Have you ever gone through a situation that you just knew that was going to come out a certain way, but then it didn’t?
Yesterday was that day for my mom and me.
We have been in the court system for a non paying tenant for a year now.
The last time we went in November, we signed an agreement that they would leave at the end of December, with us asking for no more rent. But they also could not ask for anymore time, or all the backrent would come due. Because these tenants are professionals, they not only violated the agreement, but had us back in court.
We sat all day, waiting to see a judge. We just knew the judge was going to rule in our favor.
He didn’t.
He gave them another 21 days to continue living for free with no back rent to us.
We had prayed continually over this time. We had fasted. We had asked others to pray for us.
How do we reconcile asking God for something and continuing to have that answer appear – no.. or not yet?
How do you not lose faith while asking and waiting?
As I was preparing to write this, I was provided the answer.
It comes from Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane. He was praying and asking God to take away the cup that He was about to have to suffer. He didn’t want to do it, but He knew and said these words ‘not as I will, but Your will be done’. His desire was for His Father’s will to be done, more than what He wanted.
Sometimes we go through experiences and we can’t see in the here and now what is happening. The enemy tries to attack our minds that God isn’t working or He isn’t listening to our cries.
What do you do?
You worship while you wait. You take the focus off what you think you should have done or how someone else should have responded and trust that God is all knowing. You ask God to increase your faith a little more as you continue to trust Him and wait for the outcome you desire.
Hebrews 11:1 NIV sates “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”
In life we are certain to have disappointments, but let us not lose heart. Let us run the race that has been set before us. Let us trust that God is weaving together a tapestry so beautiful that will be made evident to all in His perfect timing.
Dear Lord, thank you for experiences that mold us into who you want us to be. Help us to see them for what they are: temporary learning situations that will ultimately come to an end. Help us to learn from these experiences and even while we are going through them we will still be able to give you the praise and the glory.