WAITING FOR DIRECTION
Show me your ways, Lord,
teach me your paths.
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.
Psalm 25:4-5 (NIV)
Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God;
may your good Spirit
lead me on level ground
Psalm 143:10 (NIV)
Sometimes the hardest part of waiting is not knowing what to do next. If God would just write it in the clouds! I've asked God for direction a thousand times throughout my life—which direction to take, whether or not to say yes to an opportunity. Whether to stay in school. Whether or not to move. Should I ask her to marry me? Should I take that job? As we all can attest, answers to these questions aren't always clear.
David's prayers won't unlock some magic box that has answers to all our questions. But what they do show us is the posture to have while we wait for clearer direction. David waited with humility. He was open to learning about the ways of God. He seemed very confident in asking God for help. And my favorite part of those verses is the prayer: May your good Spirit lead me on level ground. David's desire to follow God's direction and not take matters into his own hands is a great example for us. Maybe you can relate—when I don't hear what I want when I want, I often rush ahead and lose the intimate connection/communion with God.
As I meditate on David's heart toward God, it occurs to me that maybe waiting for direction is more about intimacy than it is about answers. Maybe God wants a relationship with me more than He wants to tell me what to do or where to go. May we wait well. Seeking Him. Talking with Him along the way. May we keep in mind that where He is taking us is into deeper intimacy than it is a location or an answer. Yes, seeking a yes or no, a here or there, is important, but not even close to how essential—and beautiful and life-giving—it is to know God.
APPLICATION: Set aside ten quiet minutes today with no agenda other than being with God. Instead of asking Him for an answer, talk with Him, sit in His presence, and pay attention to what you notice about His character, His nearness and His love while you wait.
PRAYER: Lord, while I wait for direction, help me seek Your presence more than an answer. Draw me closer to You, teach me to recognize Your nearness, and help me trust You with whatever comes next.
"… Our Father in heaven…" Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
• What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
"… may your name be kept holy." Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
• What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
"May your Kingdom come soon." Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
• Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
"Give us today the food we need," Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
• Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I'm around today?
"and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us" Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
• Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
"And don’t let us yield to temptation…" Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
• Is there anywhere I'm vulnerable to temptation?