September 17, 2026 DEVELOPING PATIENCE

Lamentations 3:25–26 —

 “The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.” 

          We think that waiting is wasted time. When delays disrupt our plans, our instinct is to push harder, scheme faster, or give in to quiet panic. Yet Jeremiah penned these words not from a place of easy comfort, but from the smoldering ruins of Jerusalem. In the middle of profound grief and national collapse, he anchors his heart to a life changing truth: waiting on God is not dead space. It is holy ground.

          Notice how Scripture describes this posture: waiting quietly. Quiet waiting is not passive defeat or cold resignation. It is the active, steady quieting of our self-reliance so we can actually notice that God is at work. It means releasing the exhausting need to engineer every outcome and trusting that God’s delays are never denials of His goodness.

          Whatever feels unresolved today—a season of uncertainty, an unanswered prayer, or a burden you cannot carry on your own—resist the urge to run ahead of God. Turn your restless energy into quiet expectation. God is never late, and those who wait on Him will never be put to shame.

BRANCHING OUT:

If we rush the harvest before the fruit is ripe, can we really expect it to be sweet?