What Are You Waiting For?
I hate waiting.
It requires sitting still, not doing anything (*shivers*), and waiting in patient anticipation.
How awful does that sound?
But, have you noticed how hard it is to sit and wait for anything in this age? I mean, don't get me wrong, I am an ardent supporter of Amazon Prime (two day shipping?!) and I love getting my food fast, but it's not exactly a patience-practicing environment.
We expect things NOW, not later, not (heaven forbid) a few days from now, but NOW.
If our food isn't served right away (even if the restaurant is crowded), we get agitated and sometimes even threaten not to tip, or pay. If our Instagram feed doesn't load within a few seconds, we immediately quit and reload the app, furious that technology has failed us yet again.
How many times have we asked God, "Why am I waiting?"
How many times have we threatened to quit because his plan isn't "loading" quickly enough?
How many times have we tried His patience because WE were out of patience?
We try to hurry Him along, saying, "I'm ready for this! I know what I'm doing, so let's just go-- we're burning daylight!" but we don't truly comprehend what it is that we are rushing into.
Isn't crazy to think that we, tiny humans that we are, claim to know more than God, who created the cosmos? Because that's what we're doing when we push God to make things work in our timing. Even though He can see everything, past, present, and future, we still cannot seem to find it in ourselves to trust that His plan is best for us.
But, even after God made him this incredible promise, asking only that Jacob wait on His timing, Jacob decided to still take matters into his own hands. And though the Lord still fulfilled His promises, it did not work out in the best possible way. There were tensions, attacks, broken hearts, lost lives, and bitterness that all stemmed from one thing.
Jacob's inability to wait.
Yes, he "waited" but only as much as he felt he should, ignoring the plans that God had for him. He was a man of action, a man that got things done.
"Do you trust me when my answer is wait?"
Apparently, for Jacob, the answer was "No."
We have to believe that there is hope for our future, because God holds it in His hands. When He makes a promise to us, we have a reason to wait.
Can we just pause and rest in the Lord, knowing that all things will work together for our good?
That is why my prayer today is this:
Father, every time that I am restless, tempted to take matters into my own hands, to spur myself into action, please remind me that I am waiting on the one who has never broken a promise. I am waiting for something that is far better than I could have ever imagined, and there is no opportunity lost that is greater than what You have in store for me. Thank You for your unfailing love, faithfulness, and patience with me, even when I mess up and try to rule my own life.
Amen.
It requires sitting still, not doing anything (*shivers*), and waiting in patient anticipation.
How awful does that sound?
But, have you noticed how hard it is to sit and wait for anything in this age? I mean, don't get me wrong, I am an ardent supporter of Amazon Prime (two day shipping?!) and I love getting my food fast, but it's not exactly a patience-practicing environment.
We expect things NOW, not later, not (heaven forbid) a few days from now, but NOW.
If our food isn't served right away (even if the restaurant is crowded), we get agitated and sometimes even threaten not to tip, or pay. If our Instagram feed doesn't load within a few seconds, we immediately quit and reload the app, furious that technology has failed us yet again.
The worst part is we do nearly the same thing with God.
How many times have we asked God, "Why am I waiting?"
How many times have we threatened to quit because his plan isn't "loading" quickly enough?
How many times have we tried His patience because WE were out of patience?
We try to hurry Him along, saying, "I'm ready for this! I know what I'm doing, so let's just go-- we're burning daylight!" but we don't truly comprehend what it is that we are rushing into.
Isn't crazy to think that we, tiny humans that we are, claim to know more than God, who created the cosmos? Because that's what we're doing when we push God to make things work in our timing. Even though He can see everything, past, present, and future, we still cannot seem to find it in ourselves to trust that His plan is best for us.
Genesis 28:13-15(NLT)
13 At the top of the stairway stood the Lord, and he said, “I am the Lord, the God of your grandfather Abraham, and the God of your father, Isaac. The ground you are lying on belongs to you. I am giving it to you and your descendants. 14 Your descendants will be as numerous as the dust of the earth! They will spread out in all directions—to the west and the east, to the north and the south. And all the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your descendants. 15 What’s more, I am with you, and I will protect you wherever you go. One day I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have finished giving you everything I have promised you.”
Context: Jacob, the future "Father" of the nation of Israel, was running away from a bad situation. He had lied, stolen, alienated his family, and had nowhere to go. His only hope was in the Lord, and the promise that He had given him (above).But, even after God made him this incredible promise, asking only that Jacob wait on His timing, Jacob decided to still take matters into his own hands. And though the Lord still fulfilled His promises, it did not work out in the best possible way. There were tensions, attacks, broken hearts, lost lives, and bitterness that all stemmed from one thing.
Jacob's inability to wait.
Yes, he "waited" but only as much as he felt he should, ignoring the plans that God had for him. He was a man of action, a man that got things done.
"Do you trust me when my answer is wait?"
Apparently, for Jacob, the answer was "No."
We have to believe that there is hope for our future, because God holds it in His hands. When He makes a promise to us, we have a reason to wait.
Can we just pause and rest in the Lord, knowing that all things will work together for our good?
That is why my prayer today is this:
Father, every time that I am restless, tempted to take matters into my own hands, to spur myself into action, please remind me that I am waiting on the one who has never broken a promise. I am waiting for something that is far better than I could have ever imagined, and there is no opportunity lost that is greater than what You have in store for me. Thank You for your unfailing love, faithfulness, and patience with me, even when I mess up and try to rule my own life.
Amen.
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