Waiting...

Waiting in today's world generally has become a thing of the past. Technology has put us on the cutting edge, so we don't even have to physically go to an interview, it can be conducted over a computer screen. We can order food online and have it delivered right to our doorstep and nowadays, there is an app for almost everything we need, which can be ordered online, and delivered often within 24-48 hours.

Whilst technology has made the world more accessible, and living life on a day to day basis easier, we have lost the ability to wait on anything.

We are always in a hurry, aren't we?

But our busyness can breed impatience, frustrations and anxiety.

Patience is a virtue that our heavenly Father excels in, there is no one more patient than Him, and we see that trait flowing throughout His word.

Whilst we may not like to wait, patience is a fruit of the spirit and as believers, it is something we need to foster and nurture. Every so often, we should stop and take stock of our lives because we can go off track and might not recognise what we have!

Waiting can be our friend or it can be our foe, it can be positive or negative, it can be joyous or full of sorrow, but ultimately, the choice is ours!

C.H. Spurgeon says:

 "If the LORD Jehovah makes us wait, let us do so with our whole hearts; for blessed are all they that wait for Him. He is worth waiting for. The waiting itself is beneficial to us; it tries faith, exercises patience, trains submission and endears the blessing when it comes. The LORD's people have always been a waiting people."

When we read about the lives of many men and women of faith in the Bible, we see that they were held in waiting patterns with God.

Abraham waited 25 years for his promised son.

The nation of Israel wandered in the desert for 40 years before they entered the Promised Land.

Hannah spent many childless years praying for the longed for son.

David waited some 15 years to become King of Israel.

Even Jesus waited until He was thirty years old before He started His ministry.

Waiting is a reality that we cannot escape.

But, God knows what is best for each of us, and He asks us to trust Him. He knows things that we don't know and He sees things that we don't see yet, and the act of waiting is an invitation to build our faith. Our waiting moments, rightly used and understood, can prepare us for service in a way that times of abundance cannot.

Waiting is a necessary step for us to connect deeply with God who can strengthen us for what lies ahead.

So how does God want us to wait?

Well, the Bible actually has a lot to say on the subject!

Psalm 130:5 says:

 "I wait for the LORD, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope."

 Psalm 27:14 says:

 "Wait for the LORD; be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the LORD."

 Isaiah 40:31 says:

 "But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run, and not grow weary, they will walk, and not be faint."

Waiting on God can be hard. It is easy to feel angry and betrayed, or to lose hope and give up. Some of us may feel rejected by God and think:

"I am trying to serve Him as well as I can, but it seems like He doesn't want me."

When things are not working out, when God seems silent, when life is at a standstill and every path seems like a wrong turn, what do we do?

David knew the importance of giving our plans to God.

 "Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him and He will do this." ( Psalm 37:5)

Surrendering our plans to God does not mean He will fulfil them the way we would like, but He does direct the "steps of the one who delights in Him." ( Psalm 37:23)

When we trust Him in the midst of our waiting, He transforms our waiting into opportunities for us to grow our faith. Committing everything to the LORD means rolling everything over to Him and handing all our heavy burdens to Him to carry. God takes our burdens gladly because He has the strength to handle them.

You might be in a space now where you are facing challenges in your life.

Commit your waiting to the LORD.

God gives us all the recipe for the posture of our hearts in our time of waiting:

• Trust in the LORD

• Delight yourself in the LORD

• Commit your ways to the LORD

• And He shall bring it to pass. (Psalm 37:3-4)

  
  

How wonderful is that!

God bless