Do you have a favorite prayer? I do. It goes like this: “God, give me patience. AND GIVE IT TO ME RIGHT NOW.” I remember my grandmother quietly reminding my fidgeting self that patience is a virtue. One that I apparently never got!

One of the spiritual practices we all tend to forget is the one that is made for folks just like me. We are invited to rest in God’s timing, taking time to allow his word to take root in us before taking action. It is an invitation to let Scripture “marinate” in our souls as we deliberately watch and wait for an appropriate time to act.  

 When we focus on God’s timing (and not our own), we recognize that God is actively working in our situation, which means we don’t have to respond in anger or frustration. It is a way of hitting a “pause” button that allows our minds to regroup and reconsider. It also allows for hope and assurance to find their way back into our troubled hearts because we gave space for their presence.

 There probably is no better example in the Bible of someone who rested in God’s timing than Job. When he lost everything important to him and found himself sitting on an ash heap, scraping his sores and wounds, he had no choice but to wait. But when his wife taunts him to curse the God who took everything away, he replied,

 “Don’t talk like a fool! If we accept blessings from God, we must accept trouble as well.” In all that happened, Job never once said anything against God” (Job 2:10, Contemporary English Version).

There is a “silence” component of resting in God’s timing that may involve some tongue-biting. Have you ever regretted an outburst? I have. Had I waiting on God to lead me to a better response, I would have had a better result. Remember, everything was restored to Job in the end. Job’s story is a good reminder of why this spiritual practice is important.

Resting in God’s timing is an act of submission. It draws us deeper into our Lord’s call to deny ourselves, pick up our crosses, and follow him (Mark 8:34). As we lay down our selfish need to act in haste, waiting on God’s timing will surely teach us new ways to allow God’s will to be done in our lives. Try it today, and see!

Come Unto Me, And I Will Give You Rest by Kathy Schumacher