Wait Upon the Lord

The path that once was bright and clear, had suddenly grown dim,
The peace and joy that filled my heart no longer was within,
The lonely nights grew longer, my days were filled with tears,
I cried, "Dear Lord, where is the strength
You gave me through the years?"

I struggled on and tried to find the answers by myself,
Forgetting all the times I'd asked the Lord if He would help.
I could not understand why now my faith became so weak,
Until one night in prayer I paused to hear my Father speak.

"Dear child," He said. "I'm here with you, you've never been alone,
But don't you see, I had to let you try life on your own.
I had to let you stumble, and sometimes even fall!
So you would see and feel the need upon My Name to call."

"And, now that you've grown quiet, and My voice at last you hear,
The lesson I must teach you will be hard for you to bear,
I heard your prayers each time you spoke, I felt each hurt and pain,
With all my heart I want for you 'abundant life' to gain.
But you must learn that when you pray and ask for a reward,
You must be willing, patiently, to 'wait upon the Lord.'"

"I know what lies ahead for you; I know just when will be,
The time to give you answers and to give you victory,
So, you must trust that I know best, and give Me back each day,
And let Me act in My own time, and work in My own way.
And, rest assured that when at last you step inside the Gate,
You'll never hear these words again, 'My child, you'll have to wait.'"

Alice Ervin lives in West Carrollton, Ohio with her husband, Dan. She thanks her Lord for being so faithful, and for the comfort and hope He gives as she deals with the daily struggles from her illnesses, fibromyalgia, and arthritis of the spine. Alice is a hopekeepers group facilitator at her church.