Turn

 “God is just waiting for you to turn your face back toward Him. You’ve not gone too far. “(Beth Moore)

The following quote by WomenLivingWell.org raises an interesting set of questions: “Are you waiting on God, or is God waiting on you?”  Which part of this quote is being done, or is it both? Isaiah 30:18 (ICB) says: The Lord wants to show his mercy to you. He wants to rise and comfort you. The Lord is a fair God. And everyone who waits for his help will be happy.  

Personally, I think the heavenly Father waits longer for us to get in alignment with His will (than we wait for Him to make a decision in a particular situation).  In our language, it is called “spiritual procrastination.” Maybe I can best express the meaning of what I am saying in songwriter Ralph Richard Carmichael’s 1958 hymn, “The Savior Is Waiting.” This song was inspired and written after a long line (and wait) at a gas station.

The Savior is waiting to enter your heart
Why don't you let Him come in
There's nothing in this world to keep you apart
What is your answer to Him

Chorus

Time after time He has waited before
And now He is waiting again
To see if you're willing to open the door
Oh how He wants to come in

If you'll take one step toward the Savior, my friend
You'll find His arms open wide
Receive Him, and all of your darkness will end
Within your heart He'll abide

Chorus

Oh how He wants to come in

God always has good reasons for making you wait. Waiting is a part of life, and one of God’s tools for developing people. The Bible is full of stories of people having to wait on God such as Noah, Abraham, Moses, Joseph, David, Daniel, Jesus, Paul, and numerous others. Below are five reasons God makes you wait:

Waiting builds anticipation-Why do children get so excited around major holidays like Christmas or Easter? It is because the wait has produced anticipation. You tend to appreciate things the longer you have to wait for them. Because of having to wait for so long, you tend to cherish and enjoy the situation more. People tend to treasure items they have to wait for.

Waiting builds intimacy and dependency on God-The reason you are able to read about the great people of the Bible is because they all had one thing in common. They were all people who learned their success in life was directly proportionate to their intimacy and dependency upon God. They enjoyed the process with God and His promises. For them, a relationship with God wasn’t immediate. For many of them it was a matter of life and death. 

Waiting during the difficult times developed their relationship with God. Some of the most intimate relationships you have in our lives are because a friend stood in the hard times with you during the worst of our life. Maybe this is what the Bible means when it says this in Proverbs 18:24 (TPT): Some friendships don’t last for long, but there is one loving friend who is joined to your heart closer than any other. 

God is just as interested in the journey as He is the destination. If this wasn’t so, all the biblical accounts would only include the positive parts of people’s lives and not the negative of the times of waiting. You may not always understand why you have to wait, but God never asks you to wait without Him. 

Waiting builds patience in our lives-Patience in waiting for small things leads to having patience in the bigger things. If you can’t wait for God to do a small thing, you certainly can’t wait for something bigger. Our problem is our perspective is usually wrong. You tend to think the bigger things in life are finances and possessions, while God thinks influencing and changing people is more important.

Waiting reveals our true motives-Waiting has a way of bringing out the best and worst in people. People who don’t have good motives won’t wait long because they’re not interested in the commitment it takes to see something through. They’re too interested in short-term gains or success. Most of you have good intentions, but a lot of what you want to accomplish is an attempt to make a name for ourselves or for our own egos. It hurts to say this, but it’s often true.

Waiting transforms our character-Waiting has a way of rubbing off the rough edges of our lives. Most of you know the story of Moses delivering the Israelites from the Egyptians. It’s a magnificent story of God doing great miracles. Few sermons talk about Moses having to wait in the desert forty years before God came to him. God used this time of waiting to transform his character. 

You know this because when he was a young man he was hotheaded and impatient. In his impetuousness he killed a man and hid the body. When his sin was made public, he ran for his life and was exiled to the desert. When he was given a second chance he opted to do it God’s way and in His time. Eventually, the Israelites were delivered from slavery, and Moses became a great leader. Waiting transformed the life of Moses and it will do the same for you and me.

“God is anxiously waiting for the chance to answer your prayers and fulfill your dreams just as He always has. But He can't if you don't pray, and He can't if you don't dream. In short, He can't if you don't believe.” (Jeffrey R. Holland)[i]

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[i] Adapted from:

·        “5 Reasons God Makes Us Wait” by Eric Speir

·        “Worldwise Hymns: The Savior Is Waiting” by Robert Cottrill

Jesus knocking at your heart's door