The Upper Room Daily Devotional from Nashville, Tennessee, United States "Waiting For God" for Wednesday, 4 May 2016 with Scripture: Psalm 13:1-6

The Upper Room Daily Devotional from Nashville, Tennessee, United States "Waiting For God" for Wednesday, 4 May 2016 with Scripture: Psalm 13:1 (0) For the leader. A psalm of David:
2 (1) How long, Adonai?
Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
3 (2) How long must I keep asking myself what to do,
with sorrow in my heart every day?
How long must my enemy dominate me?
4 (3) Look, and answer me, Adonai my God!
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death.
5 (4) Then my enemy would say, “I was able to beat him”;
and my adversaries would rejoice at my downfall.
6 (5) But I trust in your grace,
my heart rejoices as you bring me to safety.
(6) I will sing to Adonai, because he gives me
even more than I need.
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Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD![Psalm 27:14 (NRSV)]
Recently one of my close friends described the way God had quickly answered her prayer. After hearing about her experience, I found myself not glad for her, but jealous. For over a year now I had searched for a new job without success. I couldn’t understand why God was not quicker to help me in my current situation. Why did my friend have a quick answer, while I had to wait for God to act?
After seeking answers in my Bible, I realized that many people before me had waited. David waited years to become king. The people of Israel waited for generations to find their promised land. Joseph and Mary waited to see how their son would save his people. The disciples waited following the crucifixion of Jesus to find out what was happening — what the true outcome of Jesus’ death would be.
God still calls us to wait. We do not know the what, where, or why of how God works; but Romans 8:28 tells us that “all things work together for good for those who love God” — even if it takes longer than we’d like!
Read more from the author, here."More from Sue Fairchild"

Isn’t it so difficult when we see others receiving answers to prayer and we feel like ours are not answered? I just had a conversation a few nights ago with my husband on this subject. He wasn’t seeing God in his life, but I did see God’s answers to many of our prayers. Sometimes we get bogged down in seeking what others have that we fail to see our own blessings or how God is working in our lives. Since writing this devotional, I’ve taken the time to seek out those blessings more in my life. My blog, Sue’s Simple Snippets (www.suessimplesnippets.wordpress.com), often speaks about how I seek to find the joy that God wants for me or the joy that he wants me to share with others. I started the blog to keep my writing fresh and to reach out to others, but now find that it very often helps me to keep my focus on God.
As my writing has progressed, I remember to thank God for each and every gift as they come. Sometimes it feels like a long time in between these blessings, but when I’m able to pronounce them and lift them back up to him, I can see how abundant they are! I pray you will seek out your blessings today – no matter how small they may seem. And to remember that he has given us the ultimate gift – salvation in him. No other blessing is truly needed, is it?
This is my third devotional published in The Upper Room and I am beyond thrilled that I can reach out to others in this way to share the love of God. I am also working on a nonfiction Bible study geared at helping people with low self-esteem and negative mindsets to set their minds on God and his word. I appreciate your prayers as I work on this book and hope that it will be out sometime next year. God bless.[Sue Fairchild]
The Author: Sue A. Fairchild (Pennsylvania, USA)
Thought for the Day: While I wait, I will trust in God.
Prayer: O Lord, we pray that you will give us an attitude of peace and gratitude for the blessings you have shown us. Give us strength to wait for you even in the toughest situations. Amen.
Prayer focus: PEOPLE WAITING FOR ANSWERS FROM GOD---------------------