When Waiting Turns Into Hope
Waiting that looks like hope, the platform is still, the journey is certain.
Devotional Credit
Day by Day by Grace, Bob Hoekstra
Photo Credit
Unsplash
Waiting on the Lord is not passive clock watching. It is a quiet, steady posture of placing our confidence in the Lord while time moves forward. Bob Hoekstra reminds us that this is the flavor of grace in daily life, looking to God to work within us and around us as the hours unfold. This is not about tightening our grip. It is about trusting Jesus to carry the weight.
Scripture ties waiting and hoping together. To wait on the Lord is to hope in the Lord. That hope is not wishful thinking. It rests on the character of God and the finished work of Christ. As we wait, He makes our hearts firm, and courage rises not from self effort but from His life in us.
This hope shapes destiny. Those who insist on ruling life apart from God end up empty, cut off from what endures. Those who wait on the Lord share in what the Lord promises to His people. In Jesus, we are a new creation, and together we inherit with Him. That is not private elitism. It is the family gift given to all who belong to Him.
So today, if you are in a hallway between doors, you are not abandoned. The Lord is good to those who wait for Him. Hope in Him now, and hope in Him tomorrow. He is present, He is enough, and He works within your heart while you wait.
Journal Entry, Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
I am with you, and I am within you. Set your gaze on Me as you wait. Place your hope in Me, and your heart will be made firm. I do not call you to carry your tomorrow on your shoulders. I call you to remain in Me today. Apart from Me you can do nothing, but in Me you bear fruit that lasts. I began a good work in you, and I am at work in you to will and to do what delights Me.
You are not who you once were. In My Son you were buried and raised to walk in newness of life. Christ lives in you, and I am the guarantee of your inheritance. So take courage. Let your heart be quiet before Me. Keep My way, and in due time you will see what I have prepared. Hope in Me, not as a last resort, but as your first and steady choice. I am mercy, I am abundant redemption, and I am your portion forever.
Real-Life Analogy
Think of a phone during a software update. The progress bar inches forward, and tapping the screen does not make it move faster. The wise choice is to keep the phone connected, screen unlocked, and let the update complete. Waiting on the Lord is like that. We remain connected to Jesus, hearts unlocked to His presence, while He completes what we could never code by ourselves. Today, as you wait for a test result, a decision at work, or a strained relationship to thaw, pause and say, Lord, I trust You to express Your patience and courage through me while I wait, and I consent to Your timing and Your way. Then answer the next email with kindness, prepare well for your meeting, or wash the dishes with a quiet heart, confident that He is working in and through you.
Prayer of Confidence
Father, thank You that in Christ I already have all I need for life and godliness. Thank You that Jesus lives in me by Your Spirit, and that waiting with You is never wasted. You steady my heart. You supply courage. You guide my steps. I rest in Your faithful love, and I agree with Your timing. Today I walk forward in peace, trusting Your life in me.
Scripture References for the Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture Section
Isaiah 8:17, Psalm 27:14, Psalm 31:24, Psalm 37:9, Psalm 37:34, Lamentations 3:25, Psalm 130:7, Psalm 131:3, Isaiah 40:31, John 15:5, Romans 6:4, Galatians 2:20, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Philippians 2:13, Colossians 1:27, Ephesians 1:13 to 14, Hebrews 10:23