WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?
Everyone is waiting for something. From the big to the small things, we wait.
Daily, we wait in lines of every kind. We wait for the light to change and our turn at the car wash.
We wait for our table at a restaurant, and wait again for our food to be served.
We wait in the doctor’s waiting room, and soon after we may wait for test results.
We wait for our big break and our dream job. Then, almost immediately, we wait for vacation time.
We wait for our situation to change, for people to change, and for the season to change.
For the little things and the big ones, the good and the bad; we wait every day for something.
We wait for cookies to bake and babies to arrive.
We wait for first steps and last words.
From conception to the next life, we wait.
We wait for children to grow, then we wait for them to come home.
We wait with deep longing for relationships to be restored.
We wait in need for someone to listen or a friend to come to visit.
We wait so much, it would seem our entire life is made of it.
We wait for help, in urgent waiting. Many of us have waited for the rescue squad to arrive. In these moments of real need, time seems to stand still. Waiting for help of any kind is an especially difficult exercise in waiting. When someone’s life depends on it, we wait anxiously; our heart rate increases and everything within us stands on high alert to the arrival of our help, while everything around us seems to swirl into slow motion.
We have moments of waiting and seasons of waiting. We wait for our prayers to be answered throughout it all.
How well do we wait? What would the Lord have us do in these times?
“The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks Him.” Lamentation 3:25
So, we ask, seek, and knock. Then, ASK, SEEK, and KNOCK LOUDER. Like the persistent widow, we go back time and time again, pleading our case. Many times, in the waiting, we cry out to God. And we are always relieved, indeed, we rejoice when the waiting is finally over!
“I waited patiently for the Lord; He turned to me and heard my cry.” ~ Psalm 40:1
So, what is it that you are waiting for? (Brief confession time out here- My English teacher self wants to say, “For what do you wait?” but it’s not how we talk, is it?)
In what posture and position are you waiting? Are you anxious and fearful? Patient? Excited and Expectant? Are you tempted to help God? Are you wavering between believing and doubting He’ll come through?
We experience every level of fear, doubt, and worry in the unknown. Yet, we are asked to trust Him. We believe that those who wait upon the Lord will renew their strength, mount up with wings as eagles and fly! Yet, we may not be able to even lift our head to look up, let alone fly. (Isaiah 30:41).
Most of us will admit we are impatient. We admit we don’t wait well. It seems waiting brings out the worst in most of us…grumbling and complaining, fear and doubt, distractions and temptations all come during the wait time. We look for ways to avoid waiting at all.
We prefer to have everything as soon as possible. In the grocery store, we pick the shortest line. We can see the people in front of us, but we track the time as they are checking out, and feel impatient while we witness and judge the entire experience. If we wait impatiently when we can see the progress in front of us, how do we wait on the things we cannot see?
One of the first lessons we teach children is how to wait their turn, yet we often fail to wait well for ours.
The act of waiting crosses every line of age, geographic location, and socioeconomic status. Yes, it would seem humans were made to wait.
While we’ve been through many waiting experiences, the hardest waiting is always the waiting you are doing right now.
In what attitude, posture and position do we accept our place and our turn in the waiting processes?
“Be patient then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.” ~ James 5:7-8
Can we rest patiently in His goodness, knowing He is faithful?
We wait for the Lord to answer our daily needs as we take on the longer wait for Jesus to return.
“Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord! ~ Psalm 27:14
INDEED, NONE who wait for You will be put to shame! ~ Psalm 25:3
As we recall and share the times the Lord has come through for us, we are reminding ourselves of His faithfulness. Indeed, God never fails.
The one factor we can control in the waiting times is in the way we wait. Some have waited long, even many years for things. There is temptation in the long wait. We question our self-effort in these times.
What should I do? What have I failed to do? Why hasn’t God answered this prayer?
Should I fast more? Pray a different way? Be more holy? Pray more desperately?
Pray LOUDER? HOW LONG LORD? DO YOU HEAR ME?
Taking control, manipulating and calling the shots, forcing the issue… In our impatience, we begin to act out of the nastiest places in our flesh. Maybe this is one reason for it all, to strip us of every motive and posture us where we will not posture ourselves – in complete humility. WAITING WELL REQUIRES HUMILITY.
HUMILITY is our posture. LOVE is our goal. Waiting well in the small waits within the BIG WAIT of seeing Jesus and finishing our race well. This is His purpose, to teach us His ways.
HE also WAITS.
