Note: We are thankful to share that Ester's heart surgery went well yesterday and she is recovering at Hershey Medical Center. We will share a longer note below.

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"Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!" (Psalm 27:14). “But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently” Romans 8:25).

Yesterday I arrived at Hershey Medical Center early in the morning to be with Ester before her heart surgery. (Brooksyne had taken her over about an hour earlier for the admission.) I parked the van in a large parking garage and walked over to the main hospital. On the way there is a very busy intersection with traffic coming from multiple directions. A safety feature they have is not only a walk light but an audible voice that directs you as well (I suppose for the visually-impaired.)

When the walk light was red a voice repeated "Wait, Wait, Wait" until it was safe to cross the intersection. Having sight I was also able to anticipate when the light would turn green but I considered any who wouldn't have that advantage. The persistent "Wait" recording would be indefinite, although the person would still know the certainty of an eventual green crossing signal.

That's the way a lot of our waits are. In so many experiences of life we are waiting for God's promise to be fulfilled but we're uncertain of the timing in the process. Although the reality of the promise is assured the timing and often the means by which God will bring about the promise is unspecific. And frankly this is true of the specific outcome as well. We may have an assurance in the promise that the outcome will ultimately be for our good and God's glory but sometimes the short-term outcome on this side sure doesn't seem that way. Ester came through her most recent surgery fine but I read a touching story last night of a very dissimilar outcome that touched my heart deeply titled, "On Losing A Daughter". *

The daily Scriptures text brings great assurance when appropriated. It represents one of many Scripture verses that deal with the subject of waiting. We want to especially encourage our readers today who are in the midst of a wait period.

Notice the Psalmist calls on us to "wait for the Lord" at the beginning of the verse and then repeats it at the end of the verse.  His repetitive message reveals that waiting has always been hard.  But in the midst of the wait we are called to be strong and take heart or be courageous.

When we fail to trust God we then begin to live in the vacillating realm of "What if?" The "What if" mental game can take our minds on hopeless explorations God never intended. That's when we grow anxious, even fearful because we've shifted our focus to uncertainty instead of the certainty of trusting in God.

Consider these seven observations for those in a wait period:

• Waiting in one way or another has been the consistent experience of God's people in the Bible and throughout church history.
• Waiting can result in a conflict between fulfilling our desires versus fulfilling God's purposes.
• At times the wait is for another purpose or for the benefit of someone else.
• God gives grace during the wait period.
• In some cases consider the letdown when the wait is over. After all there will always be something we are waiting for!
• Living a fulfilling, abundant life is ultimately a result of our relationship with God, which is always current. We must learn to experience that in the wait periods.
• Remember, when it's beyond our control, it is always within God's control!

We all face unexpected delays that try our patience and bring on the anxiety jitters and sleepless nights. But remember this truth today; when it's beyond our control, it is always within God's control!


Be encouraged today!


Stephen & Brooksyne Weber

Daily prayer: Jesus, You made us to be time-sensitive creatures. Our schedules are guided by hours, days, weeks, years, seasons and on and on it goes. While most of our activity is decided by our prearranged schedules we don't usually allot waiting time, but You do. You arranged it for the patriarchs of old and expect it of Your followers throughout the ages as we often find ourselves waiting and waiting and waiting.  But it's not a waste of our precious time, for You tell us that we are strengthened in the wait, as we depend upon You to work out the details for our lives. You've promised that if we wait upon You our strength will be renewed and we will mount up with wings as eagles. As we do so we're refreshed in our spirit and find ourselves more patient, confident, and courageous as we wait upon You to accomplish Your intended plan for our lives. We look to You and are sustained by Your Almighty Hand during the wait! Amen.

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Personal note: The surgeon was unable to use an existing lead from a previous pacemaker that was removed in 2006 and thus replaced both the atrial and ventral leads. The surgery lasted about six hours. This morning she is still not feeling really well but I suppose that is to be expected. Again we are so thankful for the prayerful support, many emails, Facebook comments and calls. Yesterday it was such a blessing to have the support of our pastor during the long wait. Today Ester already has church friends in visiting her and Brooksyne told me she was very encouraged.


* "On Losing A Daughter"  blog post  by Frank Zaspel  A family who had a long wait and outcome not expected but keeping the faith.

"Wait On The Lord"  Video  The Martins

"In His Time"  Video  Maranatha Music

"While I'm Waiting"  Video  John Waller

"We Will Wait"  Video  Ron Kenoly

"Waiting Here For You"  Video  Christy Nockels