While You Are Waiting

These days are common for schedules filled with activities, house chores, work, family, etc. In between our busy schedule, we make time to go shopping, answer phones, put gas in the vehicle, get to and from one place to another. Then we make time to cancel some appointments because of emergencies, sickness, or to fit unexpected lateness. Still in the busyness of the day, we make time to get so much accomplished, yet what do we do while we are waiting. I had to be a dental office early one morning because I was on a ride and they needed to be somewhere else that day. I had to wait two hours at the office before my appointment.

While waiting in the office a young boy was sitting, reading a magazine, while an older man sat on the other corner resting his head. Minutes passed by before they got called in. As I observed, I saw opportunities to do many things. Read, write, and most of all wait to be seen by the dentist. I could have chosen to rest my head, but at that time, I preferred to write and wait. The Bible mentions several places of what some people were doing while waiting for God to call them and answer them. Some people mocked when Noah was building an ark when God promised a flood. Job complained about the day he was born and lost sight of everything God had blessed him with. The Israelite's struggled in the wilderness with idols, murmuring, challenging the leaders and went into rebellion, doubt, and unbelief about the promised land.

Each one of these had suffered the consequences for waiting wrongly. Noah got ridiculed, yet he saw the flood as everyone else, but he got saved from drowning in the new land, because he was preparing for the storm while waiting for the flood. Job lost his confidence in his friends, family and himself to gain the kingdom of God as he constantly acknowledged God, His power, and His Majesty.

The Israelite's who had already seen the promise of God’s hand of deliverance from the hand of Pharaoh from Egypt, yet they wanted more. They even questioned whether or not God would leave them in the wilderness to be left to die. Because they doubted, complained, and set up idols, they did not see the fullness of the promise. While you are waiting what are you making time for? Are you making time for excuses, faultfinding, mocking, slandering, idolatry, complaining, etc? Are you making time to complain about what God has done, or what He hasn’t done, or are you making time to see beyond your situation and hold on to the promise of God.

You may say, “But I do not have time to Wait on the Lord.” You cannot afford not to spend one more minute without Him. While you are waiting, He will reveal the next step to take. I tell you to make a checklist of what you are thinking of, where you go visiting, what are you watching, what you are listening to, what you are talking about. If none of these things are lovely pure, holy, worthy of praise, do not do them in the time of your waiting. You could give into allowing the devourer to steal away the time you should be giving to God. Check your investment of time and see the seed grow as you wait on the closer to the promise. While you are waiting, do not look at your situation, do not complain. Lift up your eyes, lift up your heart, lift your hands, and remember that while you are waiting, He is waiting to bless your obedience.