Podcast Show Notes: "When Best-Laid Plans Unravel Part 2: When My Plans Get Delayed"

• In today's episode, we dive into the challenging concept of waiting and trusting God when our plans get delayed.
• Most of us can relate to the idea of waiting and delayed plans. We often want instant gratification and struggle with no forward motion.

[DELAYED DREAMS AND FRUSTRATIONS]

• I reflect on my own experiences with frustrating delays or "in-between" time, such as waiting for a thriving marriage, a positive pregnancy test, or the realization of a dream.  And like Sarrah, I try to manipulate a lesser plan since God seems to be taking too long.

[GOD'S FAITHFULNESS THROUGH DELAY]

• We look closer at God's promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:2, promising to make him a great nation.
• It took 196 chapters, 312 pages, and 650 years for this promise to come to fruition. A wide variety of events and actions transpired during those 650 years, as God's people teetered between submission and revolt, victories and defeats, but the only constant was the faithfulness of God.

[TRUST AND HOPE IN WAITING]

• I discuss the connection between hope and waiting, using the Old Testament's use of the Hebrew word for hope (yachal), often translated as wait.
• We don't wait with wishful thinking but with confidence in God's unfailing promises.
• That's easier said than done and raises the question of what trust looks like in daily life amidst unrealized hopes.

[ABRAHAM'S STRATEGY FOR ABIDING IN HOPE]

•  Hebrews 11 reveals Abraham's strategy for maintaining hope while waiting for God's promise. He did the next right thing, lived in tents, and continued in daily obedience while looking ahead to the eternal conclusion.

[TRUSTING GOD WITH THE TIMELINE]

• Proverbs 16:9 tells us that while we may plan our course, the Lord determines our steps.
• I'm learning to make flexible plans and surrender them to God, as His plans produce lasting fruit.

[TRUSTING GOD WITH ALL TIMES]

•  Psalm 31:15 says, "My times are in your hands."
• This verse encapsulates all moments in our lives, whether good, bad, or in-between.
• We don't have control over time but can trust God with our timeline, moment by moment while doing the next right thing with hope.

[HOPING AND WAITING]

• Hoping inevitably involves waiting, but it also means believing in God's promises, even when our plans are delayed. His timing is perfect.

Thank you for tuning in to today's episode of The Un-Perfect Podcast. I hope this discussion on trusting God during delayed plans has given you insight and encouragement. Remember, our times are in His hands, and waiting can be a season of growth and transformation. Stay patient, stay hopeful, and keep doing the next right thing!

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