Psalm 37:4 “Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for Him to act.”
Is waiting something you do well? I’m afraid it’s not one of my strongest gifts! Our culture of instant gratification contributes to our inability to wait patiently. Have you ever prayed, “Lord, please grant me patience, but please hurry up?” In point of fact, God is never in a rush, yet at the same time, He is never late.
Since God had promised Abraham that he would have a son, Abraham waited for twenty-five years until Isaac was born. Moses had to wait for forty years before God would use him to save the children of Israel from slavery in Egypt. After being anointed by Samuel to be the next King of Israel, David waited for more than 10 years until his dominion embraced all of the tribes of Israel. After that, he waited for another seven and a half years before his reign was finally complete.
Whenever you are looking for God’s direction, it is easy to confuse “not now” with “not ever!” But why do we have to wait? The majority of the time that we are waiting on God, God is actually patiently waiting for us to act. During the time that He is getting us ready for the next assignment, He is waiting for us to show growth in our character.
What are some of the things that you believe God is attempting to cultivate in your character as you contemplate the waiting period that you went through? Waiting is valuable. Don’t let your time in the waiting room be wasted.
When you are in God’s presence, learn to be still. It is not understanding the answer that is crucial; rather, it is knowing Him. God uses our waiting times to both protect us and prepare us. Both Abraham and Moses got themselves into difficulties when they attempted to ‘assist’ God rather than waiting for the right moment. They acted without God’s intervention, and they had to learn the hard way to do what the psalmist said, which is to “wait patiently for Him (God) to act.”
It is human nature to want to seize the initiative and take control of the situation, but we need to stop giving in to the temptation and wait for God’s timing.
It’s interesting to see how even Noah waited on God’s timing in the ark after the flood. The story in Genesis tells us that the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat on the seventeenth day of the seventh month, yet Noah waited another five months before he and his family left the ark.
I think I would have wanted to exit that smelly ship as soon as I could. But God was protecting Noah and his family and preparing them for their calling to start the human race over again.
If you are waiting on God, take comfort in the knowledge that He is already at work in your life, preparing you for His purposes. Allow Him to finish the process by remaining still in His presence and making an effort to develop a connection with Him that is less superficial and more fundamental. Pray and worship on a daily basis to maintain your connection with God, and maybe when you least expect it, He will take action.