Subscription Lists

Sometimes I'm in such a hurry I struggle with the 30 minutes in the waiting room at the doctor's office, the 3 minutes for a bag of popcorn to pop in the microwave, or even the 30 seconds for the light to turn green at a stop light. I can't imagine what it must have felt like to wait for as long as some did in the Bible, like Abraham, the nation of Israel, Simeon, Anna, and even the disciples. It is in studying the lives of those God used throughout the Scriptures I see what it means to truly wait and how valuable it is to learn to wait on God.

These amazing people of the Bible can teach us a valuable lesson in learning to wait. It's a hard lesson, but if we can learn it, perhaps the waiting that is inevitable will be easier to face.

Have you ever asked God, "Why must I wait?" "Why must I wait for the phone to ring?" "Why do I have to wait so long to meet the right person?" "Why must I wait so long for my prayers to be answered?" Unless you're dead, the answer is probably yes. In the midst of circumstances we don't like and can't control… it has become natural for us to ask these questions and to wonder if our waiting is in vain.

But waiting is sometimes a lot more than just "waiting". It is in the waiting our character is revealed. It is revealing to others and to God who you really are and who you honestly trust.

In Habakkuk, Chapter 2 we see that after God served His own purposes by the prevailing power of the Chaldeans, He tried the faith and patience of His people, and was able to distinguish between the hypocrites and the sincere among them.

God has an appointed time for His appointed work, and He will be sure to do the work when the time comes. It is not for us to anticipate His appointments, but to merely wait His time. We can be encouraged in knowing that we won't be disappointed of it, because it will come at the time appointed. Nor should we be disappointed in it, because it will fully answer our expectations. Even if we have to wait… it will come. It might tarry past our time, but it will never tarry past God's time, because His time is always the best time.

In a world of the fast and furious we can easily find ourselves looking for a quick answer to our troubles. We turn to our friends, our family, therapists, drinking, possibly drugs, food, sex, whatever it is that we believe will make us feel better – either by telling us what we want to hear or making us feel a certain way we desire. It's hard to accept that in "waiting" we can find the answer. And for most of us, we just don't have the patience for it.

In Micah Chapter 7, verse 7, we see that Micah saw no safety or comfort in anything else but in looking to the Lord, and waiting on God. Micah lived in a sin-immersed culture much like us today. In our world and in his, there are few people who can give us confidence or compassion… so one can only look to the Lord. The lesson here is that when we are under trials, we should look continually to our Divine Redeemer, that we may have strength and grace to trust in Him, and to be examples to those around us. Instead of seeking our answers elsewhere in the world.

Are you starting to get a clearer picture about learning to wait? It's not about us! It's about God's purpose and how He wants to use us in this amazing story He is writing.

And yet, there is still something in this for us. He loves us so much and if we are willing to wait on Him – especially in the tough times… He has so many wonderful blessings for us.

The book of Lamentations was Jeremiah's lament over the destruction of Jerusalem. He wrote the book after he had walked among the rubble of the city. The walls were destroyed, the temple was burned down and the Babylonians had ransacked the city and killed many. Imagine for a moment what it would be like to walk the streets of your city after a tornado had destroyed every building that was standing. This is what Jeremiah was feeling. And yet in the midst of the heartache he spoke of God's faithfulness.

In the midst of the destruction Jeremiah affirms God's faithfulness. Why? Because God did exactly what He said He would do. He told the people that His patience was wearing thin and judgment was right around the corner. This act of judgment showed that God meant what He said.

Jeremiah also recognized the Lord had also promised to keep a remnant. Jeremiah knew the only reasons there were any survivors at all was because the Lord had promised to preserve the nation. They all deserved to be destroyed for their fickle faith . . . but they were not all destroyed. God kept some of these people alive so the nation could continue. This remnant was not made up of people who deserved to be saved . . . they were people who were saved because of God's promise and for no other reason.

When we are going through the tough times we need to remember these insights of Jeremiah who even in the rubble of difficult times, knew God to be faithful. God doesn't forget His promises. He will still provide for us. He still stands with us. He will indeed give us the words to say and the strength to stand. He is still working for our good. He still loves us.

His commitment to every child of God remains undiminished. . . even though circumstances may make us wonder. All He asks is that we learn to wait and in His time, He will answer.

"Today's Little Lift" from Jim Bullington

Mercy and not Sacrifice (Sept. 30, 2010)