We are good at many things, but we are not good at waiting.
We think waiting is wasting time, a non-productive time.
We think waiting is being lazy, the opposite of working.
We think waiting is what we do while nothing is getting done.
We think waiting is, at best, annoying and inconvenient.
But the Bible often shows believers waiting. . .
Noah waited 120 years for the promised flood.
Abraham and Sarah waited 25 years for Isaac to be born.
Joseph waited two to three years in prison.
Israel waited four hundred years in Egypt.
David waited fifteen years to become king of all Israel.
Jesus waited thirty years to begin His ministry.
God tells us to wait, and even sometimes tells us why. . .
Waiting for answered prayer demonstrates faith. Psalm 5:3
Waiting for God to act is a companion to courage. Psalm 27:14
Waiting can show that our hope is in God. Psalm 33:20
Waiting leaves space for God to act for us. Psalm 37:7
Waiting creates opportunity for obedience. Psalm 37:34
Waiting anchors us in the certainties of God. Psalm 130:5, 6
Faith requires waiting. Just as a fire requires oxygen, the spark of our faith is fanned into flame by waiting. Let’s not waste our waiting by fretting and fidgeting, but instead, let’s cultivate our faith as we wait for the Lord, and enjoy Him while we wait.
“Father, still our hearts to trust you as we wait. In the name of Jesus. Amen.”