When the word "waiting" is mentioned, what comes to mind? How would you
describe what it means to wait? When I think of waiting, I think of a
delay, a lull, a pause... However, when we are personally faced with waiting,
it can seem much longer to us than just a pause, amen? Unless, of course,
what we desire is worth waiting for...
Genesis 29:20, "And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed
unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her."
What do we gain by learning to wait? What could Jacob have gained by learning
to wait seven years to marry Rachel? Willingness to wait confirms to us
the importance of an objective or person! People often wonder if working
a long time for something they desire is really worth it. If you aren't
willing to work and wait, you might want to consider taking a look at
your value system... We all know Jacob served seven years to marry Rachel.
Even after being tricked into marrying her sister Leah, he agreed to serve
Laban seven more years for her, although he did get to marry Rachel shortly
thereafter. Nevertheless, we must understand that the most important goals
and desires are worth working and waiting for! Waiting years can seem
as if it were only days, but only with love and strong commitment... Love
makes serving long and hard, short and easy. Your unwillingness to wait
could be proof that what you want might not mean enough to you! Hence,
the need for more time to increase your value... Through movies and television,
the world has created the illusion that people have to wait only about
an hour to solve their problems or get what they want. Ladies, don't be
trapped into thinking the same is true in real life! Patience is hardest
when we need it the most, but it is the key to achieving our goals.
Romans 8:25, "But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience
wait for it."
So too, if we know how to value the happiness of heaven, the sufferings
of this present time will be as nothing to us, amen? An age of work will
be but as a few days to those that love God, and long for Christ's appearing...
What about the future is difficult for you to entrust to God? For what
unanswered prayer will you ask God to give you the patience to wait for
His perfect timing? Your patience will only increase your love; your impatience
is proof of the lack thereof.
Psalm 27:14, "Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen
thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord."
You see ladies, waiting creates time during which we can trust God. In
the psalm above, David knew from experience what it meant to wait for
the Lord. He had been anointed king at age sixteen, but didn't become
king until he was thirty. Quite a delay, amen? During this interim, he
was chased through the wilderness by jealous King Saul. David had to wait
on God for the fulfillment of his promise to reign. Later, after becoming
king, we all know the story of how David was then chased by his rebellious
son, Absalom. Certainly this period of learning to trust God was holy
preparation to face such a grieving situation, amen? Yes, waiting for
God is not easy, but the Lord had been working to strengthen David's heart.
Often it seems that He isn't answering our prayers or doesn't understand
the urgency of our situation. But ladies, that kind of thinking implies
that God is not in control or is not fair. The Lord uses waiting to refresh,
renew, and teach us. Our God is worth waiting for! Make good use of your
waiting times and learn to trust Him...
Lament. 3:24-26, "The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will
I hope in him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul
that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait
for the salvation of the Lord."
Waiting on God prepares us to have our real needs met. As you look in
the passage below, you'll find that David received four benefits from
waiting: God (1) lifted him out of his despair, (2) set his feet on a
hard, firm path, (3) steadied him as he walked, and (4) put a new song
of praise in his mouth. Ladies, often blessings cannot be received unless
we willingly go through the trial of waiting...
Psalm 40:1-4, "I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me,
and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of
the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.
And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many
shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord. Blessed is that man
that maketh the Lord his trust..."
Just as Jacob continued to serve while waiting on Rachel, so too, would
God have us to continue to serve as we wait on Him. Waiting encourages
us to always be prepared for Christ's return! Knowing that Christ's return
will be sudden and unexpected should motivate us always to be prepared,
amen ladies? The Bible says in Matthew 24:46, "Blessed is that servant,
whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing." We are not to live
irresponsibly - sitting around waiting, pouting and doing nothing; seeking
only our own pleasure; using the Lord's delay as an excuse not to work.
Christ blesses those who spend the time of waiting taking care of His
people and doing His will and work here on earth, both within the church
and outside it. This is the best way to prepare for Christ's return! True
love inspires us to be patient and persevering. I daresay we don't look
forward to Jesus' return because we don't desire Him enough. Carnal hearts
have no interest in the Lord... Ladies, our value system needs adjusting,
amen? We could all stand to use the time that remains to increase our
love for the Savior. He's worth waiting for!
Isaiah 53:3, "He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and
acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was
despised, and we esteemed him not."
God Bless,
Pam
Isaiah 60:1&2
Copyright 2001 Pamela A. Iannello
