I’ve never met anyone who likes to wait. And yet we spend most of our lives doing exactly that. 

Sometimes, waiting is just inconvenient. We wait for Uber rides, phone calls, sales, vacations, and doctor’s appointments. We wait in grocery-store lines or for packages to arrive. From our toddler years, we’ve waited, year after year, for Christmas morning. 

At other times, waiting involves genuine struggle. We wait for relief from chronic pain, financial stress, or fractured relationships. We yearn for changes in our leaders, our workplaces, our schools, and our hearts. Currently, everyone is waiting for a pandemic to end. And we know all creation “waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God” (Romans 8:19).

Bob Kauflin (@bkauflin) is director of Sovereign Grace Music. He equips pastors and musicians in the theology and practice of congregational worship, and serves as a pastor at Sovereign Grace Church in Louisville, Kentucky. He writes at worshipmatters.com and is author of True Worshipers: Seeking What Matters to God. Bob and his wife, Julie, have six children and a growing number of grandchildren.

This post first appeared on Desiring God on Nov. 11, 2020.

On March 29, 2020, Desiring God posted an article written by Carolyn Mahaney entitled, “Tears May Tarry For Now: Trusting God in Times to Weep.” Carolyn’s article is not only timely, but is also filled with biblical truth that stirs hope and deepens faith. To stir your interest, here is a quote from Carolyn’s article:

“When we turn to God in our tears, times of weeping also become our times of greatest growth. Ecclesiastes tells us that God uses our appointed season of sorrow to teach us to fear him: “God has done it, so that people fear before him” (Ecclesiastes 3:14)

While it might seem like we have stalled, or even digressed spiritually in the midst of our tears, the opposite is true. God is at work in our lives to bring about growth in godliness. He appoints “a time to weep” in order to reveal himself to us in deeper ways than we have ever known. He is sovereignly leading us through this valley of tears so that we might come to trust and treasure Jesus Christ above all.”

Take 5 minutes and read Carolyn’s article. It will prove to be a timely encouragement to your soul.

View the entire article here.

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Mark Prater is the Executive Director for Sovereign Grace and serves as an elder at Covenant Fellowship Church. He and his wife, Jill, have three married daughters and a growing number of grandchildren.

Bob Kauflin recently wrote an article entitled “Good Music Can Become Your God: Five Reasons Jesus Is Better” that was published by Desiring God on November 16, 2019. Bob’s article is filled with much wisdom and help especially as it relates to music. Here is an excerpt that we hope will stir your interest to read the entire article.

But as much as I love music, I’ve realized it’s possible to confuse feelings produced by music with feelings produced by truth. Some sixteen hundred years ago, Augustine was  brutally honest about that struggle in his Confessions. He acknowledged the benefits of singing and listening to others sing, and said it might even inspire feelings of devotion in weaker spirits. But then he admitted, “When I find the singing itself more moving than the truth which it conveys, I confess that this is a grievous sin, and at those times I would prefer not to hear the singer.”

If a spiritual giant like Augustine struggled with valuing musically-induced feelings over spiritual ones, we probably will too. But I don’t think many of us would see that as a “grievous sin.” Maybe we should.

In addressing how to sing, Paul said, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly” (Colossians 3:16). We aren’t to let musical experiences dwell in us richly. Not technological creativity, volume, skill, excellence, or an “atmosphere.” We’re to let the word of Christ dwell in us richly. 

The “word of Christ” is the message about him we often call “the gospel.” It’s the good news that Jesus Christ took on flesh so he could bear our sins and punishment to justify us before God and bring us into his family. Those truths are meant to dwell in us richly as we sing.

On September 24, 2019, Desiring God posted an article written by Carolyn Mahaney entitled, “Whatever My Lot: Embracing the Day God Has Made.” Carolyn’s article is filled with so much biblical truth, wisdom, and hope that helps us to be sorrowful, yet always rejoicing, regardless of our circumstances that I wanted you to read it. To stir your interest, here is a quote from Carolyn’s article:

“I have discovered, as my dad must have known, that it is possible to feel sad and happy at the same time; or as the apostle Paul put it, to be “sorrowful, yet always rejoicing” (2 Corinthians 6:10). How can we experience these contrary emotions at the same time? How can we learn to be “always rejoicing” in the midst of sorrow? We need the power of the Holy Spirit, to be sure. But Scripture teaches us to cultivate joy in the midst of sorrow through the daily habit of looking for God’s good gifts (Ecclesiastes 2:24–26). Each day, our heavenly Father gives comfort for today’s sorrows and blessings for today’s joys. Happiness in him comes one day at a time.”

Take 10 minutes and benefit from the wisdom found in this article.

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Mark Prater is the Executive Director for Sovereign Grace and serves as an elder at Covenant Fellowship Church. He and his wife, Jill, have three married daughters and a growing number of grandchildren.

On May 26, 2019 Desiring God posted an article written by Carolyn Mahaney entitled “Every Day’s a Bad Day: How Ecclesiastes Taught Me to Enjoy Life.” The article contains so much wisdom and practical help that I wanted you to read it by clicking on the link below. To stir your interest, here is a quote from Carolyn’s article.

After decades of ministry, what is one piece of advice I wish I had received as a young woman? Study the book of Ecclesiastes.

Ecclesiastes has shown me the secret of enjoying life, even in the midst of trouble. It has rescued me from disillusionment when labors I thought were fruitful appeared to be for naught. When friends have turned their backs, Ecclesiastes has helped me guard against bitterness. It has cured me of setting my hope on a particular outcome, and protected me from becoming bewildered and disheartened by bad news.

In short, Ecclesiastes made me a realist, and yet I’m happier than ever before.

Yes! This article is a must read!

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Mark Prater is the Executive Director for Sovereign Grace and serves as an elder at Covenant Fellowship Church. He and his wife, Jill, have three married daughters and a growing number of grandchildren.