If you really knew me in real life, you would know that I am terrible at waiting. This has been true of me since I was a little girl. I was always the first one in my parents car ready to leave, and I would climb up front and honk the horn until everyone else came out. (not annoying I know). But truly, I still remember that little girl feeling so annoyed that I had to wait on everyone else.
I tell you this story, to also tell you that most of my adult life has been learning the hard lesson of waiting. I know I am not along in this feeling. Whether you are waiting in line at a grocery store, waiting on a new job, waiting to get married, or to have a baby, whatever you are waiting on can consume you.
Some would look at the lesson of learning to wait as a harsh God. If he was truly good, why would he not just give me what I want most. I mean, when I am hungry I get food. When I am thirsty I get water. Why would he want me to wait on other good things. Goodness gracious, even writing these worlds shows me how much our culture has trained us to have instant gratification. We live in a world that we believe that we should not have to wait on anything. That anything we want is right at our fingertips if we work hard enough. What if the opposite is true. What is waiting is truly Gods gift of love for us. His desire is more so for us to become holy men and women of God, than it is to give us the good gift. But don't you worry, he does give us good gifts. The best gift ever he has already given, Jesus Christ.
So now that we have established that waiting is a gift are you willing to receive it? This gift of waiting and learning to trust more in a good good father? One truth I have learned is that, If he wanted you to have the thing today, you would have it. What he cares more about is what he is doing in you as you wait. Whatever you have today is Gods perfect will for your life. I know, I know. This seems crazy. How could Gods perfect will for my life to this, to be waiting to get pregnant, to not have the job I love. To not be married. Lets take a look at some fellow people who waited in the bible.
Abraham and Sarah waited 100 years on a baby.
The Israelites wondered for 40 years waiting on the promised land.
Joseph waited in prison, that his brothers put him in, for a purpose.
Job waited through suffering.
David waited for the appointed time to become king.
In every single one of these situations, the timing felt all wrong. The waiting was hard, but the wait is what did the transformation to make Gods miracles come forth. I have learned, that waiting is less about the destination and more about learning to trust that you are in Gods perfect will right now.
Here is good news for our wait. God always provides during the wait. Most of us are asking the wrong question. We are asking why? And God is calling us to ask to see things from his perspective. To say, Lord what are you trying to teach me in this wait.
Lets look at how God provided for the Israelites during their wait. They were in the wilderness for 40 years. They had been promised the land of milk and honey. They were focused on the land of milk and honey. Their focus, caused them to miss the miracle of Gods provision through mana. Day by day, God provided for them. What do you think he was trying to teach the Israelites during the wait? He was trying to assure them that he would provide. So that when it was time for them to enter into Jerusalem they had the courage and confidence in God to circle the walls 7 times and watch the walls come tumbling down. It was God who did it. It was God who provided their daily bread. It was the small lessons over 40 years that gave them the confidence to believe God when he was going to show off bigtime.
Be cautious, if we complain in our current season, we may miss the miracle of daily Manna in our lives. In our waiting, let’s pray that we have eyes to see the Manna God has for us right here and now. When we see God moving now, that is what will sustain us as we wait.
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