Psalm 13:1 How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?

Are you in a waiting season?

In this psalm David is asking to be saved from his enemies. But when I read through the psalms, I think of the enemies in my own life, and for me they are spiritual. I don’t know about you, but do you ever get impatient in your trials?

For me, I normally get sick of my failures and the things I struggle with. I get sick of the same temptations or the same lies floating around and around in my head. I remember a time when life got really challenging all of a sudden. There were a lot of hard things happening all at the same time. I was grateful for the lessons I was learning, but my head was spinning.

I asked God why it was all happening like this: “Can’t you just slow things down? Or give them to me one at a time?”

God quickly answered, “You asked for this.”

Immediately I remembered all the things I had been praying for—things I wanted God to change in my life. Different heart postures, different mindsets, different struggles. I had asked for this. In fact, I demanded it. I hated these things and more about myself and was praying that God would change me. It was all with good intentions. I wanted to have a better relationship with Him. I wanted to be a better Christian. I had a whole laundry list of things I was sure didn’t honor the Lord and that were keeping me from the kind of relationship with Him I wanted and was seeking.

Now, don’t get me wrong—these weren’t bad things to ask for. But someone once told me I was looking for the kinds of things that are only possible in heaven. The kind of sanctification that only comes when you die.

You see, you will never be perfect this side of heaven. Your relationship with God will constantly be growing and changing. There is nothing wrong with that.

There were a lot of questions I began to ask the Lord this year. He didn’t always give me the answer I was looking for, but God kept saying He loved me as I am, right now. I always knew this in my head, but I think I always added on—unknowingly—some kind of judgment with it. “I know He loves me, but He doesn’t love this about me.” It’s true He doesn’t love your sin. But that is where His grace comes in.

2 Corinthians 12:8–10 Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

He knows and understands you are human. He does work on you. He works on your heart and mind and convicts. But unless you want the hard realization I had—of asking for everything to happen at the same time—His grace covers everything. All you are asked to do is walk humbly and transparently before Him and obey each step He takes you to next.

He understands you will make mistakes and sin, but He is not afraid of that. That is why He died for you—so your burdens would be light as you walk in obedience with Him. Repent, make things right, and move on. Sanctification is a process. He is changing you in His timing, in His way. Are you going to tell Him He is doing it wrong, like I have been telling Him?

He is the master craftsman. He is kind, gentle, and patient. He also uses your failures and mistakes to show His glory. Yes, you have a part to play, but you don’t know yourself like He does. All you can do is say “yes” when He gives you a job, and keep your heart soft and open for His guidance. That is your part—unless you start grabbing up all these different things to control in your life and become your own god. Because that is essentially what you are doing when you say, “Hey, that is not where I want You working today. I actually think this is a better place to work on, God.”

If He has grace for that area in your life, then why don’t you? Are you hating the masterpiece God is making out of you? What gives you the right to tell the Creator of the world that He did something wrong when He made you like this? It is His story He is writing in you and with you. He has the right to do what He wants and choose where He wants to use His grace in your life.

You can change your actions, but only God can change your heart. But He needs you to surrender everything to Him.

I challenge you to examine yourself: What areas of your life have you not surrendered to God’s sovereign power and timing? What parts of your heart have you not let Him control? Let Him turn your stubborn, hard heart into a soft, moldable one.

Please share with us anything the Lord is doing in your life. Have a good week, everyone.