Becoming a Woman of Wisdom

I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope. Psalm 130:5 (ESV)

When I think about the woman I want to become, I picture an older woman sitting in a comfortable chair by a window where the light showcases the beauty of her years. Her Bible is open on her lap and she has a cup of coffee in her hands. Peace and contentment radiate from within her. I long to sit and listen to her. She is the woman my heart can bond with because I feel welcome and never judged in her presence.

As the years have ticked by, my thoughts have shifted from being with this woman to becoming her. So, how do we become this sage woman who always seems to know how to handle things? Always able to give words of wisdom to those who are hurting and in need of encouragement. To be known as the woman who knows God’s Word intimately and how to apply it. I want to know her and be her. How about you?

Waiting for God’s Perfect Timing

I might compare this woman with a bottle of fine, aged wine. A great bottle of wine is not ready for consumption right after being produced. We must wait for the wine to age. The aging of the wine brings out the deep, rich flavors of the fruit.

Like a bottle of good wine, the sage woman has taken her time in her becoming. Not rushing the work the Lord is doing in her. She has learned to wait on the Lord and trust in His timing.

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope. Psalm 130:5

Waiting can be hard. Oh, how I want to rush the process and have instant access to the benefits that come with aging. No, not the grey hair or wrinkles, but the maturity, the assurance of things working out, the contentment that comes with living through…

In this time of waiting, we will hope, soaking our minds in the Word of God.

Hope is a positive expectation that something good is going to happen to you. Hope is what makes the waiting, the aging process bearable.

God gives us two promises in Isaiah about waiting upon the Lord.

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:31

• He promises us that He will give us strength and increase our power.
• He also promises us endurance, that we will run and not be weary, walk, and not be faint.

Cultivating a Lifestyle of Abiding with God

Our wise friend, who now sits at peace in the presence of the Lord, has developed her practice of abiding in God’s presence over time. She did not find herself suddenly filled with peace and contentment, she practiced waiting and cultivated a lifestyle of tarrying with the Lord.

Tarry is an outdated word in our English vocabulary, but I love the fresh connotation it brings to this specific experience. I find it to be an unambiguous and less cliché word than waiting.

To tarry is to linger, to stay longer than expected. It is about quieting the soul in anticipation of a real encounter with the Lord. It is allowing space in our days, in our minds, and in our hearts to invite the Lord in to sit with us, knowing how welcome we are in His realm.

Like a fine bottle of wine aged to perfection, we will start to discover tertiary notes, or flavors that come from the waiting and aging process. As we begin the practice of tarrying in God’s presence, as we slow down and linger with God, we become attune to the presence of God and experience a depth of intimacy we did not have before. We are becoming the friend sitting at the window.

How to Tarry in God’s Presence

Body posture is important in tarrying in God’s presence. We can open our hands with our palms up to show a posture of openness and anticipation of receiving. Kneeling before God is an act of humbleness. Other things we can do are close our eyes, fold or raise our hands, and bow our heads. God enjoys these postures of worship, openness, and humility.

How would you like to join me this week in the discipline of tarrying? As we wait, in the chair by the window, coffee warming our hands, and basking in the light of His love, may we join together in allowing God to transform us into the sage women of wisdom He created us to be.

Heavenly Father, teach us to not only wait on you and your perfect timing but show us how to move into a deeper walk with you by learning how to tarry. We bow before you, our King and Savior, with a heart full of hope as we become even more of who you intend us to be. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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