Just Wait!

I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.

Psalm 130:5

Waiting is a part of life. We have to wait at red lights, in store lines, for test results—the list is endless. I admit that I am not good at waiting. When I have a plan or a project, I want to proceed immediately. In my book, waiting is difficult!

But God’s plan for the lives of His people often includes periods of waiting. God promised Abraham a son, yet Abraham had to wait many years for that son to be born. God allowed Joseph to wait in prison two year before being released. The Israelites waited seventy years in Babylon before being set free. Mary and Martha sent for Jesus when their brother became ill, yet Jesus didn’t arrive until Lazarus had been dead for four days.

What does God do in the lives of His people during times of waiting? As Abraham waited for the promised son, God taught Abraham to trust Him. While Joseph waited in prison, God developed skills that would be used to save a nation. God used the seventy years of exile in Babylon to purge the Israelites of idolatry and teach them to worship Him alone. Jesus waited to arrive at the home of Lazarus to teach Mary and Martha that He is the Resurrection and the Life.

Peter Marshall once prayed, “Teach us, O Lord, the disciplines of patience, for to wait is often harder than to work.” Though waiting is not easy, God uses periods of waiting to teach and develop His followers. He teaches us to trust and depend upon Him. He teaches us patience. As we focus upon Him during times of waiting, God reveals His character to us and develops skills that will be used in future ministry.

Are you in a period of waiting? Do you trust that God’s timing is perfect, or will you grow impatient and move ahead of God?

Lord, give me patience and trust as I wait for Your perfect timing.

Jan Burkhart