Waiting. Waiting is practically a bad word in our “fast food, airdrop, 2 hr delivery” society. Our culture today is set up for instant gratification and if we don’t get what we want at warp speed, we grow impatient.
Waiting can be full of excitement! Waiting to find out the gender of a baby or to close on a house. Waiting for your turn to hop on a roller coaster or to open your presents on Christmas morning. This kind of waiting is full of joy.
Waiting can be uncomfortable. Waiting for your food to come when you are starving or for the moment when you can take off those new shoes that are killing your feet. Or how about waiting way too long for a bathroom on a road trip (gotta love Buc-ee’s!) These things won’t kill you, but we’d rather speed it up a bit.
Waiting can be agonizing. Waiting to have a broken bone set or for a treatment to kick in. Waiting for a diagnosis or for a loved one to pass. This kind of waiting is physically and emotionally draining.
And then, there’s waiting on God.
Waiting on God can be any combination of these emotions and then some. It can be uncomfortable, exciting, agonizing, emotionally draining, confusing, quiet (I think that’s His specialty with me)… But as difficult as waiting on God can be, it’s the best kind of waiting there is. Why? Because when we are waiting on God, it’s not about the outcome… it’s about the journey! While what we are waiting for is important, what we are gaining in the process is just as significant.
Isaiah 30:18 tells us that we will be blessed in our waiting! This is where we see His glory. This is where we see His face. This is where we learn to surrender. This is where He increases our patience, hope, strength, joy, peace, endurance, trust, faith… all that good stuff! We want these things and this is one of the ways God grows us in them. So instead of focusing on what will happen AFTER the waiting, we should be focusing on what is happening IN the waiting. If you try to rush God out of the waiting, you just might miss a blessing or an opportunity for growth. He is in the waiting.
Sometimes we are waiting on God because He is hard at work lining things up perfectly for us to step into. Maybe we still need to surrender in one of those areas to be ready for what He has for us. Maybe He is still working on someone else who is part of the plan. Maybe He wants our full attention and just wants us to be still! Psalms 37:7 reminds us to “be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him”. We might not understand the delay, but it will all make sense in the end. John 13:7 says “You don’t realize now what I am doing but later you will understand” NIV.
David waited (and waited, and waited) and tells us in Psalms to “wait for the Lord, be strong and let your heart take courage. Wait for the Lord”. Why? Because we know that whatever God is doing is worth waiting for. HE IS WORTH THE WAIT!
And just when you think you can’t wait any longer, God shows up! Like a Bu-cee’s in the night, 30 minutes after you thought you couldn’t wait any longer. He is always on time. David went on to say it best: “Here is what I’ve learned through it all: Don’t give up” (…endurance) “don’t be impatient” (…patience) “be entwined with the Lord” (…surrender) “Be brave and courageous, and never lose hope. Yes, keep on waiting- for He will never disappoint you”. Those are the words from an expert at waiting.
Do you know what else David did while he waited? He worshiped. Oh did David worship. So when we find ourselves waiting on the Lord to do what only He can do, soak up all of His blessings in the process and praise Him…thank Him. Thank Him for what He is doing seen and unseen. Thank Him for guiding your steps and growing you in areas that you didn’t even know you need to work on. Thank Him for the strength and courage that comes with waiting on the Lord. And above all else, worship while you wait!