Early in my faith walk I was incapable of waiting for anything. So if I wanted it…I did whatever it took to get it. What I sought did not matter–money or mansions or sports cars or something on my unending list of “things” I “had to have.”
Applying the notion of waiting to the spiritual side of my life, it’s easy to see why I could not fathom having to wait for God to give me direction and insight and joy.
No wonder I was thinking: “C’mon, God, I need some help here.”
What a blessing it has been to learn that Scripture assures us that God will reveal his plan and divine direction in a way that is clear and complete when we are connected to him.
“I will watch expectantly for the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation My God will hear me.” Micah 7:7
I now know that waiting is one of the best ways to take myself out of the equation and let God cultivate my character while he works in my life on the end-state promise of victory through Christ.
God has taught me to wait for his refining work and look for his perspective even while I am in the throes of affliction or pain or some kind of challenge or opportunity.
I have learned that he wants us to trust his divine timing and not get discouraged while we’re waiting. Approaching it this way helps me focus on the opportunity for growth and discerning God’s direction during the delay. And that means I can be more patient while I “wait it out.”
Our concentration in the waiting process is critical because God’s messages are not only “slow” to arrive some of the time, they can be hard to understand. But that is part of the blessing in our relationship with God. Sometimes he tells us, “before walking another mile, wait here a little while and eventually you will understand completely.”
That is why we should not bail out of the waiting room when there is a delay in what God is telling us. As we look back, we will see many instances where his messages came into focus over time. That has certainly been the case in my life.
How about you? Are you good at waiting?
