Waiting is part of what it means to be human. As humans, we have limitations. God knows all things, sees all things, controls all things, understands all things, discerns all things, and possesses all things. Being human, we cannot know the hearts of people. We seldom know our own hearts.
God has a plan and a purpose that is not always on the same timeline that we want. There are details hidden from us to develop our character, our faith, or our dependence upon Him. Our Heavenly Father wants to keep us constantly waiting so that we will be dependent upon Him no matter the circumstance. We will always be waiting on someone or some situation. That's life. Waiting is a Christian discipline. We are not naturally wired or inclined to wait. Waiting is…
·
As
much an attitude as it is an activity.
·
Never
wasted time. When you are waiting on God, most often He is working behind the
scenes to put all the "missing pieces" in our lives in place
·
Not
characterized by fretting and worrying.
·
Not
passivity or inactivity.
·
Not
to be associated with boredom and complacency.
If impatience tempts you to jump ahead of the Lord’s timing, you risk stepping outside of His will and missing His blessings. Do you know how to wait on the Lord? Here are reasons why your Heavenly Father may make you wait.
1. He is building
dependence on Him: When we are in an
unhealthy condition either physically or emotionally, we tend to lack patience
when it comes to our circumstances. We also begin to look for thrills in life.
In our physical life, it leads to obsessions and to destruction; and in our spiritual
life, it will result in the destruction of us morally. Having the reality of
God’s presence is not dependent on our determinations to keep the Lord before
us continually.
2. He is building
patience in your life: Waiting on God means patiently
looking to Him for what we need. Only our Heavenly Father can deliver us. Our
only hope is in God alone. He hears our prayers. Our prayers often revolve
around asking God to hurry up and bless what we want done. What if God’s answer
to us is simply: “Be patient. Wait upon me”?
We can trust His response, even if it doesn’t come in the time we
expect.
3. He is strengthening
you spiritually: Waiting helps strengthen us spiritually. By the
mere term “spiritual strengthening” two things might be suggested to us. Sometimes
the Lord has to work to accomplish in us before we are ready to handle what
He’s planned for our future. If we instantly received His direction, we would
rarely have the opportunity two exercise our faith. Christian maturity becomes
evident in the ability to wait in peaceful confidence. We’ll know exactly what
to do when we trust in His timing.
4. He is transforming
your character: Waiting builds and transforms
our character. Moses became a great leader in his time and God worked through
him to bring about many miracles for the children of Israel. Of course he had
to go through a long period of processing in the desert for 40 years before God
came to him. We know that when he was a young man, he was brash and impatient.
Yet, when he was given a second chance, he opted to do it God’s way and in
God’s time. Waiting has a way of humbling us and to rub off the tough edges of
our lives so that the true Christ like character is revealed in us.
5. He wants to get your
attention: At times, God may be trying to
speak to you about a certain situation in your life. When everything is running
smoothly, we tend to forget the Lord. But uncertainty draws us back to Him like
a magnet. By aligning our steps with His and walking in submission, we open our
ears to hear His voice. Our waiting period is God’s preparation time. He may
put us on hold to coordinate events to line up with His will.
“Men trust God by risking rejection.
Women trust God by waiting.” (Carolyn McCulley)[i]
[i] Sources used:
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“5 Reasons
God Makes Us Wait” by Terry LaMasters
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“5 Reasons Why God Makes
You Wait” by Lesli White
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“Waiting
Time is Not Wasted Time In the Presence of God” by Vangrace Compassion
·
“Waiting Time Is Not Wasted Time” by Ray Noah
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