Galatians 5:22-23 | Lamentations 3:24-33 | Isaiah 40:31
Don’t worry, this devotion will be brief.
Why is it hard to wait? Why is patience so difficult to attain? Probably because it requires trust. Why is Mia is okay waiting for dessert? Because she trusts her mom and knows “she has my best interest at heart.” She knows her mom is just trying to save her a belly ache.
Sometimes it feels like God is making you wait endlessly for something you want… and for no reason at all. But think about this:
The LORD is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him. So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the LORD. And it is good for people to submit at an early age to the yoke of his discipline…
Lamentations 3:25-27 NLT
Could it be that God wants you to wait because He wants to give you the gift of patience? Think about it–which is more valuable, the thing you want so badly, or the ability to wait on the Lord?
But those who wait upon the LORD will renew their strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:31 NLT
Depend on the Lord. Search for him daily, and wait quietly for what He has in store for you. He will surely give you new strength–a second wind you could never find otherwise. Let your dessert be the Fruit of Patience, and save yourself plenty of belly aching. You’ll find that your Heavenly Father loves you and has your best interest at heart.
Questions for Group Discussion
- Why might patience be important? Do we really need to learn to wait?
- Can you recall a time when you had to practice patience? Maybe you had to wait for something you really wanted… How did it turnout?
- How many times a day do you turn to your smart phone for some form of instant gratification? “Who was the guy in that movie?” “What’s the capital of Lichtenstein?” “Who else is bored right now?”And two minutes later…question answered. But at what cost?
- How do you feel about being dependent upon your device? Do you feel like you actually might be dependent on (or even addicted to) text messages, social media, the Internet, and phone service? Do you like the feeling of needing to stay connected, do you just tolerate it, or do you despiseit?
- Is anything wrong with having instant access to everything in your smart phone? In itself, nothing is wrong with it. But it could be setting up an expectation: that your every whim is worth attention. Is that a realistic expectation? Is it good for you and your spiritual development?
Plug It In: Application
Want to gain some patience? Try this: slow your ‘role’ with some tech downtime.
This is not the type of tech downtime that happens when your router won’t connect to the internet (“The lights keep blinking, and they don’t turn green!”)… This is choosing not to connect.
This is about putting things into their proper place as a way to remind yourself that we do not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. (Matthew 4:4) Though some things are very important in our lives (what could be more basic than food?), ultimately our life comes from God.
Here’s your challenge: mark on a calendar (a paper calendar!) one whole week in which you will not use a smart phone except for phone calls, a tablet or laptop/desktop computer except as required for schoolwork. If you do it faithfully, you will be reminded what is more important than your devices.
You may need to enlist the help of a friend or family member to keep yourself accountable. You’ll definitely want to pray and ask God for his help and revelation.
Godspeed. His Word is forever alive!
