Rest and Reset: A 30-Day Devotional to Revive JoySample

Weary from waiting

Your wait is not in vain when you are waiting for the Lord. You may know a few worship songs about waiting on the Lord, but many don’t fully understand what it truly means to wait in Christ. Waiting in Christ and for Him to act on your behalf can be difficult. It’s a long process, often filled with uncertainty, and although scripture repeatedly grounds you when you sway from the path of waiting in faith to waiting in fret. There is still a tension that arises within the depths of one's soul, making them wonder if the wait is worth it. Somedays it may feel like a slow burn that tests your faith. Other days, there is a contentment that settles your heart, and you believe-- God will. In both instances, you are in God’s view. Waiting is holy. It’s a display of faith in motion. Waiting isn’t inactivity; it’s doing the next right thing until God guides you to your next step.

When one grows weary and feels as if they want to give up, there are often subtle signs. Instead of reading the Bible, you might scroll on your phone. Instead of spending time with God in prayer, you might snack or binge-watch a show. These are indications of wear and tear on the foundation of your faith. Usually, this happens gradually during the waiting season, and before you realize it, you are weary.

Weariness in the heart of man can lead to unbelief and cause a heart to fret. Whenever I am asked to share spiritual insights and foundational Bible verses about waiting and trusting God, I always encourage believers to turn to Proverbs chapter 37, read it, memorize it, and pray it as often as needed. This entire chapter has transformed my life during the wait and has become a pillar in my Christian journey.

Here are the actionable steps that I gleaned from this chapter, which transformed my heart during the wait.

·Fret not thyself (Psalm 37:1). Don’t allow worry to fill your mind

·Trust in the Lord and do good (Psalm 37:3). Be confident in God

·Delight thyself in the Lord (Psalm 37:4). Find Joy in Christ

·Commit thy way unto the Lord (Psalm 37:5). Entrust yourself to God

·Rest in the Lord (Psalm 37:7). Relax, everything will work out

·Wait Patiently for Him (Psalm 37:7). Endure this season

·Cease from anger (Psalm 37:8). Confess and release frustration

These verses will ground you. David’s first words were, “fret not”. This is important because you can’t move ahead to trusting if you are filled with worry. Fretting is the act of repeatedly turning over a thought or circumstance in your mind. The idea eventually becomes a fear and inevitably a stumbling block in your journey.

Fretting is not just worrying about a situation, but it also includes fearing people. This might be due to past experiences of violence, betrayal, abuse of power, or other circumstances. In Jeremiah 1:8, the Bible says, 'Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD.” The fear of man can become a trap, especially when you are waiting on God with no evidence that He is going to act on your behalf. But scripture is replete, they that wait on the Lord will be renewed in strength, and through the experience of waiting, you will cultivate a deeper trust in God and His faithfulness.

What are you waiting for? Have you allowed the wait to rob you of the joy of this season? Take inventory of your thoughts. Have you permitted weariness to consume you?

Weariness occurs when a soul focuses more on feelings about a situation than on our Sovereign Lord, who has assured us He will be with us during trials. When intense battles within your heart lead you toward worry instead of prayer, rest begins to fade away. But you can practice these verses and trust that God is guiding you, even when you can’t see or understand His path. If you have grown weary in the wait, today you can choose to release what you can’t control. Overanalyzing your circumstances won’t bring clarity, but trusting, delighting, committing, resting, waiting patiently, and ceasing to be frustrated can.

Be Encouraged.