Today’s Bible Journaling verse is Isaiah 53:8-9, “’For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways.” This is the Lord’s declaration. ‘For as heaven is higher than earth, so my ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.’” This week we are looking at seeking counsel, and as I began my Bible Journaling, I was having a difficult time deciding just what direction I wanted to take. I don’t want to beat a dead horse, so to speak, as I’ve already done a post on seeking counsel, and so I was talking to my husband about what direction I should take, whether to continue with the topic of seeking counsel or go a different direction. He said something that has kind of become his mantra. He said that a main tenant of counseling is, “Delay is Not Denial.”
As he was talking, the idea of God’s timing is not ours, came into my mind. We are in an “instant” society. Everything seems to be instant this or instant that. Instant coffee, TV dinners in the microwave, instant communication with texting, and on and on it goes. Patience is not an idea that seems to be popular these days. I’m reminded of the lady who prayed, “God give me patience and give it to me right now!” As funny as that sounds, a lot of us are just like that lady…patience is not our strong suit.
But God says that His ways are not our ways…His plans for us, His ways, are higher than ours. Psalm 90:4 says, “For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night.” (ESV) God sees things a whole lot differently than we do, and to us it seems as if He takes way too long. When we are seeking His counsel on a matter and we are waiting for the answer, it may seem as if He will never answer. But remember, “Delay is NOT Denial!” It doesn’t necessarily mean that the answer is no, it may be that it isn’t the proper time for that answer.
So, what should we do while we are waiting? Continue to seek God regarding the matter. Read His Word to help discern what it is God is telling us and wait patiently for the proper timing of our request to be fulfilled. Is there something that we need to do to prepare for the answer? Maybe there is something about ourselves that needs to be resolved first before the answer can come. Maybe the circumstances about the situation are not all in place yet for the answer to come. All these things may have an effect on when the answer comes.
God’s plans are for our good, He sees the end from the beginning. He sees the big picture, where we can only see just a small part of the plan He has for us. Many times, we don’t understand what He is doing in our lives. Continue to seek His counsel, continue to wait on His timing, and wait patiently.
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