Through It All
Through It All: The Sacred Art of Waiting on God
Life has a way of bringing us to our knees. Sometimes it's a medical diagnosis that changes everything in a single moment. Other times it's a slow accumulation of challenges that gradually wear down our resolve. Whether sudden or gradual, these seasons of difficulty pose a fundamental question: How do we navigate the storms without losing our way?
The answer lies in a concept that sounds deceptively simple but proves remarkably challenging: waiting on the Lord.
The Complexity of Waiting
Psalm 27:14 in the Passion Translation offers profound wisdom: "Here's what I've learned through it all: Don't give up. Don't be impatient. Be entwined as one with the Lord. Be brave and courageous and never lose hope. Yes, keep on waiting for he will never disappoint you."
Notice that this isn't theoretical theology—it begins with "Here's what I've learned." This is hard-won wisdom, earned through actual suffering and real challenges. David, the writer of this psalm, didn't learn these truths in a classroom. He learned them while running from enemies, facing giants, and navigating betrayal.
The phrase "be entwined as one with the Lord" is actually a rich Hebrew word that simply translates to "wait." But waiting isn't passive resignation or idle inactivity. It's an active, dynamic process of binding ourselves to God so tightly that we become inseparable from His presence and purposes.
Four Dimensions of Being Entwined
To be entwined with the Lord involves four distinct but interconnected actions:
First, it means to twist—to make a shift or change. Just as twisting fibers together creates a stronger rope, allowing God to twist us together with Him creates exponential strength. The friction between the fibers is what produces durability. Similarly, when we allow ourselves to be intertwined with God's purposes, even when it feels uncomfortable, we become stronger than we could ever be alone.
Second, it means to stretch—to grow rather than remain stagnant. Growth is rarely comfortable. It requires us to extend beyond our current capacity, to reach for something we haven't yet grasped. The alternative is stagnation, which slowly suffocates the life from our faith.
Third, it means tension—to be tempered rather than broken. When metal is tempered, it becomes flexible enough to bend without snapping. God doesn't temper us beyond our full capacity, only beyond our current threshold. He knows exactly how much pressure will make us stronger without destroying us. This requires trust that He understands our limits better than we do ourselves.
Fourth, it means to endure—to continue forward rather than remain where we began. Endurance doesn't mean we never feel like quitting. It means we keep moving even when every fiber of our being wants to stop. It means we persevere through both the silence and the answers, through the pain and the promises.
The Foundation That Holds
When facing overwhelming circumstances, four questions can anchor our souls:
If we can answer "yes" to these questions, we have everything we need to face anything. These aren't just comforting thoughts—they're foundational truths that change how we experience suffering.
Consider the powerful declaration: "Jesus wins." Not "Jesus wins if I get the outcome I want," but simply "Jesus wins." He wins if we're healed. He wins if we walk with a limp. He wins if the answer is different than we hoped. This isn't fatalism—it's faith that transcends circumstances.
A Radical Shift in Focus
Here's where waiting on God becomes truly transformative: When we know that God loves us, cares for us, is in control, and has a purpose, we're freed to stop obsessing over our circumstances and start focusing on others.
Think about it this way: When a skilled surgeon is performing a critical operation, does he need the patient's family hovering over his shoulder offering suggestions? Of course not. They'd be in the way. The most helpful thing they can do is trust the surgeon's expertise and wait.
Similarly, when God is at work in our lives, we don't need to anxiously supervise His methods. We can trust Him to handle what only He can handle, which frees us to do what we can do—represent His kingdom to others.
This is the paradox of Christian suffering: Our pain becomes a platform. Our trials become a testimony. Our struggles become a megaphone for the gospel.
The Power of Witness in Weakness
When we're going through difficulty with faith, hope, and trust in God's goodness, people notice. They see something that doesn't make sense by worldly standards. They witness peace that defies circumstances. They observe strength that has no natural explanation.
Psalm 41:3 promises: "When they are sick, lying on their bed of suffering, God will restore them. He will raise them up again and restore them back to health." This isn't a formula guaranteeing a specific outcome—it's a promise that God is present and active in our suffering.
A diagnosis is not a determination. Medical reports don't have the final word. Human limitations don't define divine possibilities.
Divine Strength for the Journey
Isaiah 40:31 assures us: "Those who entwine their heart with the Lord will experience divine strength and walk through life without giving up."
This is the promise for those who wait—not that life will be easy, but that we'll have supernatural strength to keep going. We won't give up because we're drawing from a source of power beyond ourselves.
Waiting on God doesn't mean our faith is based on favorable outcomes. It means our faith is based on a faithful God who is bigger than any outcome. It means saying yes to the twisting, the stretching, the tempering, and the enduring because we know who holds us.
Your Invitation to Wait Well
Perhaps you're in the middle of your own "through it all" season right now. Maybe you're facing a medical crisis, a relational breakdown, a financial disaster, or a crisis of faith. Maybe you feel stuck, stalled, or like your faith has been tapped out.
The invitation is simple but not easy: Be entwined with the Lord. Say yes to the changes He's making in you. Say yes to the growth, even when it's uncomfortable. Say yes to being bent but not broken. Say yes to continuing forward when everything in you wants to retreat.
And remember—God has you. He has all the resources you need. He's not surprised by what you're facing. He hasn't abandoned you in the storm.
You're not going through this alone. You're going through it with the One who has already overcome the world, and that makes all the difference.
