In the Waiting
“Wait, for the Lord, take courage; be stouthearted, wait for the Lord!” (Psalm 27:14)
There are certain verses I read that pierce me every time. This one is written and taped to a special spot by my bathroom sink where water won’t get it. I read it every time I wash my hands, because I need that daily reminder.
We are all waiting for something. Whether it be for a new job, a spouse, a promotion, for our hair to grow longer, or for our kids to grow past the waking up in the middle of the night phase.
I’m no expert on waiting. I actually have to admit that I often wait rather poorly. I get impatient at God, at myself, at the world, and I begin to throw internal tantrums that even I get quite embarrassed about. So, what am I learning in my season of waiting?
Scripture is filled with so many mentions and instances of people waiting. The Israelites, the chosen people of God, waited 400 years for a Savior, Hannah faced ridicule and waited years to get pregnant, the disciples waited three days after Jesus’ death for Him to resurrect from the tomb!
Ok, I get it, these are all pretty extreme examples, but bear with me. As many instances there are of people waiting, there are as many scripture passages encouraging us to wait.
“The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him” (Lamentations 3:25).
“Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him” (Isaiah 30:18).
“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9).
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:6-7).
“Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who carries out wicked schemes” (Psalm 37:7).
“But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation my God will hear me” (Micah 7:7).
“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31).
So why does God make us wait? Is He some cruel God who doesn’t want us to be happy? Or worse yet, is He not aware of our suffering and our present state?
If you could imagine me sitting next to you right now, imagine me looking into your eyes and telling you with all love and gentleness, “NO!”
He loves you. He loves me.
He also understands the sacredness of the process. He is the master painter who sees the whole picture better than we do. He is intimately involved in our lives and is working things out for our good. I know the process of waiting is hard.
But know that you don’t wait alone. Your Father in heaven is using every moment, every tear and every act of trust to bring out His greater glory and your greater good. So, let us wait for the Lord. Let us be courageous and stouthearted and wait to see the masterpiece He is creating in us.