We are reminded of the Lord who waits with us. But He also waits for us. Yes, we are made in the image of the One who also waits.
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 and blessed are all those who wait for him. ~ Isaiah 30:18
I went through a time of agonizing prayer in a situation where I was completely helpless…the ONLY thing I could do was pray…and I did without much ceasing…one night when I could not take it any longer, I cried out HOW LONG, LORD? HOW LONG?
His answer came immediately – IN THE FULLNESS. And I saw threads being woven together, people who had to meet, encounters and experiences that had to occur, ALL to HIS PERFECTION. THE FULLNESS. With this answer, He gave me peace. Understanding, being given just a glimpse of what He’s doing, this brings peace in the waiting.
We’ve been given an entire book full of people who were waiting. From beginning to end…turns out this whole thing is about the WAITING. And it also turns out to be the hardest thing we do, so we try to make things happen on our own schedule rather than waiting for the fullness of His doing.
Abraham and Sara waited for the promised Isaac,
Job waited for relief,
Hannah waited year after year for a son.
Joseph had multiple seasons of waiting,
We wait for the salvation of many and the revealing of the sons of God.
We know we ultimately wait for the return of Jesus Christ to receive His own.
Martha and Mary called for Jesus and they thought He was too late. When Jesus was told Lazarus was ill, He waited two more days to go to him. See John 11:1-21 (verses 14 -15 tells us why)—so that they might believe!
WAITING for the Lord to move on our behalf is a theme of our life and waiting for Him to return is our PROMISE and HOPE.
Still THE LONGER we wait, the harder it becomes…but HE IS IN IT ALL for many things to be fulfilled. THE FULLNESS.
Can we change our perspective to see the opportunities in the waiting? So that they might believe!
For LOVE is the goal. His will for us is that we would always operate in all times and in love.
LOVE IS PATIENT…Isn’t He patient with us? So shouldn’t we be patient with Him and others?
LOVE ENDURES…Shouldn’t we wait and wait, and even wait longer if we truly love?
IN THE WAITING, We LOVE. We LISTEN. We help someone else wait.
“DO NOT GROW WEARY in doing good, for at the proper time we will REAP a HARVEST if we do not give up!” Galatians 6:9
We SPEAK THE TRUTH IN LOVE, and we look toward His Coming!
and love and truth together are essential.
HOLY SPIRIT said to me,
Speaking the truth in love is this.
WITHOUT TRUTH there is no LOVE, because GOD IS LOVE and HE IS TRUTH, and we cannot divide Him.
Without LOVE there is no TRUTH because LOVE is the very HEART of TRUTH.
HE IS TRUTH. And in this is your FREEDOM.
HE IS LOVE. And there is your REST.
When you really think about it, our whole life seems to be one long wait from start to finish.
While we wait, we must live for Him, with Him, in and through Him.
KNOW HIM.
HEAR HIM.
REST IN HIM.
WAIT FOR HIM.
Wait for HIS RESCUE.
IN THE FULLNESS. We wait for the Lord. He will accomplish it all.
“SET YOUR MIND ON THINGS ABOVE, not on things on the earth. For you died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory… “ Colossians 3:2-4
Thank you for taking time to leave your thoughts and encouragement for all of us who wait together for Him alone.
Often found renewed strength in seasons of waiting. It is difficult, but worth it!
Julie, Yes! And so much is before you right now, well worth the wait!
Precious message, Sister Jill! He is worth the waiting! And He is working in us through the waiting! Thank you for this reminder.
Shura, My God has blessed me with you and your family many times in the waiting! You all are precious to me.
I needed to hear this message My timeline is not God’s timeline. My new life is allowing me to slow down and enjoy my journey.
I miss you, Anne. Getting that new rhythm is a beautfiul thing!
Waiting is so hard at times, but God’s timing is so spot on, even when we cannot see him working. Thanks so much Jill, for being the amazing person you are and for speaking truthfulness.
Bless you always and forever.
Thank you, Michelle. I am thankful the Lord has partnered us in so many ways. We wait together!
Waiting is God’s perfect timing! We get to choose to enjoy the journey as we wait upon Him or as He waits for us. Either way, it’s worth the wait.
Yes! I love it said this way, Deanne. And truly WORTH it ALL!
I stopped. “HE also WAITS.” Boy did that impact me. So many times, HE waited for ME.
Judy, Yes! Isn’t He wonderful? LOVE IS PATIENT and LONGSUFFERING.