Most little children are not fond of that word. It often means that they won't get to do or have what they want. Many of us don't like that word. We are like children. We want what we want when we want it. Waiting is an unavoidable part of life.
This time of year we experience the word wait and it also impacts our lives. And wait was what I was doing this past week. Promises had been made to me but they couldn't happen immediately. I had to wait. I want my hip to not have pain. I have to wait for that to happen. I want to weigh less. I have to be patient and wait for it to happen--if I work hard at losing. I want to see and hug my kids and grandkids but they are far away and I have to wait. I look forward to Sabbath but I have to wait 6 days! I want my house to be in order! But since we are in the midst of some remodeling, I have to wait for order to happen. In the meantime, I have time to do some sorting. This week we took our car to a mechanic to find out what is wrong with it. We are waiting! Waiting for the diagnosis and waiting to find out how much it might cost to have it fixed. I am waiting for a Monday morning Lab to draw some blood. I am not waiting with good anticipation but...I am waiting.
Those promises were from our sons. They were planning to come to visit us for Thanksgiving. Each one was planning a different arrival time. There was going to be lots of waiting. The first son and family had the longest drive and we eagerly were waiting for them to update us on when they left home and on their progress. Then they let us know that they wouldn't get here until the very early morning hours. We decided to wait for them while sleeping but it is not easy to sleep when you are waiting for safe arrivals. Then, came more waiting for the next son and family to come. This time waiting was easier--they had a shorter drive! Then we waited for the last son to arrive! He arrived in time for our Thanksgiving meal--barely. And while we weren't waiting, the 4th son surprised us with a video chat. We are blessed by our sons and families.
Most people wait for Thanksgiving Day. They want the special meal that is so traditional. We wait, we prepare, we smell good smells, we nibble in anticipation. We wait for the potatoes to get mashed. We wait for the rolls to bake. We wait for the main course to finish cooking. We wait for the pies to cool. We wait and then give thanks to God for the blessings we have had the past year. Finally the wait is over and we can eat! The results were worth waiting for. Aren't you glad you waited?
After waiting for our family to arrive home safely then once again we waited--waited again to hear reports from them that they all arrived back home safely. And again they all had safe trips--and we are thankful!
God too has us waiting! How well do you wait? With irritation, annoyance, frustration? It teaches us about our character. And He gives us guidance on waiting. Take Heart and Wait for the Lord--During our waiting, we can draw strength from God's words and promises. Psalm 21:14 tells us to “be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” In circumstances of waiting, we can cling to hope and the fact that our suffering, confusion or other emotions will not last forever. “You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.” — James 5:8, NIV
Life is full of waiting. In fact, we must wait on a daily basis. Perhaps, it’s waiting for Thanksgiving food to finish baking, or waiting in a line to go on a ride or to buy something from a store, or perhaps it’s waiting for the beginning of an anticipated event. In our spiritual life, we experience seasons of waiting. We may feel that our prayers are going unheard. Maybe we have a decision to make but do not know which direction to take. No matter the case, waiting can be tough and confusing. However, during times of waiting, we are not alone. God is with us no matter where we are in life, even during periods of waiting.
Patience is often far from easy. It can seem impossible to wait for God’s timing and plan for our lives. However, patience and faith come hand-in-hand. In order to wait patiently on the Lord’s timing, we must have faith and trust in His plan for us. Just because we do not know the plans that God has for us, does not mean we cannot place our trust in Him. In some situations, we feel like doing the right thing but are not seeing results in our life, whether it be sharing the gospel with others or changing habits. Galatians 6 tells us not to grow weary of doing good. We may not see the results of our patience and faith instantaneously, but this should not be a discouragement because God is still working through us even when it takes time or we don’t see the outcome while we are waiting. Psalm 27:14 tells us to “be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” In times of waiting, we can cling to hope and the fact that our suffering, confusion or other emotions will not last forever. We can rely on God for peace even in the unknown. We may notice that in every season God is with us, in the waiting. When we are content, He is by our side. While we are waiting, He is still there. There is a time to wait and to stop waiting; and in all circumstances, God is there for us. Perhaps waiting is God's way of seeing if we will trust him before we move forward. That trust is a patient trust. Whether it has to do with our relationships, our finances, our careers, our dreams, or our churches, we have to trust that God knows what he is doing for us.
If the Lord Jehovah makes us wait, then we should do so with our whole hearts; for blessed are all they that wait for Him. He is worth waiting for. The waiting itself is beneficial to us: it tries our faith, exercises our patience, trains us for submission, and then we love the blessing when it comes. In the scriptures, the word wait means to hope, to anticipate, and to trust. To hope and trust in the Lord requires faith, patience, humility, meekness, long-suffering, keeping the commandments, and enduring to the end. “Father, sometimes the wait is long and impatience gets the better of me. Forgive me and grant me the patience to wait for your blessings upon my life and not question your power. In your name, I say, Amen.” he uses waiting to increase our trust in him and loosen our perceived control. Waiting reminds us we're at the mercy (literally) of God's timing, and we have no power to change that.
