Digging Deep To Not Give Up

We are all waiting for something.

We are holding on for a hope,  a dream, a relief, or an answer to prayer that is very dear to us.

No one gets a pass.

No matter how blessed we may be, there is something “more” we are desperately desiring. Whether it is regarding a relationship, a healing, a ministry, a provision of income or opportunity, we can fixate on that one thing needed.

If you have been waiting a long time, you know the weariness and discouragement that can set in. You know the temptation to give up in despair.

Impatience is like the pressure mounting in a tea kettle about to boil. At varying times in our “wait”, impatience seems to come to a boiling point and we feel we are about to explode if we have to wait ONE MORE DAY!

We can begin to grumble and complain, wondering if what we are waiting for will EVER  become a reality. Impatience has a way of being the open door to all kinds of negative emotions. It allows these emotions to enter our hearts and minds if we stew over not having what we want.

Bitterness and cynicism can become our unwelcomed friends if we are not diligent.

For the Israelites in Numbers 21, their “wait” involved wandering endlessly with recurring needs that their environment could not supply. Food and water, being scarce in the desert, forced them to look to their God for provision of daily necessities, for  what they could not do for themselves.

And isn’t that the rub?

Waiting for what we are powerless to do for ourselves- nobody likes that feeling of helplessness.

It says in Numbers 21:4 that the people travelled along the route to the Red Sea ( yes, back to where they had already been! ). It should be remembered that they could be in their promised land by now had not not rebelled (in fear of the inhabitants of the land) and refused to go in. I am sure their own frustrations with themselves weighed in on them, coupled with going back toward their starting point.

So it should come as no surprise that “the people grew impatient on the way”.

Boy, does that not describe some of us?

We are impatient on our way, our journey that God has us on. I know! Believe me, I know how the enemy tempts us to doubt if our lives will ever reflect the change we hope for to come. We begin to think we are fools if we continue to hope, or dream, or pray. We begin to ponder giving up- the only probable answer for our relief of the pressure mounting in us with impatience.

But I want to tell you dear sisters in Christ to dig deep!! Do not give up!!

God is ALWAYS worth the wait!

The plans He has for us are the best for us, worth waiting for and submitting to, for His Glory and our ultimate gain. We may or may not gain what we think is our particular future in mind, but we can rest assured God will perfect us into His perfect plan. Share on X

The Israelites wallowed in their negative emotions and they sinned against God because of it. We must learn from their mistakes and turn that desperation and impatience into what propels us to the throne of our Lord.

We must go to Him with all the unrest in our hearts and minds and lay them at His feet. Psalm 55:22 says, ” Cast your cares on the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall.” We don’t have to dig deep and feel better on our own, we must dig deep to run to Him and keep going back time and time again until we have the desire of our heart or He changes the desire we have. When we fail to keep turning to God and casting our cares on Him for help, we will give way to impatience just as the Israelites did.

How do I go to Him for this? I go by praying to Him, turning to His Word for strength, comfort and perspective, and through listening to uplifting worship music, and by looking back over my gratitude journal to remember all He has done at other times for me. Sometimes I call or text my prayer partners, who I know will lift me up in my time of weakness.

We don’t need to see the exact way God will answer our desire in order  to continue to have faith. All we need to do is remember He is I AM.  Therefore, He is able to do what we cannot even conceive of AND  in an instant.

I try to remind myself of the disciples on the second day after Jesus had been crucified. They were despondent. Hopeless. But oh what was about to take place just 24 hours later!! Jesus was going to be resurrected and so were their hopes and dreams!!

Our dream becoming our reality could happen tomorrow dear ones, so dig deep and do not give up! Let impatience thrust you back to His throne for the strength you need to wait one more day!!