As children of God, waiting on Him is inevitable for us. If we are committed to walking with the Lord, we need to wait until we get our direction and instruction from Him. The truth is that there is waiting also at the natural level. However, waiting is even more significant at the spiritual level.
The good news is that the scripture has much to say about waiting on God, and we have examples of those who waited well on the Lord and those who did not. As I studied the word “wait”, I found that there several different meanings to this word. In order for us to fully appreciate the depth of “waiting,” we need to dig a little deeper.
Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. Psalm 37:7
Wait Patiently (H2342): to dance, to twist, writhe, to whirl, whirl about, bear, bring forth, to wait anxiously, to be born.
The above word “wait” is not an easy wait. The scripture tells us that while the waiting is going to be difficult, that God’s people are to wait patiently on the Lord. There is no need to fret but one can rest in the Lord. Jesus was back on the boat resting while the storm was occurring. He must have been confident that He can wait for the storm to pass, but it was His disciples that asked Him to do something.
This kind of waiting is a reminder of a pregnant woman. As much as a mother may get uncomfortable with the extra weight and sleepless nights, she would rather wait and give birth to a full-term baby rather than rush the process and risk the health of the baby. When the time for delivery comes, a pregnant woman knows that the process is not going to be easy. It may take several long hours. She has to learn to take deep breaths and relax her body as she goes through the delivery to bear the baby.
Similarly, God is doing a work in us that cannot be rushed. As much as we would like to do something about our growth and speed up the process, we cannot rush it. Most of us would prefer to mature faster and not have any struggles, but we have to go through the process with God. Our part is to obey him in the areas that He shows us, so we can stay in step with His process. We cannot, through our zeal, do more to make the process go faster.
Interestingly, as I was writing this devotional, I came face to face with a situation that caused upheaval in my soul. I started thinking of a couple of remedies in my mind. I have the choice to either rush to do something to alleviate some of the pain, or I can wait patiently to go through the process to see God’s hand move in the situation. The issue is why is it causing me so much pain!? If I get rid of the pain without allowing God to deal with the root issue, I will be back here again at some point in the future. It is difficult to be still and not do something when we are in pain, but waiting patiently allows us to give room for God to do His beautiful work!
Waiting patiently on the Lord can be frustrating for those of us who are action-oriented. In reality, our frustration shows that there is further work to be done in us to surrender more fully to the process. At the minimum, it is developing the fruit of patience in us. However, I’m sure God is doing more work than we are even aware of at this moment. Waiting and resting seem to be oxymoron. It takes faith, hope, and love to wait and rest in God. We need faith to believe that God is at work. We also have to have hope and confident expectation that He is doing a good work because He loves us and wants the best for us.
