Waiting to be Drafted

Hearing your name called during the NFL Draft must be an incredible feeling...but waiting for a team to select you must be extremely agonizing. These talented players dream about making it to the league and are told they are good enough to be picked. However, many of them not only wait but wait longer than they expect. This year, plenty of players thought they’d go in an earlier round or be chosen closer to the top of the draft but ended up waiting...and waiting...and waiting some more. Finally being picked by the Buffalo Bills, Reggie Ragland from Alabama said, “It was a humbling experience. You think you’re going to go somewhere, but God has another plan for you.” Of course, all the waiting is well worth it once these fortunate athletes sign their NFL contracts. But nonetheless, trying to remain patient during the process is still very challenging. We don’t have to be a professional athlete to understand that waiting for something can be absolutely brutal. And my guess is, you are either waiting right now or just finished a season of waiting for something. I must admit though, my faith and trust in God really do grow during these times of waiting, and I see the value in learning patience and humility. Although God has the power to answer our prayers immediately, I believe He uses these delays to strengthen our dependence on Him. The worst thing we can do is try and speed up God’s work and perfect timing. Instead, we need to wait patiently for Him to reveal His answers and even rejoice while we are anticipating them. Psalm 27:13-14 (NLT) challenges us with these words: “Yet I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living. Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.” As hard as it may be, let’s wait patiently for the Lord, and remember to look back and see how much we grew because we did. Let’s be thankful that God allows us to wait and uses that time for our good. I’m Bryce Johnson and you can unpack that! PRAYER: Heavenly Father, please give me the strength to wait patiently. On the days that are really hard, help me to lean on you instead of showing impatience. Thank you for using the seasons of waiting to develop my character and deepen my reliance on you. Thank you for Your goodness and faithfulness. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.