There are a lot of things we have to wait for in life. We have to wait in line at any store we shop at, even the express lines have a line. We wait at the doctors office, we wait in the emergency room, we wait for that special package to arrive, we wait for test results from a very important examination, we wait for the acceptance letter from that college you applied to, you wait for the right man or woman to marry ( I hope) we wait it seems for everything that matters to our day to day lives. But the one thing we have trouble waiting for is an answer to prayer. This is what the Lord says about those who are willing to wait.
“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 NKJV
“Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!” Psalms 27:14 NKJV
The spiritual character and fortitude that is built in waiting cannot be achieved in an instant. During Black Friday each year, thousands of people camp out for hours to purchase one item at a bargain price. But ask those same individuals to sit through a one hour church service and they would balk. We do make allowances for what we want badly enough.
Sheri and I were watching a television program the other evening. A young man purchased a piece of property and discovered while digging a well, that there may be oil underground. He was faced with a financial dilemma. He didn’t have the money to dig deep enough to find his fortune, so someone with business savvy and devious intentions, offered him double what he paid for the land. The amount in the century they were living in was a whopping $1,200.00 dollars. The first thing I said was don’t sell. The person knows the land is a goldmine. Hold on to it! He didn’t listen to me yelling at the screen, so the man amassed great wealth from the oil that was discovered on the land.
Regretting his hasty decision didn’t change the situation. He thought of all the things he could do with the $1200 dollars, but he was too shortsighted to see what a little extra time working to come up with $2000 dollars would’ve brought him. They say hindsight is twenty twenty, but that’s only after we’ve been hasty. When we wait, we gain insight. When we wait we see things differently than when we’re in a hurry. When we wait, our ability to reason and think things or get a different perspective on what we should do is heightened. Whenever we make significant life changing decisions in a hurry we will always regret it.
That property was his, free and clear. He sold it for far less than it was worth had he waited. The Psalmist admonishes us to wait patiently for the Lord. I’m sure he’s writing from his own life experience. Just read the entire Psalm. He was facing some pretty rough stuff. But he found that by waiting patiently for the Lord, the answer he needed would surely come. How badly do you want what you’re waiting for? Badly enough to not compromise? Badly enough not to take a shortcut. Sellout for less than God’s best for you? You may have grown weary in your waiting, but there’s a promise from the One who is always on time. Go ahead read that verse from Isaiah again. Do you sense your frustration leaving and your strength being renewed?
Those words are life changing if you’ll allow them to penetrate the fear and anxiety associated with waiting. The thing about waiting patiently in faith is that we capture God’s vision. We see through His eyes. His best for us is always about the life lessons we learn from every experience. Just think about your life as a parent ( if you’re one) do you give your children everything they ask for as soon as they ask? I would hope you didn’t. Getting everything you want when you want breeds an entitlement mentality in some, and may be premature for others. God knows us, and knows what’s best for us. Waiting and sometimes even not getting what you wanted helps build character and our faith, you may even realize that you don’t really need whatever it is you thought you can’t live without. If we know that truth about ourselves, how much more does our Heavenly Father?
He supplies our need and wants, but He knows when and how to get it to us. Did you notice the exclamation mark in the last part of psalm 27? In both scriptures the writers speak of strength in waiting. Why is that? Because they know that most of us grow weary and faint of heart in waiting. Don’t spend another moment worrying about how much time has passed. Instead focus on what you’re going to do when the answer comes. Plan as though you already have what you’re waiting for. Live in the moment. Jesus told us to not worry about tomorrow. Grace is the ability to live in today’s successes. Your tomorrow will soon be another today.
Here’s another promise from our Father. One that is certain to bring strength to your hearts.
“For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold From those who walk uprightly. O LORD of hosts, Blessed is the man who trusts in You!”
Psalms 84:11-12 NKJV
If that need or desire fits into His will for us, if it’s a good thing, He will certainly not withhold it from those who wait for and trust in Him. Wouldn’t you prefer His best in His time anyway? Remember Esau? He thought he was going to die if he didn’t get some of his brother’s stew, he filled his belly, but sold his birthright in the process. (Genesis 27) Shortsighted and hasty decisions rob us of God’s best. So do you really need that right now? Stop, think, wait.
Heavenly Father in the Name of Jesus
Please teach me the art of waiting on Your timing. I do not want to miss out on Your best for me. Amen
Written by permission of the Holy Spirit
W. Tennant
February 3, 2021