This is the final post in a 3-part series. Read part 1: Circling the Mountain.
“My soul languishes for Your salvation; I wait for Your word.”
–Psalm 119:81
I don’t know about you, but when it comes to life, I’m not a fan of long delays. When I’m waiting for good things to happen in my life, I may not want it in 30 seconds, but I certainly don’t want to wait 30+ years akin to David and Joseph (sorry, fellas!). However, the more I walk with God, the more I’m learning that God is a God of timing. His timetable and mine don’t always match up, but I’m the one who has to surrender! In His wisdom, He knows how to set up situations, change the hearts of people (including my own!), make ready resources, and do the miraculous all in the perfect time. Not one minute early. And not a minute too late.
When God’s in charge of the timetable, at His appointed time, everything falls amazingly into place with an ease and flow that only the Master Planner could accomplish. And the longer the wait, the better all will be when it comes, including us. I don’t understand, but that’s what God shows about Himself time and time again in the Scriptures and the lives of His saints. It’s in the goodness of His character that He makes us wait, and He gives us everything we need to endure until the time to reap comes (Galatians 6:7-10).
I can’t tell you specifically what God is doing in your mountain circling. (I’m not exactly sure what all He’s doing in my own!) God’s plans are in His own mind (Romans 11:33-36; 1 Corinthians 2:11), and we’ll only know them as He chooses to reveal them. That’s why it takes trust in God to follow His lead and leave the details to Him. It can be hard to follow when you don’t understand what’s happening. Yes, it gets easier and easier the more we trust Him, but it’s definitely a muscle that has to be worked and worked! But we can count on God to put us exactly in the circumstances we need for our faith in Him to grow.
Be faithful, following Him and waiting on Him even when you don’t understand.
Yes, circling the mountain can be exhausting, but God will be faithful to you, giving you the grace you need to take each step with Him. So keep on walking around and around and around until God says to you, “You have circled this mountain long enough. Now…” It may seem crazy. It may seem fruitless. It may even seem incredibly discouraging. But be encouraged, friend! According to His Word we know…
…this is how God works.
He will come through. He’s still here with you, and He’s using your time around the mountain to cultivate in you and your circumstances all that He desires. God will give you the exact instruction you need in His perfect timing. Just wait for it – you can trust Him!
Put your ways of doing life aside in favor for His, and “trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6).
Sheree Black 