Be strong and courageous

God has not forgotten you. The time you spend waiting and hoping is not wasted. Interestingly, these inspiring words appear at the end of a Psalm where David speaks of his enemies, his fears, and his feelings of being abandoned. Despite all this, David is able to resolutely command himself: “Hope in the Lord!” Waiting is one of the hardest things for believers to do. Sometimes we perceive waiting as inaction—empty time when nothing is happening. But the waiting David describes is completely different: it is active trust, it is hope. It is not losing hope in God even when the answer has not yet come, when doors do not open, or when healing has not yet occurred. It is choosing to believe that the Lord is good and remains close to us, even in the midst of silence. Many of us are waiting and hoping for specific things. We long for relationships to be restored, for our children to return, for a diagnosis to change, or for a hope to be revived. In such situations, we are tested not only by impatience but by discouragement. Over time, our belief that God is working can weaken. That is why the Scriptures call us to be strong and not lose our courage. God has not forgotten you. The time you are waiting is not wasted. We simply continue to seek the Lord and look to Him.