Waiting for His Timing
piece and photo by Joanna K. DeHond
The Lord spoke to my heart a while back concerning the bare trees and my time of waiting. I had quietly noted within myself how drab and unlovely the trees were looking during the winter months and was contemplating it all and feeling quite sorry for them and myself when all of a sudden the Lord reminded me how this is the season that He has chosen for them and how during this time they wait patiently for the coming and promised spring.
This made me think… and in all truth I have never, in all my life, heard a tree complaining about its lack of leaves, or its apparent bareness of fruit at the moment, or even seen a tree trying to uproot itself and run to ‘better’ lands or ‘nicer’ climates. No. But I have seen the trees stand faithful in the place where God has put them, and continue to grow and stay rooted until the season when He grants them their covering and fruit. They do not fret in the gray and hard seasons, nor do they give up and just uproot. They stand tall and faithful, and quietly wait for His timing, for His beauty and for His great grace.
There is great beauty in not only blooming where we are planted, but also in being content and waiting faithfully and standing tall in Him when our blooms have yet to appear. Now I look at the bare trees all around and think to myself how really beautiful they are!
Though the fig tree may not blossom,
nor fruit be on the vines;
though the labor of the olive may fail,
and the fields yield no food;
though the flock may be cut off from the fold,
and there be no herd in the stalls-
yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will joy in the God of my salvation.
The Lord is my strength;He will make my feet like deer’s feet,
and He will make me walk on my high hills.
-Habakkuk 3:17-19
You spoke to my heart today. I don’t think I had ever read this article before on YLCF!
“There is great beauty in not only blooming where we are planted, but also in being content and waiting faithfully and standing tall in Him when our blooms have yet to appear.”
It’s reassuring to know that I am where has God has placed me. He wants me to be here. He has plans for me. He wants me to wait faithfully and patiently. It’s not an easy task but one I am striving to do. I know, that someday, the blessings will be worth it. The rewards will be sweet from serving my Father obediently.
Yet another wonderful thought/ visual is when a new or different or special bloom sprouts up. It’s those unexpecting blooms that God sends us while we are waiting. Make sure to look beyond the tree and to the left and to the right! Look up and down!
What great truth you have shared. I am at a point of winter in my walk and is encouraged by this to simply wait on the Lord. I am challenged to wait on God for His will and not my desire and wishes. Thanks
I loved reading your thoughts on this!! Every year it seems that God gives me a “word for the year” that is kind of the theme for me that year. This year the word is “waiting.” It’s not always fun, but I have been learning so much!!
Thank you for sharing, Joanna. I have always thought that barren trees seemed beautiful, and this gives me another reason to look on them and realize the beauty-the beauty of their patience and steadfastness.
That was very nice. I loved how you made that truth alive so to speak. Now when ever I am in a waiting season in my life I will remember this and wait with new found strength and a joyful, thankful heart. God is good.
Wow, the timing of this post was truly Providential. I have been struggling with waiting without an answer, and I foresee several years of waiting before me. I was just in my room trying to sort out my discouraged thoughts and feeling ever so confused when I thought, “YLCF has good posts about waiting; maybe I’ll see if I can find any gems of truths there that could help me come to a better understanding of this waiting period and what I need to be doing while I wait.” And what do I find but a new post about waiting! Thank you! I know if I surrender this time to God he will return my sacrifices to me tenfold and write me a story beyond anything I could have imagined.
With a grateful heart,
Tiffany