One of the most
difficult things God asks us to do is wait. What makes it even more
difficult is the instruction usually comes as silence. And certainly
there's no timetable--no "You just have to wait for three months, or two
years, or . . ." No, it's almost always open ended--a silence that
says "wait" with no promise of how long. And no promise as to what the
answer will be either. Too often, sadly, as we wait impatiently, we
begin to imagine one of the biggest lies: "God doesn't care." "God is
indifferent." Neither of those is ever true. And neither is it true
that because God is calling on me to wait that there must be something
spiritually wrong with me. Certainly, He is going to cause me to grow
by waiting, but that is the normal Christian walk, not a condemnation.
He disciplines, trains, all of His kids--because He loves them all. And
He knows what they must be in order to face the future that is headed
their way.
But what else makes waiting so important?
First, waiting makes us live by faith. It tests our faith as not much else can. Are we willing to keep on being faithful, keep on doing and saying what we know is true about God, keep on living the righteous life of those who possess genuine faith? Waiting makes us rest in the love of God, in the anticipation of--dare I say expectation of--the good He is working even though we can't see Him moving. If God didn't make us wait, we would never have to trust Him.
Second, waiting gives us spiritual power, the power of endurance. We know that if we are still in the trial, still waiting for an answer or direction, it's because God trusts us to wait. Waiting is His vote of confidence in our inner man's ability to rely on the Spirit's power until He is ready to act. We would never know how much He trusted us if we weren't called upon to wait.
Waiting, also, makes us dependent instead of independent. How? After I run out of ideas, of ways to help God out with the problem. . . After, despite my constant interference, nothing has happened and God hasn't moved, all I can do is wait. It finally dawns on my stubborn nature that God is in control and not me. I have to trust His timing. In my attempt to control things and people, I have messed things up as much as I can. Now, I must cast all my cares on Him and rest in His infinite love and wisdom. I must quit worshipping me and start worshipping Him. The power to change things in the lives of those I love is the Holy Spirit's. The power to get things accomplished in the ministry where I serve is the Holy Spirit's. All the committees, seminars, drives, human manipulations and wiles, (and you know who the master of wiles is, don't you?), will never do what God can do. Oh, they may accomplish something, but it won't be God's work. It will be man's. Waiting makes me fall on my knees and turn everything over to Him.
Finally, waiting is the source of joy. When God acts, when His hidden power becomes manifested, when I see Him do the impossible, the surprise of joy enthralls my soul. Tears of joy overwhelm me. Sometimes the joy is so intense I'm speechless. When I try to share what He's done, the tears of being loved silence the thoughts trying to go from my mind and heart to my lips. Waiting in order to allow Him to act without my interference has always brought a deep satisfaction and a deepening of my love and confidence in His goodness and wisdom. And those feelings are well worth waiting for.
Those who successfully wait, steadfastly wait for His power to be seen, have an even though/yet faith. Even though they must wait for His leading, even though He may lead in a way they do not desire, even though He may do the one thing they don't want Him to do; yet, they rejoice in the God who is their Savior, in the God who does all things well, in the God who gives the strength of grace to keep on going in their walk with Him no matter what the answer or how long they had to wait to find it out. And such people on the darkest night or the brightest day have a song in their heart. And they are never again afraid to wait in awe of their God's loving heart--to rest in who they know Him to be.
But what else makes waiting so important?
First, waiting makes us live by faith. It tests our faith as not much else can. Are we willing to keep on being faithful, keep on doing and saying what we know is true about God, keep on living the righteous life of those who possess genuine faith? Waiting makes us rest in the love of God, in the anticipation of--dare I say expectation of--the good He is working even though we can't see Him moving. If God didn't make us wait, we would never have to trust Him.
Second, waiting gives us spiritual power, the power of endurance. We know that if we are still in the trial, still waiting for an answer or direction, it's because God trusts us to wait. Waiting is His vote of confidence in our inner man's ability to rely on the Spirit's power until He is ready to act. We would never know how much He trusted us if we weren't called upon to wait.
Waiting, also, makes us dependent instead of independent. How? After I run out of ideas, of ways to help God out with the problem. . . After, despite my constant interference, nothing has happened and God hasn't moved, all I can do is wait. It finally dawns on my stubborn nature that God is in control and not me. I have to trust His timing. In my attempt to control things and people, I have messed things up as much as I can. Now, I must cast all my cares on Him and rest in His infinite love and wisdom. I must quit worshipping me and start worshipping Him. The power to change things in the lives of those I love is the Holy Spirit's. The power to get things accomplished in the ministry where I serve is the Holy Spirit's. All the committees, seminars, drives, human manipulations and wiles, (and you know who the master of wiles is, don't you?), will never do what God can do. Oh, they may accomplish something, but it won't be God's work. It will be man's. Waiting makes me fall on my knees and turn everything over to Him.
Finally, waiting is the source of joy. When God acts, when His hidden power becomes manifested, when I see Him do the impossible, the surprise of joy enthralls my soul. Tears of joy overwhelm me. Sometimes the joy is so intense I'm speechless. When I try to share what He's done, the tears of being loved silence the thoughts trying to go from my mind and heart to my lips. Waiting in order to allow Him to act without my interference has always brought a deep satisfaction and a deepening of my love and confidence in His goodness and wisdom. And those feelings are well worth waiting for.
Those who successfully wait, steadfastly wait for His power to be seen, have an even though/yet faith. Even though they must wait for His leading, even though He may lead in a way they do not desire, even though He may do the one thing they don't want Him to do; yet, they rejoice in the God who is their Savior, in the God who does all things well, in the God who gives the strength of grace to keep on going in their walk with Him no matter what the answer or how long they had to wait to find it out. And such people on the darkest night or the brightest day have a song in their heart. And they are never again afraid to wait in awe of their God's loving heart--to rest in who they know Him to be.
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