The age we live in has indeed been the worst so far w.r.t delayed gratification. With almost everything imaginable available at the tip of our thumbs, waiting can be a spoiler. We, the 21st-century human beings, don’t know how to wait, much less when it comes to waiting on God for His promises.
And yet, Our Father, who hasn’t changed since the world began, has a very different perspective on timelines. He is beyond time and space; years for us are nothing longer than a day for Him (2 Peter 3:8).
Patience Indispensable for the Promise!
I love this devotional from Elevation Worship, “Do It Again”, where the lyrics go like this:
“Your promise still stands, great is Your faithfulness.
I am still in Your hands; this is my confidence, You’ve never failed me yet.”
Every hero of faith in the Bible possessed the promise by standing longggggg on the Word, usually to a point where it didn’t make sense!
Come on, tell me if any of this makes sense:
Waiting for the son of promise till your wife is past child-bearing age?
Working 7+7 years for a woman you love?
Worshipping God in prison for almost a decade after being falsely accused of raping your master’s wife?
Wandering in the wilderness for 40 years just to reach a land you could have entered in weeks?
Waiting in anonymity for 3 decades, only to give your life on the cross?
So does waiting on God make sense? For me, I have tried with all my might and failed each time splendidly.
His ways are above our ways, His thoughts beyond our understanding (Isaiah 55:8), and yet He is the giver of perfect gifts (James 1:17), to be received in His perfect time.
Waiting on God, One Moment at a Time!
Patience isn’t my inherent forte.
In my own strength I tend to rush through meals, through walks, through the ordinary mundane things of life, until the Holy Spirit nudges me to take it easy.
God is interested in the tiny itty-bitty details of our lives as much as He is interested in the bigger picture.
He loves to watch over us as we move from detail to detail, rediscovering His love for us in every breath.
Our Father is never too rushed, never too hurried, never without time to listen, to embrace, to sing over us with joy (Zephaniah 3:17).
His rhythm is beautiful, the unforced rhythm of grace that calls the weary, the tired, and the lonely to come and trade their heavy weights for His easy and light yoke (Matthew 11:28-30, MSG).
He is ever-willing, ever-equipped to do all the hard work as long as we surrender to His abundant life (John 10:10).
What’s more, as we wait on Him, He renews our strength to wait some more! Hallelujah!
Are you tired and weary of the seemingly unending wait? Let His joy be your strength (Nehemiah 8:10) and His perfect peace be your shield as you keep your mind on Him (Isaiah 26:3).
In Jesus’ name,
Amen!
