He’s In the Waiting

Have you ever noticed how much the Lord seems to delight in teaching you through periods of waiting? When I was a child, waiting felt like punishment, but now, as an adult, I would have to say that waiting feels more like an inconvenience. Some years ago, just as we were getting ready to list our house for sale, our hot water tank broke. Not only did this mean no hot shower in the morning, it also delayed our plans to sell our house. A very big inconvenience!

We didn’t have the money to replace the tank, so we formulated a plan to get a new tank from our gas company by simply having the payments put on our monthly bill. However, when we stopped to pray, we had a strong sense that our plan was not the Lord’s plan. So, we chose to wait.

From Noah in the book of Genesis, waiting many years as he built the ark, to the apostle John, imprisoned in his old age on the isle of Patmos, writing the Revelation of Jesus Christ, the Bible is rich in accounts of individuals who were called to wait. Examples are Daniel, Queen Esther, king David, Elijah, Abraham and Sarah, the disciples, and, of course, King Jesus, as His life was poured out on the cross.

What were they all waiting for?

There are times that it may feel like we are waiting on a person, but the truth is we are always waiting on God. Patience is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, who longs to help us wait well. The Israelites lost their patience waiting for Moses to come back. They took their eyes off God, and fell dangerously into idolatry.

Maybe you find yourself waiting in this season of your life. Could the Lord be growing you in self-control, teaching you moderation, revealing His character, which is so long suffering, to you, or showing you how to stand firm? Waiting is not passive. Waiting requires action, but it’s not doing something. It requires us to be still before the Lord, to listen, to watch, to dig deep into His word, to stay connected to Him in prayer, to halt, rest, to stand firm, right where we are, until He tells us otherwise.

A knock came on our door one day in the midst of our waiting. It was friends who felt led to give us some money, so that we could buy a new hot water tank. How humbling to wait upon the Lord, and then witness His goodness. We almost missed the blessing that He had for us.

‘But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint’ (Isaiah 40:31).