Waiting! For some folks, the mere sight of that word is enough to produce a rush of anxiety and aggravation. Some forms of waiting can seem terribly wasteful and even unproductive. But waiting is often part of God’s plan and His work. We find evidence of waiting in the Bible. Prophets and people waited for the coming of Jesus. Even Jesus Himself spent the first thirty years of His life preparing and waiting for the last three years that would be invested in public ministry, calling disciples, dying and rising again. Psalm 27:14 tells us, “Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD.” This verse reads as a command. We are told to wait and to wait patiently for the Lord. Let’s think for a moment about waiting in the context of Scripture and faith.
First, God works in the waiting room. Time spent waiting for God to work is not wasted time. Often, God has to train, instruct and prepare us for a movement that He is about to make. God often leads us to one station in life to prepare us for the next one. God had to lead Abraham away from the only home he had known so that a great nation could emerge from him. And along the way, Abraham had to wait. He waited for clarity, a son, direction and for God to provide a ram for sacrifice on the top of Mount Moriah.
Second, waiting helps us to remember that God is in control. There are some matters or things that we directly control. But at times we have to recognize how much we do not control. We trust that God is God over both the things we control and the things that we do not. God is faithfully working out His purposes for the world. Our pursuits may not align with His purposes so we wait. And as we wait, we learn He is in control.
Third, God’s timing can be different from our sense of timing. We might see the time as being right to start a business, pursue a degree or change jobs. So, we seek God’s help. But then, out of nowhere, it seems that God closes the door. Well, if we have asked God for help and trusted Him to answer, then that closed door could be His way of saying the time is not right. Wait for a bit! We could pout or pray. We could wander away or we could worship. We could get angry or we could surrender to His timing. Waiting often teaches us, and it is occasionally a hard lesson to learn, to recognize the perfect nature of God’s timing.
Fourth, waiting teaches us trust. If you called your best friend for a ride, you are confident that he or she will show up. You could grab coffee while you wait, take a walk, read a book or check up on your social media. All the while, you still trust that your friend is coming. When we wait, we deepen and develop bonds of trust with the Lord. We look for Him to answer, to supply, to guide and to help. Waiting is not wasted time. It can be a great classroom where our Lord teaches us some life lessons about trust.
If you are waiting today, be hopeful. Be content with where you are in this moment. Remember, Paul said that he LEARNED how to be content in all circumstances (Philippians 4:11). Paul LEARNED this lesson and so must we. We typically are not born with a perfect skill set of waiting wired into us. We learn it and God teaches it. He is a merciful and gracious teacher. And if we are willing, we can learn a lot in the waiting. Have a great Thursday! And may HE bless you as you wait on HIM.
First, God works in the waiting room. Time spent waiting for God to work is not wasted time. Often, God has to train, instruct and prepare us for a movement that He is about to make. God often leads us to one station in life to prepare us for the next one. God had to lead Abraham away from the only home he had known so that a great nation could emerge from him. And along the way, Abraham had to wait. He waited for clarity, a son, direction and for God to provide a ram for sacrifice on the top of Mount Moriah.
Second, waiting helps us to remember that God is in control. There are some matters or things that we directly control. But at times we have to recognize how much we do not control. We trust that God is God over both the things we control and the things that we do not. God is faithfully working out His purposes for the world. Our pursuits may not align with His purposes so we wait. And as we wait, we learn He is in control.
Third, God’s timing can be different from our sense of timing. We might see the time as being right to start a business, pursue a degree or change jobs. So, we seek God’s help. But then, out of nowhere, it seems that God closes the door. Well, if we have asked God for help and trusted Him to answer, then that closed door could be His way of saying the time is not right. Wait for a bit! We could pout or pray. We could wander away or we could worship. We could get angry or we could surrender to His timing. Waiting often teaches us, and it is occasionally a hard lesson to learn, to recognize the perfect nature of God’s timing.
Fourth, waiting teaches us trust. If you called your best friend for a ride, you are confident that he or she will show up. You could grab coffee while you wait, take a walk, read a book or check up on your social media. All the while, you still trust that your friend is coming. When we wait, we deepen and develop bonds of trust with the Lord. We look for Him to answer, to supply, to guide and to help. Waiting is not wasted time. It can be a great classroom where our Lord teaches us some life lessons about trust.
If you are waiting today, be hopeful. Be content with where you are in this moment. Remember, Paul said that he LEARNED how to be content in all circumstances (Philippians 4:11). Paul LEARNED this lesson and so must we. We typically are not born with a perfect skill set of waiting wired into us. We learn it and God teaches it. He is a merciful and gracious teacher. And if we are willing, we can learn a lot in the waiting. Have a great Thursday! And may HE bless you as you wait on HIM.
