Waiting

Here is an excerpt of a sermon I read somewhere on the essential factors in waiting on the Lord.

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We don’t like to wait, especially in our “I want it now!” society. Ours is a society that has grown accustomed to imme­diate gratification. Due to mod­ern tech­nology and all our con­ve­nienc­es—tele­phones, refrigera­tors, freez­ers, microwaves, fast foods, airplanes, etc.—we have many things immedi­ately at our fingertips.

Even in our modern age of convenienc­es, waiting is still a big part of life. The simple fact is, in spite of our modern age and our dislike for waiting, life is full of wait­ing. And one of the most chal­leng­ing message of Scripture is “Wait.” But wait­ing, de­spite our impa­tience and our dislike for it, is a vital ele­ment in life.

When we think of waiting on the Lord, there are a num­ber of impor­tant questions that need to be an­swered and under­stood in light of the principles and promises of Scrip­ture. Why? Because without these an­swers, we be­come like a long-tailed cat scurrying around in a room full of rock­ing chairs. We be­come fidgety, fearful, frus­trat­ed, anx­ious, and even angry. However, because the Lord tells us to wait, and since it has some wonderful bene­fits, we need to know what it means to wait and how that is to be done.

Waiting Necessitates the Passage of Time
The coming of the dawn was certain, but not without the passage of time. In our “I want it now generation” we must understanding and accept the fact that waiting on the Lord always involves the passage of time just as it does when we are waiting for the news. Waiting on the Lord inevitably means enduring the passage of time, but it does not end there.

Waiting Means Confident Expectation
Waiting involves an expectation of something special. Waiting means anticipation, expectation, confi­dent hope in something that will take place. Ultimate­ly, wait­ing on the Lord is like waiting on the sun to rise—wait­ing ex­pec­tantly for the Lord’s an­swers to human needs as the sun brings the warmth of the day.

Waiting Involves an Expectation Based on Knowledge and Trust
Without knowledge and trust, we simply won’t wait—at least not without a great deal of anxiety—and usually not without taking matters into our own hands.

We know that throughout our lives we have seen the sun rise every single day. It has never failed even once. We know or believe, therefore, we can count on it based on its past performance, so we wait for the light and the warmth. But above all, we are expect­ing God’s laws of creation to continue to work.

Waiting Involves Negatives and Positives
Waiting involves a passivity and an activity—negatives and positives—things we should do and things we should not do. These negatives and positives in relation to waiting are closely wound together like the strands in a rope. When wound together properly, they give great strength, cour­age, patience, and endurance.

Waiting Involves Seeking the Lord
On the positive side, waiting always means seek­ing the Lord. When we enter God’s wait­ing room we are not to just sit as one might in the doctor’s chair. Rather, we need to spend time seek­ing Him. This means time in the Word and in prayer.

Waiting Involves Taking Action at the Right Time
There is a time to plow, a time to sow, and a time to reap, but they are never done all together or at the same time. Waiting on the Lord is like that. God is in the business of growing a spiritual harvest in our lives, but this takes time and our cooperation in doing the right things at the right time.

Waiting Involves Resting in God’s Timing
Waiting means resting in God’s timing and activity while taking care of our responsibili­ties—the things we can do and should do as set forth in the Word of God. On the one hand we are to rest and be still. This stands op­posed to running ahead of the Lord and taking mat­ters into our own hands and turning to our own human strate­gies.

Waiting Means Trusting in God and His Goodness
The essence of waiting is trust or faith in the nature and character of God. No one can wait on the Lord if he or she does not truly trust in God as the rock of their strength and refuge in all of life. Waiting means claiming God’s prom­ises by faith and resting in what God is doing in our lives so we can faithfully follow God’s prin­ci­ples and keep­ His val­ues, priori­ties, and pur­suits.

Waiting Involves Taking the Right Action
Waiting on the Lord also means doing the things we can and should without panic or running ahead of Him. For example, if we need a job or think we need a change of employment, we should pray and ask God for wis­dom, for informa­tion, and for His sovereign leading, but we may also need to prepare for a job with education and training. Then we need to pursue looking for a job by putting to­geth­er a re­sume, checking the classifieds, submitting applications, talking to friends, and going to em­ploy­ment agen­cies. We don’t expect an employer to come knocking at the door while we sit in front of the TV.

Waiting Involves Learning to be Content with God’s Provision and Timing
To wait on the Lord means to be content and pa­tient because we are clinging to God and resting in His love and wisdom.

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God is always on time.

He is never late,

and He is seldom early.