In the waiting...

 

My mind wandered on the topic of ‘waiting’. We wait all the time. We wait to fall asleep at night; we wait on text messages, for Amazon deliveries, for our paycheck to hit our bank account, for response from job applications....the list goes on. In today’s instant gratification world, waiting for anything is almost exasperating. It drains us. We need to click a button and things should just appear. I realize that I am very impatient. God has made me wait upon everything. Sometimes I have felt that it is unfair. One night I found myself on the floor in the midst of an ugly cry. I felt like I was standing in line with the rest of the world, holding a tray, and waiting for my portion of life’s helpings. One by one, the people around me were served. Then they were going back for seconds. And thirds. And fourths. And I was still standing there with an empty tray waiting for my first. Between sobs, in the darkness I whispered “You’ve forgotten me”. My faith knew He hadn’t. But part of me truly felt that way. And that disconnect between faith and feelings has been one of the most difficult hurdles of my entire waiting journey.

Psalm 27:13-14 says, “I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord

 

I am grateful for the patience God has for me. The long-suffering nature of God. That He doesn’t need a good nap before he can handle what I bring to Him. He is slow to anger, and His mercy is boundless. I wait on the Lord to act – to deliver, to save, to heal, to answer my prayers, to provide for my needs, to renew my strength, to reveal His glory, to do what only God can do. I wait on Him because He is God and I am not. As I wait on the Lord, he changes me and he strengthens me. I’ve found that one of my biggest battles in long seasons of waiting is fighting fear and all its buddies like anxiety, fretfulness, and worry. A voice in my head asks, What if this happens? What if God doesn’t answer my prayers? It is his word that has taught me that strength and courage will never be found in myself but in Christ. I am tempted to put my hope in things that may disappoint me in the end. I can hope a doctor will heal me, a teacher will pass me, my employer will reward me, or a friend will help me. But it is only when i put my hope in Christ that I can wait with confidence and know I will not be put to shame. Everyone else may give up, get tired of my whining or think it is all too much to handle. But the God whom I trust can accomplish what I cannot. I wait on Him because I am helpless without Him. If God acted immediately every time I cried to 

Him, I would be in control and not Him. I would call the shots, and I do not possess His wisdom. Having to wait causes me to learn to trust Him, to trust His timing. 

Do we really know the God we trust in? He...

• Measures all the waters of earth in the hollow of his hand, marked off the heavens, and collects every particle of dust on the earth in a basket (Isaiah 40:12)
• Knows the exact weight of all the mountains and hills (Isaiah 40:12)
• Brings out the stars each night by calling them each by name (Isaiah 40:26)

Don’t waste time in the “waiting room.” Ask God to change you while you wait, to strengthen you and produce perseverance, character, and hope. As Moses told the panicky Israelites trapped at the Red Sea by Pharaoh’s army, “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still” (Exodus 14:14). When it seems God has pushed us into a corner, we have an opportunity to set aside our human nature and wait upon the Lord to show us His power, His purpose, and His salvation.

Friend, the Lord God is faithful. If He makes a promise, He’ll certainly keep it. Don’t miss this principle because it’s one of the most important lessons we can ever learn about our ability to wait on Him. Perhaps the issue of God’s will has been heavy on your heart. You know His plans for you are good, but what are they? Do they really include the fulfillment of your dearest hopes and dreams? Is there any way you can be certain? Something actually happens while nothing is happening. God uses waiting to change us. Our natural response to waiting is often anger or doubt. Fortunately, God is gracious and merciful, understanding of our nature. Simply feeling deep, complex emotions in waiting — especially for significant things, like a pregnancy or a job — is not necessarily sinful in itself. But we can decide where those emotions take us. We have the choice, then, to take a deep breath, release our clenched fists, and let God be God - releasing control to the father’s heart . Not only will the Father guide you, but in Jeremiah 29:11, He assures: “For I know the plans that I have for you … plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future” In other words, you don’t have to be afraid that there’s only heartbreak ahead. God’s purposes for you will bring you contentment, satisfaction, and success. Though you’ll most likely face times of adversity—as we all do—you can be sure in those seasons that “in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose” (Rom. 8:28).

So my prayer today is that I stand undone...helpless in His presence; to never take my eyes off Jesus. Touch me Jesus- that your word would illuminate my heart that I would behold your glory and be changed by it. Give me beauty for ashes so I reflect beauty in my heart. And when I wake up, I say - I am one day closer to what God has spoken over my life. God, I know that you are still writing my story...so my waiting is not passive, but in my wait, I take my hands off my situation and allow the Father to work through my circumstances. As I discover your will, I actively claim your promises and I continue obeying you in every step.

Written by: Anu Varghese