Recent
Archive
2022
January
January 3, 2022Tuesday, January 4, 2022Wednesday, January 5, 2022Thursday, January 6, 2022Monday, January 10, 2022Tuesday, January 11, 2022Wednesday, January 12, 2022Thursday, January 13, 2022Monday, January 17, 2022Tuesday, January 18, 2022Wednesday, January 19, 2022Thursday, January 20, 2022Monday, January 24, 2022Tuesday, January 25, 2022Wednesday, January 26, 2022Thursday, January 27, 2022Monday, January 31, 2022
February
Tuesday, February 1, 2022Wednesday, February 2, 2022Thursday, February 3, 2022Monday, February 7, 2022Tuesday, February 8, 2022Wednesday, February 9, 2022Thursday, February 10, 2022Monday, February 14, 2022Tuesday, February 15, 2022Wednesday, February 16, 2022Thursday, February 17, 2022Monday, February 21, 2022Wednesday, February 23, 2022Thursday, February 24, 2022Monday, February 28, 2022
March
Tuesday, March 1, 2022Wednesday, March 2, 2022Thursday, March 3, 2022Monday, March 7, 2022Wednesday, March 9, 2022Thursday, March 10, 2022Monday, March 14, 2022Tuesday, March 15, 2022Wednesday, March 16, 2022Monday, March 21, 2022Tuesday, March 22, 2022Wednesday, March 23, 2022Thursday, March 24, 2022Monday, March 28, 2022Tuesday, March 29, 2022Wednesday, March 30, 2022Thursday, March 31, 2022
April
Monday, April 4, 2022Tuesday, April 5, 2022Wednesday, April 6, 2022Thursday, April 7, 2022Monday, April 11, 2022Tuesday, April 12, 2022Wednesday, April 13, 2022Maundy Thursday, April 14, 2022Monday, April 18, 2022Tuesday, April 19, 2022Wednesday, April 20, 2022Monday, April 25, 2022Tuesday, April 26, 2022Wednesday, April 27, 2022Thursday, April 28, 2022
2021
November
Tuesday, November 2, 2021Monday, November 8, 2021Thursday, November 4, 2021Wednesday, November 3, 2021Monday, November 1, 2021Tuesday, November 9, 2021Wednesday, November 10, 2021Thursday, November 11, 2021Monday, November 15, 2021Tuesday, November 16, 2021Wednesday, November 17, 2021Thursday, November 18, 2021Monday, November 22, 2021Thursday, November 25, 2021Tuesday, November 23, 2021Wednesday, November 24, 2021Monday, November 29, 2021Tuesday, November 30, 2021
Categories
Tags
Acts
Communion
Cross
God's will
God
Holy Spirit
Holy Week
Jesus
Lent
Reformation
Zacchaeus
accountability
action
advent
all saints
anxiety
awe
beginning
beloved
blessing
boaz
calling
change
character
chistmas
choices
christian living
christmas
comfort
commitment
confidence
contentment
control
cost
decisions
deliverance
dependence
depth
despair
determination
devote
devotion
direction
discernment
discipleship
discouragement
disobedience
eagerness
emotion
encouragement
eternal life
eternity
exodus
facing battles
faithful living
faithfulness
faith
fatigue
fear
follow
foreshadowing
forgiveness
freedom
friends
fruit of the Spirit
future
generosity
gideon
gifts
giving
goodness
grace
grateful
gratitude
grit
growth
guidance
halloween
hannah
heart
heaven
help
history
holiday
holiness
home
hope
humble
identity
impossible
incarnation
innkeeper
inspiration
instruction
journey
kindness
kingdom
knowing God
leper
life
light
love
martin luther
maturity
memories
mercy
minor prophets
miracles
missions
mission
motives
nativity
new year
new
obedience
obstacles
opportunity
overcoming
passion
path
patience
peace
perseverance
perseverence
perspective
peter
plan
ponder
praise
prayer
preparation
presence
pressure
pride
priorities
process
prodigal
progress
provision
psalm
purpose
redemption
refuge
rejoice
remember
remembrance
renown
repentance
resolution
restoration
rest
return
ruth
sacrifice
salvation
sanctification
second coming
seeking God
serenity
sermon
service
sin
solitude
sorrow
sovereignty
sower
star
stewardship
storms
strength
struggle
stuck
talents
thankfulness
thankful
thanksgiving
thanksliving
the way
tithes
traditions
transfiguration
troubles
trust
unlikely
veterans
waiting
wisdom
wise men
word
worship
No Comments