Abraham and Sarah trusted God and they waited patiently for him. This doesn't mean they waited perfectly. They took matters into their own hands at times. But God's grace covered them and he still fulfilled his promise, in his perfect timing.
Are you like me and felt like you were waiting on God? Maybe you asked Him to provide you with something, or asked Him to reveal something to you about your life. The waiting can be hard. It is so easy to feel like God has forgotten about my desire. It is important to remember that God has a plan that is far greater than what we can imagine. While His plans might not always make sense to me, they are perfect according to His will. Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
During times when we feel like we are waiting on God, there are several things to consider. If we have asked God to provide us with something, it is important to be ready to receive it. Another thing to consider when we are waiting on the Lord is His timing. While we may want something now, it might not be best according to God’s plan. Sometimes, when we ask something of the Lord, His response may be, “Wait.”
It is also important to look at our motives. If it is for selfishness and personal gain, it is unlikely we will receive what we have asked for. If our desires are in line with God’s plan, we can receive it. John 15:7 says, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”
Think of the hours and hours we spend waiting each week. Sometimes, it’s for the little things: waiting on the traffic light to turn green, the next episode to air, the airport security line to move faster. Sometimes, the waiting is unbearable and bewildering, like when you’re waiting for God to heal someone you love. You are waiting on something too: a cure for cancer, a job application to be reviewed, an uncomfortable silence to end, the words “I forgive you” to finally come.
But waiting is not a weakness. It’s actually empowering. There is something miraculous happening while we wait. “Wait on the LORD … He shall strengthen your heart” (Psalm 27:14). God is strengthening our hearts while we wait! That verse gives courage to wait on God. Waiting is not a waste of time. It’s an investment of time. God is always, always worth the wait. “God, help us to see the ways waiting makes us stronger. Give us courage to let You do the work You alone can do. Help us to have patience while we wait on You.” In Jesus’ Name, Amen
Waiting is one of God’s favorite ways to get our attention. The Bible’s title could be The Great Wait. The cast of characters could be the Great Waiters.
Noah waited for the rain. Daniel waited through the night with a den full of lions. David waited in the cave. Abraham and Sarah waited 25 years for the arrival of their promised son, Isaac, after waiting an entire lifetime to even get the promise in the first place. Joseph waited 13 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. Moses waited 40 years to be called by God. Paul waited in prison. And even Jesus waited 30 years to begin His ministry, though He was well equipped long before. If God asked even Jesus to wait, why do I think He would speed up my waiting? The Great Waiters of the Bible were flawed, with the exception of Jesus. They were people just like you and me, trying to please God but often falling short. Some of them got it. But most of them didn’t, which is a comfort since I usually don’t get it either. The Great Waiters were no better at waiting than I am. Waiting is a universal weakness.
While Noah waited for the rain, he got busy with what he had: a lot of wood and some specific measurements. As Daniel waited, he remained faithful in prayer and firm in his convictions. While Joseph waited in prison, he didn’t waste his energy on the question, “Why?” Instead, he seemed focused, answering, “What should I do now?” He did his best with each small task given, and stayed close to God. As his situation began to turn around, he was ready for every opportunity because he had not wasted his time.
Job, David, Paul and even Jesus waited patiently and began the ministry God called each of them to do, caring for the people around them. There is always work to be done while we’re waiting. Sometimes the work is hands-on, other times it’s a solitary journey of soul-searching. Sometimes the work is a discipline of noticing, a practice of being alert and aware; sometimes it’s about being patient, loving and present. But when we choose to surrender to the moment, when we seek to believe this moment is part of a larger story, and when we embrace the ache of the longing, the wait is never wasted.
Psalm 5:3, “In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.” (NIV) Psalm 130:5, “I wait for the LORD, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope.” (NIV) Hosea 12:6, “But you must return to your God; maintain love and justice, and wait for your God always.” (NIV) Sometimes when we pray long and hard about a situation in our life without receiving any answers, we just learn to live with it. We go on about our business, wondering if or when God will send the answer. But God does hear those prayers, and He’s working out the answers even though we may not know all the details. Our situation can change suddenly without warning!
But one thing is certain, we will wait. Waiting for answers is a fact of life—nobody gets out of it. So the question is not if we'll wait, but rather how we’ll wait.
The expectant person is hopeful, believing the answer is just around the corner, due to arrive any minute. His heart is full of hope, eagerly expecting his problem to be solved at any moment. He wakes up every morning expecting to find his answer. He may wait and wait, but suddenly what he’s been waiting for happens. Example is like a mother waiting for her baby to be born. She is expectant, and she'll wait as long as it takes. In the Bible, Paul and Silas knew about waiting, and they waited well. In Acts 16 about midnight, God showed up. It would have been nice if He'd come a little earlier, but Paul and Silas didn’t seem to mind—they just decided to start singing and began to worship the Lord. They began to wait on God. So don't give up! Don’t stop believing and waiting! Stay full of hope and expectation. God's power is limitless.