Life has a way of bringing us to our knees. Sometimes it's a medical diagnosis that changes everything in a single moment. Other times it's a slow accumulation of challenges that gradually wear down our resolve. Whether sudden or gradual, these seasons of difficulty pose a fundamental question: How do we navigate the storms without losing our way?
The answer lies in a concept that sounds deceptively simple but proves remarkably challenging: waiting on the Lord.
The Complexity of Waiting
Psalm 27:14 in the Passion Translation offers profound wisdom: "Here's what I've learned through it all: Don't give up. Don't be impatient. Be entwined as one with the Lord. Be brave and courageous and never lose hope. Yes, keep on waiting for he will never disappoint you."
Notice that this isn't theoretical theology—it begins with "Here's what I've learned." This is hard-won wisdom, earned through actual suffering and real challenges. David, the writer of this psalm, didn't learn these truths in a classroom. He learned them while running from enemies, facing giants, and navigating betrayal.
The phrase "be entwined as one with the Lord" is actually a rich Hebrew word that simply translates to "wait." But waiting isn't passive resignation or idle inactivity. It's an active, dynamic process of binding ourselves to God so tightly that we become inseparable from His presence and purposes.
Four Dimensions of Being Entwined
To be entwined with the Lord involves four distinct but interconnected actions:
First, it means to twist—to make a shift or change. Just as twisting fibers together creates a stronger rope, allowing God to twist us together with Him creates exponential strength. The friction between the fibers is what produces durability. Similarly, when we allow ourselves to be intertwined with God's purposes, even when it feels uncomfortable, we become stronger than we could ever be alone.
Second, it means to stretch—to grow rather than remain stagnant. Growth is rarely comfortable. It requires us to extend beyond our current capacity, to reach for something we haven't yet grasped. The alternative is stagnation, which slowly suffocates the life from our faith.
Third, it means tension—to be tempered rather than broken. When metal is tempered, it becomes flexible enough to bend without snapping. God doesn't temper us beyond our full capacity, only beyond our current threshold. He knows exactly how much pressure will make us stronger without destroying us. This requires trust that He understands our limits better than we do ourselves.
Fourth, it means to endure—to continue forward rather than remain where we began. Endurance doesn't mean we never feel like quitting. It means we keep moving even when every fiber of our being wants to stop. It means we persevere through both the silence and the answers, through the pain and the promises.
The Foundation That Holds
When facing overwhelming circumstances, four questions can anchor our souls:
- Does God love me?
- Does God care for me?
- Is God in control right now?
- Does God have a purpose in this?
If we can answer "yes" to these questions, we have everything we need to face anything. These aren't just comforting thoughts—they're foundational truths that change how we experience suffering.
Consider the powerful declaration: "Jesus wins." Not "Jesus wins if I get the outcome I want," but simply "Jesus wins." He wins if we're healed. He wins if we walk with a limp. He wins if the answer is different than we hoped. This isn't fatalism—it's faith that transcends circumstances.
A Radical Shift in Focus
Here's where waiting on God becomes truly transformative: When we know that God loves us, cares for us, is in control, and has a purpose, we're freed to stop obsessing over our circumstances and start focusing on others.
Think about it this way: When a skilled surgeon is performing a critical operation, does he need the patient's family hovering over his shoulder offering suggestions? Of course not. They'd be in the way. The most helpful thing they can do is trust the surgeon's expertise and wait.
Similarly, when God is at work in our lives, we don't need to anxiously supervise His methods. We can trust Him to handle what only He can handle, which frees us to do what we can do—represent His kingdom to others.
This is the paradox of Christian suffering: Our pain becomes a platform. Our trials become a testimony. Our struggles become a megaphone for the gospel.
The Power of Witness in Weakness
When we're going through difficulty with faith, hope, and trust in God's goodness, people notice. They see something that doesn't make sense by worldly standards. They witness peace that defies circumstances. They observe strength that has no natural explanation.
Psalm 41:3 promises: "When they are sick, lying on their bed of suffering, God will restore them. He will raise them up again and restore them back to health." This isn't a formula guaranteeing a specific outcome—it's a promise that God is present and active in our suffering.
A diagnosis is not a determination. Medical reports don't have the final word. Human limitations don't define divine possibilities.
Divine Strength for the Journey
Isaiah 40:31 assures us: "Those who entwine their heart with the Lord will experience divine strength and walk through life without giving up."
This is the promise for those who wait—not that life will be easy, but that we'll have supernatural strength to keep going. We won't give up because we're drawing from a source of power beyond ourselves.
Waiting on God doesn't mean our faith is based on favorable outcomes. It means our faith is based on a faithful God who is bigger than any outcome. It means saying yes to the twisting, the stretching, the tempering, and the enduring because we know who holds us.
Your Invitation to Wait Well
Perhaps you're in the middle of your own "through it all" season right now. Maybe you're facing a medical crisis, a relational breakdown, a financial disaster, or a crisis of faith. Maybe you feel stuck, stalled, or like your faith has been tapped out.
The invitation is simple but not easy: Be entwined with the Lord. Say yes to the changes He's making in you. Say yes to the growth, even when it's uncomfortable. Say yes to being bent but not broken. Say yes to continuing forward when everything in you wants to retreat.
And remember—God has you. He has all the resources you need. He's not surprised by what you're facing. He hasn't abandoned you in the storm.
You're not going through this alone. You're going through it with the One who has already overcome the world, and that makes all the difference.
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