Profitable Waiting
Have you ever thought about life as waiting? It seems that we're always waiting for something, or for many things. Waiting, in a sense, means we're still alive because we're looking forward. If you're like me, however, you're not very good at waiting.
Not only do we want what we want, we want it now. Sometimes we work and work to make sure that what we're waiting for happens. This is why some go to college. They're working to secure the future that they're hoping for.
And sometimes it's pretty clear that we have no control over the outcome and we're hoping and praying while we wait. But even though we have no control, we can be really anxious, right? Since life and waiting go together, the Bible has a lot to say about waiting.
But it's easy to move away from the biblical waiting because biblical waiting is not easy and requires faith. The first problem is in realizing that God is the ultimate mover in everything. Not me, not my effort, but God.
Proverbs 19:21 says, “Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it's the Lord's purpose that prevails.” Proverbs 16:33 says, “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.”
For the Christian, this should be an amazing comfort because life is not random and hopeless and it's not dependent on my feeble efforts. We know that God loves us and only wants the best for us, and He will always be everything we need. So, we can work and wait with anticipation and confidence in the outcome of God's love for us.
Now, some might say, well, if God is the mover in everything, why would I do anything? Maybe I should just stay in bed and do nothing and wait for whatever God chooses to do. And of course, that's not even close to the biblical perspective.
We were created to actively image God and glorify Him to a world that needs hope. Like the Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 10:31, “Whether we eat or drink or whatever we do, we should do all things for the glory of God.”
Biblical waiting is not a passive thing. It's an active posture filled with expectancy and hope because God is actively caring for His children and saving the lost.
King David in Psalm 5:3 sums it up well. He said, “In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice. In the morning I lay my request before you and wait expectantly. God has designed our lives to be full of prayer and expectant waiting.
Would you like to be better at sharing the gospel with others? Pray about this continually. Pray for those around you. Pray that God would give you deeper love for others and the courage to open your mouth. Pray that God would open your eyes to see the opportunities in front of you. And then, with expectancy, wait for God to work. God will lead and open a world of opportunity for you.
Biblical waiting also requires that we are open to God working in ways that we don't expect. Often, maybe more often than not, the way God works is surprising. I know that in my life, I could never have imagined how He would bring me to where I am today.
God's vision and plan is infinitely bigger and better than ours, and He often works in ways that show there is no doubt that He is the One at work.
Waiting is one way to define our lives here. The real question is, are we waiting in a way that brings glory to God?
Kind Father, you are the One who is actively working in this world to care for your children and bring home those who are lost. Thank you for working your will in us and in a dying world. I'm sorry for often thinking that I know better than you do and often being anxious and not waiting the way I should. Please cause me to trust you.
I'd like to leave you with two verses about waiting. First, Psalm 27:14 says, “Wait for the Lord, be strong and take heart, and wait for the Lord.” Isaiah 64:4 says, “Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God beside you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.”
Song: Waiting Here For You