Waiting! The bane of most of us. We do not like to wait. In fact, technological advancements have increased our dislike for waiting because we have fast everything. The very thought that we have to wait for anything irks us. And sadly, somehow we have imported that attitude into our relationship with God. When He does not answer us when we want Him to, we look for other means or kick and fuss like little children. Even when He has emphasised that we should wait, we still find it very hard to do so.
But in both scriptures we read today, we see the benefit of waiting on the Lord. What does waiting do for the child of God? It teaches you complete dependence on God, and it builds capacity in you to be able to handle that which God wants to do in and through you.
Waiting refines your character. It matures you. It takes away the excesses and builds in you an enduring spirit. Metaphorically, waiting transforms children to adults.
When we learn to wait and wait well (I mean that we don’t spend our days complaining and in self pity), we spend our days doing that which God desires. We spend our days in joy, gratitude, and contentment that inspires hope for what is yet to come.
Waiting well pushes us up and into what God has said will happen for us. Waiting burns self and selfishness away from us and opens our heart to God’s people.
I do not know how long you have been waiting for a promise of God to come through or waiting for something or someone. I have been waiting myself, and it is not an easy season. What keeps me sane is the words that God has said to me. I hold them dear to my heart.
When life’s situations wants to steal those words from me, I am learning to cry out to God for help. Surround yourself with God’s children, for they are a great support system. They will spur you and encourage you to wait for the fulfillment of what God has said. In fact, they will listen to you vent, then comfort, and redirect your focus to God.
Above all, always talk to God. Tell Him where it hurts and how your strength is failing you. In His mercy, He will supply you with the strength to honor and obey Him even in your time of waiting.
Wait on the Lord and be of good cheer. Your eyes will see God come through as you wait on Him.
