency was palpable. Visualize, remember those feelings and thoughts.
How did you handle it? Were you angry at God? Impatient? Disrespectful? Eek! Sense we’re being honest here, we have definitely felt this way. The big question is, “So what do we do instead of a negative response?” Well, since you asked, the answer is simple, while the application takes practice. Trust God’s timing. Lean on your faith in Him.
Waiting will happen, so get good at being patient. We know the Bible to be true, and this verse in Isaiah really puts it into perspective. We know that God sees all the moving parts, and we need to understand that He has our best interest in mind. He loves us and wants us to thrive.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Isaiah 55-8-9
How to Wait Well
Let’s take a look at Rahab. When we read the text, we know that some details are mentioned, but there are a lot of holes in the story. Once Rahab and the Israelite spies made an agreement, she went weeks without seeing them. On top of that, when she did see them, they circled the city and left! They did that six times before the final march around Jericho. If you’ve been in a period of waiting (think back to the previous section), how did you spend your time waiting?
PRO TIP: Don’t lose faith in who God is and what He says He’s going to do. God always comes through. Here’s a journal prompt for you: What are some Biblical truths you can hold onto when you’re in a season of waiting? Write down these scriptures and stories. This will give you a place to look when you’re waiting season strikes.
PRO TIP: Lean into what God is telling you in the waiting. Now that you have your Biblical truths handy, it’s time to sit and listen to the Lord. What’s He saying to you? If He’s promised you something, but you’re still in the “not yet”, ask God what He is teaching you in this moment. Don’t be surprised when you get a nudge after that!
Thought Work
You have your verses, your past experiences, and you’ve talked to God about your whole situation in which you’re waiting. Great job! Now drive it home with some thought work. Thought work is active work you put in while trying to have a mindset shift or capture toxic thoughts. This skill will carry you miles, so make sure you take the time to learn it. Check out our Switch On Your Brain mini series to learn step by step on how to do this.
PRO TIP: Learn to capture your thoughts well. This takes a lot of time and dedicated practice, but the more you can work on it, the easier it gets. You can even help your friends capture their thoughts too! If a thought pops in your brain ask yourself, “Does this sounds like something God would say?” That typically filters the toxic thoughts out pretty quickly. Again, to learn how to capture thoughts well, CLICK HERE.
PRO TIP: Pray boldly and confidently. If you’re struggling in a waiting period. It’s okay to ask God for help in that department! Feeling exhausted, ask God for unexplainable energy. If you’re overwhelmed, ask God for peace that surpasses all understanding. While you’re praying for these things during the waiting, don’t forget to boldly and confidently take your requests to the Lord. We dive into what this looks like in episode 181, “How to Wait Well,” so be sure to scroll back up and press play.
We hope you enjoyed episode 181, “How to Wait Well” and that you have practical, actionable steps you can take. Be sure to check out this entire I Am Rahab mini series about learning how Rahab’s story mirrors our lives of being touched by God and fully restored. Dig deep to grow closer to God in this mini series. You can do this! We’re here to help. Click the affiliate image below to get your copy of Autumn Miles’ book.
