The football coach proclaimed something like, “You’re out!! You just won’t wait in the pocket, like I want you to!”
The quarterback was afraid of getting hit, so rather than obeying the coach’s command to stay back, he moved out from behind the line to throw or to run, even though the coach’s clear command was — stay put.
The quarterback didn’t want a huge linebacker to pummel him, so he kept fearing and disobeying — by moving out — rather than trusting and waiting to throw the touchdown pass.
Likewise, many of us are afraid of waiting on the Lord. Many times, we fear that in our wait, we will: miss out on something; get hurt by our inaction; miss an opportunity; or be proven a fool. So, we don’t trust God and we move.
Have you ever been there? Maybe God is nudging your heart to wait on Him before applying to new jobs? To sit with Him before speaking out to your spouse? To keep in prayer before putting your house on the market? To rest in Him before moving your mouth?
How are you afraid of getting hit?
In this quarterback’s situation, in the movie, American Underdog, the coach set him up — to repeatedly get hit. Why? So he could learn to courageously wait and overcome.
Bam. I can do this.
Bam. I’m still alive.
Bam. After being hit 20 times, I now know I can take a hit or two.
Friends, I don’t know if you are at all like me, but I’ve been hit a time or two, too. I can’t say that God caused these hits, but I can certainly say my disobedience did. Hits were things like arguments, discouragement, defeat, or bad outcomes. Each hit hurt, but also, each hit taught me: it is a better strategy to trust the Lord than to move out on my time in my way.
“Be still in the presence of the LORD, and wait patiently for him to act…” (Ps. 37:7)
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD.” (Is. 55:8)
Better is it to stay with God, to wait in His presence, than to go my own way.
Prayer: Father God, if you are calling me to wait, please give me the perseverance and endurance to do so. Please give me strength in the wait. May I feel your nearness and your presence. May I gain a greater understanding of knowing and loving you. May I rest in the fact that you fight for me while I am still. May I trust you more and more, even when I don’t understand or can’t figure out what you are doing. Truly, you are weaving a tapestry of the greatest story ever. Help me to trust your plan. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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I truly look forward to your posts …. God speaks beautiful truth through your words. I appreciate your genuineness ♥️
Kelly, I can’t tell you how much this meant to me, and how your words rang so true with me and where I am. This part in particular spoke so much to me — “Likewise, many of us are afraid of waiting on the Lord. Many times, we fear that in our wait, we will: miss out on something; get hurt by our inaction; miss an opportunity; or be proven a fool. So, we don’t trust God and we move.”
You’ve put into words what has been rolling around in my everyday thoughts — fearing so much that I’m missing where He’s leading, as if He would ever allow that, and fearing to be proven a fool. But I constantly remind myself that I am not working for the world’s approval, but seeking after God’s. And if He has told me to wait, then I need to ignore the world’s incessant hollering to hustle, to get up, to go, to do. It’s a constant struggle, but I’m so grateful for words like yours that help to strengthen and encourage me, and let’s me know I am not alone in this.