You have been waiting for awhile, haven’t you? That quick-tap bell sitting atop the front desk of your patience is looking mighty tempting. When is someone going to hurry up and meet that demand of your heart? Is anyone listening up there? Welcome back to the wonderful world of waiting for life to move forward. Some of you pray while you wait, some of you plan while you wait, some of you pace while you wait. Then there are those of you who do all three. Christians have been encoded with spiritual DNA that forces us to wait because we no longer view ourselves as being in charge – we do not call the shots anymore, therefore we are given the instinct to wait on God. Yes, we have the instinct, we just don’t like to nurture it. We prefer to strangle it. Yet there is also more natural inclination of acknowledging the issue of personal responsibility, faithfulness in discharging our duties and being good stewards with doors of opportunity… isn’t waiting more of a passive concept? How I wish I could stand up and stride confidently across the room to you and offer you some sage advice about this. The truth is that I am a lousy waiter. That is likely why God continues to subject me to it. I’m a fast-paced man in a slow-lane faith.
“But for you, O Lord, do I wait; it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer.” – Psalm 38:15 {ESV}
Some of you are waiting on a mate. The Psalmist tells you to wait on God about this, so focus on becoming Mr. or Ms. Right instead of waiting on him or her to stroll across your path.
Many of you are waiting on money. The Psalmist shakes his head and encourages you to depend on God in your season of lack even when everything within you is telling you it is time to panic.
Some reading today are waiting on that full physical or emotional healing before they put to use the strength that they do have. Your bible tells you to wait on the Lord and be of good courage and He will strengthen your heart (Psalm 27:14).
There are a few of you waiting on a sign from God to prompt you to do what is right. Consider the previous sentence to be your sign. Do what is right and wait on the Lord for what is not-yet-right in your life.
Some of you are waiting to get caught before your break ties with that unholy thing in your life. Don’t wait on the Lord on this one because He’s not going to change His mind about it. Knock it off.
Waiting on your mate to change? What if he or she does not ever change? Will you change and wait on the Lord to supply you with grace for those things about your spouse that might never change?
Then again, you may very well be the person who is waiting properly. Waiting on God, remaining content while you abide in happy expectancy that He will work in your favor. You are praising Him. You are continuing to be a blessing to others. You don’t speak doubt or doom or discouragement as the waiting period continues for you. In private, you are transparent and pray with tears to your Father who will not be unmoved by them. You preach His goodness to yourself because few others will do it to you. You waited yesterday and survived. More than that … you matured. You grew. The same thing will happen today as you tarry before Him in growing dependence and holy hunger. The God upon whom you wait is building your faith with an invisible process that burns out your lesser loves, roasts to the roots your unfruitful foliage and develops your soul with spiritual beauty. Do you know what He is doing as He allows the delays in your life to continue? He’s doing the greatest work He could ever offer you. He is fulfilling His promise to His only Son through your life – He’s beautifying you as the bride of Jesus Christ. You see, God is preparing you daily for the event of the ages – the thing that we are to long for and wait upon more than any other thing. God is working the indescribable, glorious process of making you like His Son and that cannot be accomplished without some delays and denials during your days. One day there will be nothing left for which you will be forced to wait. You will not need faith in that day because nothing will be unknown to you or denied you. His full endowment to you is going to stun you through endless ages and you will never again consider that thing which is pressing so intently upon you today. It is coming, my friend.
So you can wait on Him for all lesser things. Maybe you will receive them all in this lifetime. Maybe none of them will ever rest in the palm of your hand. One thing is for certain: the moment you enter the presence of the Bridegroom you will instantly forget about all the things that currently seem impossible to live without. God is saving His best for last. Wait on it. Wait on it because you can.
“For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.” – Habakkuk 2:3 {ESV}
It moved me to tears afresh: “pray with tears to your Father Who will not be unmoved by them.” The only thing I’m waiting for is for Jesus to come for us, or for me to go to Him. Come quickly, Lord Jesus. Amen.
The beautiful plants we see around us take time to grow; many require several seasons of spring through to winter to attain the maturity the gardener had in mind when He planted them just where He did.
So do we.
I love that verse from Habakkuk! You shared it with me over a decade ago.
I’m definitely better at waiting these days. What I used to call waiting was really wishing and whining.
I needed to couple action and prayer. I don’t do it perfectly, but taking action after I pray.for wisdom and direction is becoming more instinctive to me daily.