Real Hope: Patience in the WaitingShembull

Time to Seek God Many years ago, a preacher explained that spiritual "waiting" is not like a person trying to passively fill time by reading out-of-date magazines in a doctor’s surgery while waiting for their medical results, but rather like a person actively entwined with God—engaged and expectant. We can be tempted to think that many of our spiritual exercises, such as worship and prayer, are "fillers" or "time wasters" in which we wait (passively) for the time to pass or something to happen. What might happen if we "flipped" the situation and "lent-in" to the engagement? Imagine if that worship time was a chance to embrace God with a new passion, to sing from the heart and "get lost" in His presence. There is a famous story regarding Susanna Wesley, mother of 19 children of whom two, John and Charles, helped shape the English church. Susanna’s method to "seek God" and wait on Him was to throw her apron over her head and pray. She was not hiding in a busy and noisy house but rather prioritizing a space to meet with God and await His instructions. Can I encourage you to use those waiting times to delight yourself in God and anticipate His good outcomes? ##### Written by JOHN SCOTT