WAIT

WAITING

I don't like waiting. Largely because I am convinced that my time is precious and I don't like to waste it. It's one of the reasons I nearly always travel with a book or two wherever I go so that in those unexpected moments of delay I can redeem the time. Yesterday I had to do a lot of waiting around. I was tagging along with Kim as she had some meetings with key people. At one point, after standing in a corridor for 20 minutes, I said, "I don't need to be here." To which she replied, "But you are here because you love me." She checkmated me. It seems there is a connection between waiting and love.

"But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience."
Romans 8:25

I suspect that I am not the only one who doesn't particularly like waiting. But Kim's statement was very insightful. Waiting is a sign of love. During World War 2, many sweethearts were separated as young men went off to the battlefront while their girlfriends (or fiancés) waited for them at home. We have had several couples in our church who went through World War 2 and had to wait up to six years to be reunited! True love waits.

Wait for the LORD;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the LORD!"
Psalm 27:14

Wait for the Lord, the Psalmist exhorts. Waiting requires trust. Authentic trust requires love. In reverse: if you love God you'll trust God and if you trust God you'll wait on Him. How do youwait on God? When you come to that time of your day when you still yourself and read God's Word, take a moment to pray a prayer of invitation. This prayer of invitation asks God to speak to you and to show you what you need to know. "Father, thank You for Your Word. I now ask You to speak to me. Help me to hear your voice and give me the courage to heed Your voice. I yield my life to You. Amen."

Lead me in your truth and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all the day long.
Psalm 25:5

To wait on the Lord requires something of the worshiper. It requires a change of priorities. It calls the follower of the Crucified Supreme Lord to seek God and His kingship first.

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Matthew 6:33

Life can be busy. Spiritual waiting all too often just has to wait. But God is calling His people to wait on Him. Be still. Reflect on His Word. Pray yielding prayers. Invite Him to speak to you, lead you, guide you, and use you. It will be worth the wait.

Ps. Andrew