Have you ever prayed and asked God to handle a situation, and then moments later you tried to figure out the situation yourself? I think we are all guilty of that! Regardless of the severity of the circumstance, we tend to ask God to work it out, while we are going through the motions to fix it ourselves. Sometimes, we work against ourselves to solve the problems that God has already worked out. The real question is this–why are we asking God to help us out when we are really trying to help God out?

Our impatience gets the best of us when we don’t see quick results. Furthermore, the wait is often the very thing that drives us to react too quickly. Waiting on God exercises our faith and trust in Him, which is why some of us must go through the same trials over and over so that our “faith muscles” get strengthened.

Here’s a familiar scenario: we go to God in prayer, laying our cares and requests at the foot of the cross, asking God to intervene and do what only He can do. Prior to finishing our prayer, we gather up our cares and requests, packaging them on our backs, so that they remain in our possession. Now, what’s wrong with this picture? No wonder God makes us go through similar situations repeatedly. When will we learn?

Our trials are to point our focus on God and His strength, not ours. Even when we achieve this, we must learn to wait on God, knowing that every detail is being worked out in a way that only God can complete. When we try to handle things ourselves and help God out, God then takes a step back, allowing us to really see what we can and can’t do. God never requires our assistance, only our obedience. When we truly leave our cares with God, we must wait, regardless of time, and watch God move in a mighty way. Waiting is tough, but will be worth the effort when God brings forth His results!