Freely Speaking - Devotional by Sharon Gomez

Welcome to Freely Speaking, an OHSOFREE devotional ministry where we share our hearts and trust God for transformation.

Today’s devotional is written by Sharon Gomez, and narrated by Angela Gray.

“Our soul waits for the LORD; he is our help and our shield” (Psalm 33:20, ESV).

Waiting and wrestling. These words have been repeated themes for me lately. Sometimes the words are paired as if waiting doesn’t happen without wrestling. Sometimes they are stand-alone messages; either way, I’m reminded that God sees my journey as long as I continue to invite Him in. 

Waiting is becoming a long season for me. I often wonder whether wrestling with waiting occurs when expectations go unmet or, more importantly, when I realize God’s plans are not the same as mine!

Just 5 years ago, I had so many hopes for my future. I was excited to join small groups at church, expecting to meet lifelong friends. I was excited to “get serious” about writing my faith journey so I could lead my family to Christ, and from a professional perspective, I wanted to mentor young teachers at the University level after I retired.

As time passed, waiting turned into disappointment and loss of motivation. Relationships didn’t flourish as I desired, daily life got in the way of writing, and changes in the teacher credentialing program made mentorship no longer a viable option. Instead of making space for God to fill a growing void, I often turned to temporary things to bury the question I didn’t want to face - what now?

Today’s verse from Psalm 33 reminds us that our souls wait for the Lord. Whatever our waiting circumstances may be, the longing we experience comes from the broken world in which we live. We won’t be fully satisfied until Christ returns, but our day-to-day experiences can draw us closer to God when we make space for Him to join us! And as the Psalmist promises, God’s help will sustain us, and His shield will protect us along the way. 

Are you in a season of waiting and need to push out temporary things to make space for God, or can you look back on your experiences and see how God was with you?

Thank you for joining us today. To learn more about OhSoFree Ministries & Gracelight Collective, please visit us at www.gracelightcollective.org.