Waiting is not something that I do well. However, waiting is a part of life. Offices and buildings have rooms and lobbies dedicated to waiting. Waiting rooms are awkward places—especially now with one chair every six feet, signs to wear masks and floor markers to make sure you don’t get too close to anyone. So welcoming, right?
We spend a lot of time waiting. We wait during pregnancies for children and grandchildren. Sitting at the bedside of parents, we wait and pray as they enter their eternal reward. We check our email every 20 minutes waiting for test results. Trackers on our phones let us know how soon our latest order will arrive. Impatiently, we wait for the results of job interviews, medical tests, and home loan applications.
As we start to get antsy for whatever it is, we need to remember that God has purposes and lessons for us to learn in the waiting room.
Principle #1 – God is never late.
“The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). God is patient with us because He doesn’t want to lose relationship with us. How many times have we lost patience and rushed into an unwise decision because we were tired of waiting? I have done it more times than I care to confess.
Principle #2 – Waiting for the Lord brings renewal.
” Yet those who [a]wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will [b]mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary” (Isaiah 40:31). God knows what we need better than we do. Our impatience and worry bring us exhaustion and health issues. Learning to wait for His timing, brings strength and renewal. He sustains us for the journey ahead.
Principle #3 – God doesn’t ask us to wait alone.
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flame burn you” (Isaiah 43:2). God constantly reassures us in Scripture that He will never leave us. We don’t see God visually but we witness Him in the encouragement of friends and loved ones, music that speaks to our soul, and the seasons that speak of His faithfulness.
Principle #4 – Waiting is not a passive activity.
“Then Joshua said to the people, ‘Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you’” (Joshua 3:5). In the same way God instructed the Israelites through Joshua, He expects us to follow the same directions. As you wait, spend time in God’s Word and worship to prepare your heart for what He has in store for you. Be busy growing in your relationship with Him rather than fretting about the wait.
Principle #5 – Waiting does not require worry.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and pleading with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all [comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if anything [is] worthy of praise, think about these things. As for the things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:6-9). We need to leave worry behind in favor of prayer and meditation on God’s Word. God instructs us to pray with thanksgiving and accept His peace that is beyond our comprehension. Our focus needs to be what is excellent and praiseworthy. In the practical application of these instructions, God’s peace will be with us.
We spent last week in the waiting room of releasing a parent into eternity. This week, we are (less than patiently) waiting for the results of Covid-19 tests. As I wait, the words of the hymns “Great is Thy Faithfulness” and “It is Well with My Soul” echo through my mind. I am so thankful that even when I struggle to completely trust Him, His faithfulness never changes.
What are you waiting for? Are you dreading the future with fear or trusting that God is in control? I would love to be able to support you in prayer if you will leave me a message in the comments.
Thank you for allowing me to share my heart for home and faith!
