“Be still in the presence of the LORD, and wait patiently for him to act.” Psalm 37:7a (NLT)

Waiting on God isn’t always (or ever?) fun, but I’m learning it can yield great spiritual fruit in the end. In today’s key verse, the psalmist, King David says: “Be still in the presence of the LORD, and wait patiently for him to act.”

Sounds easy enough, right? Oh, that I would learn this stillness and waiting David is speaking of!

David wrote more on waiting, and Psalm 40:1-3 gives us a vivid image of God’s care for those who wait on Him:

“I waited patiently for the LORD to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the LORD.” (NLT)

Reading this passage makes me wonder how long David waited on the Lord. Or if David had a special ability for this very difficult virtue. But then I remember that David often learned things the hard way. Waiting on God was a skill David continued to develop throughout his lifetime.

I long to be still in God’s presence, not plotting or scheming or worrying or … you name it. Unfortunately, I often find myself doing the exact opposite.

Being still takes intentionality and a heart that’s trusting. I need to stop trying to rush God and remember: God is faithful. God is good. God loves me. God never leaves me. God is worthy to be praised.

Scripture gives us many opportunities to pause and ponder God’s faithfulness. And one way I’ve learned to press pause and quiet myself before the Lord is through Bible journaling. I’ve discovered it’s a creative way to respond to Scripture right there on the page where God spoke to me.

Instead of rushing through my reading, I engage with it through journaling a thought or insight, writing a prayer or creating art splashed on the page. Taking the time to record what God is doing becomes a valuable remembrance of God’s character and truths, goodness and faithfulness.

As I look to David for the model of waiting patiently on the Lord, I wonder what would happen if I lived this out more. How much more could God accomplish in and through me? What if I relied on Him to supply peace, hope, even expectation in the waiting?

Whether you are in a season of waiting or not, try recording some of what God is laying on your heart on the pages of your Bible. Your Bible will become a keepsake you will treasure for years and years to come.

Dear Lord, thank you for giving us Your inspired Word that we can soak in daily as we are still in Your presence. Thank You for Your words of truth, and the chance to get to know You better. Help us trust You more completely. We seek Your wisdom and are confident that You always know what is best for us. Give us strength, hope and peace in the waiting. Help us to wait expectantly with joy-filled hearts — and may we praise You always! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

***

TRUTH FOR TODAY:

Romans 5:3-5, “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.” (NLT)

RELATED RESOURCES:

The Inspire Bible is a great resource for creative Bible journaling. It has over 400 line-art illustrations to color plus wide margins for creative journaling. A brand-new Inspire PRAISE Bible with all-new illustrations will be available this October. Check out the Inspire journaling Bibles and the coloring-book-style Psalms and Proverbs books, here.

To stay in the loop about Inspire or find encouragement from other Inspire Bible-journalers, visit www.facebook.com/InspireBible. Join us for a hands-on Bible-journaling Inspire Bible TOUR workshop. Visit www.InspireBible.com/TOUR to learn more.

CONNECT:

Enter to WIN a copy of Inspire Bible NLT. In celebration of this Bible, Tyndale House Publishers is giving away 5 copies! Enter to win by leaving a comment here. {We'll randomly select 5 winners and email notifications to each one by Monday, May 15.}

REFLECT AND RESPOND:

Is there anything God is asking you to wait on Him for right now? If God were sitting next to you in this moment, what might He say to you?

How might God use this time of patiently waiting to accomplish something good? What will it take for you to put your full trust in God?

Write out a prayer to God. Pour your praise out onto the page. If you’d like, use art! Splash your thoughts with beautiful lettering or colorful paint — something representative of this season in your life. Invite God to work in this situation as you renew your vow to wait on Him — patiently, prayerfully and with a heart of praise.

© 2017 by Kim Johnson. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 31 Ministries thanks Tyndale House Publishers for their sponsorship of today's devotion.

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