Hope in God’s Ways (Advent Encouragements)
In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it. Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him! – Isaiah 30:15b,18
*It’s easy to bail on God at the first sign of trouble. We fret, we worry, we make new plans, we settle for shortcuts. We take matters into our own hands and soon feel the weight of anxiety and worry. But there is another way—the quiet way of rest and trust. God is sovereign (He runs the world) and He is in control. During this Advent journey, keep making the confident decision to choose God’s way. Guard your heart from any voice that offers a “quick fix”. Instead, say, “Jesus, I will wait on You.”
The best things in life take time, and the payoff of doing things God’s way is always better. But the enemy is crafty and determined to deceive us, trying to convince us that God’s intentions are not good. Stay the course. Don’t give in today. Believe for God’s best and don’t settle for less.
Prayer: Father, Creator of the stars of night, I wait for You. You came to me when I was lost and couldn’t find my way to You. As I continue this Advent journey, reveal the things I have counted on to fill my heart apart from You and give me the grace to lay them down. I will wait for You and trust You to protect me from my foes and give me all I need. Amen.
*From Louie Giglio in “Waiting Here For You: An Advent Journey of Hope”