The Waiting Game

Let's face it....
None of us like to wait.
Red lights, stop signs, waiting rooms at doctor's offices, check out lines, traffic jams, and the list goes on.
We live in, as my pastor used to say, a "Jiffy-Pop" Generation.
We want everything now, now, NOW.
 We feel like we have to obtain so much in so little time and we will stop at nothing to achieve it.  

This mentality may not seem like such a big deal to some (after all our time is precious), but it is slowly weakening our society and causing us to not receive the full scope of blessings that God is wanting and willing to bestow upon us if we just WAIT on Him!

We need to quit asking

Why
Aren't
I 
There

And start asking

Why
Ain't
It
Time

God can see the bigger picture, when all we can see is what is right in front of our face.
Meaning He not only knows what has happened, but also what is happening and what will happen.

The Bible says in Jeremiah 29:11 that He knows the plans He has for us and that.

When God tells us to wait, He isn't doing so to be mean, He is doing so out of love. Because He knows what is best.

There are many reasons God might ask you to wait, but here are a few :
1) When we wait, we are strengthened 
2) When we wait, our faith is increased
3) When we wait, God gets the glory for what happens
4) When we wait, we get the best that God has to offer

Let me take the time to give you 2 examples from scripture.

First, I believe the story of Noah is a great example of the benefits that come from not only waiting but working while you wait.

You see, the people of the earth were extremely wicked in the Days of Noah. This wickedness grieved the heart of God and He decided He would destroy them all in 120years, but Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord (Genesis 6:1-8). God instructed Noah to build an ark and Noah did just as God instructed him (vs 6:14-22). When the time came Noah, his family, and 2 of every kind of animal boarded the ark. It then rained for 40 days and 40 nights, every living thing on the earth perished, and the waters remained upon the earth for 150 days (Chapter 7). When the waters subsided, Noah and all the living creatures on the arc walked out onto dry land (vs 8:18-19).

Can you imagine what was going through Noah's mind? God has just told him that the earth was going to FLOOD! it had never rained before and now God is telling him to build a giant ark because waters was going to fall from the sky and shoot up from the ground.
On top of that, it took Noah nearly 120 YEARS! And not only did it take 120 years to build, it rained for 40 days/nights and it took 150 days for the waters to dry up.
What if Noah decided after the first 100 years or so to stop waiting for the rain to happen and in turn quit building the ark? What if he didn't wait the 150 days for the waters to go down and tried to get off the ark early?
God had a plan to save Noah and his family. By waiting on God and doing as God instructed, Noah's family was spared the judgment of that time and God made a covenant with him that he would never flood the earth again.

That's what happens when we wait, but what if we decide that we know better than God?
What if we don't trust Him enough to what on His timing and end up trying to fulfill His promises by our own means?

For that, I believe the story of Abraham would make a great scriptural example.

God promised Abraham a son and Abraham believed God (Genesis 15), but when Sarah did not conceive in her time frame she convinced Abraham to sleep with Hagar the handmaid and Hagar conceived a child (vs 16:1-4). 
Some times passed and both Abraham and Sarah continued to age. God returned to Abraham and confirmed His covenant with him that Sarah would have a child, but Abraham questioned God and laughed (vs 17:15-17) as did Sarah, but God assured them both that nothing is impossible for Him and Sarah would conceive at the right time (vs 18: 10-15). Then at God's set time, Sarah did have a child and his name was Isaac (vs 21:1-5).

What would have happened had Abraham and Sarah kept their faith that God would have them conceive and waited on Him instead of trying to do their own thing?
Can you imagine the sibling rivalry between Hagar's son (Ishmael) and Sarah's son (Isaac)?
Both are now to be the father's of great nations, but only Isaac is a part of the covenant between God and Abraham which included a large area of land, "The Promised Land", which the Israelites (the descendants of Isaac) and the Arabs (the descendants of Ishmael) still fight over today. *See Map Below*   

Now, I'm not saying that a child is ever a mistake or to be blamed for the mistakes of their parents, but just think about how much less war there would have been through out history had Abraham and Sarah remained patient and had faith that the Lord was going to do what He said he was going to do.

The idea of waiting can strike fear into even the strongest Christian's heart.
Satan likes to whisper in our ears things like "God has forgotten about you" and"There has to be an easier/quicker way."
But the truth is these are all lies designed to make us lose our faith in God and His timing. To cause us to stumble and to fall.

I love the words to the song "Four Days Late" (you can listen to it here). I first heard that piece when Aaron Wilburn sang it for my church a few years back.
The song recounts the story Lazarus (John 11:1-44).
The chorus goes:

"But You're four days late And all hope is gone 

Lord we don't understand why you've waited so long 

But His way is God's way 

Not yours or mine 

When He's four days late 

He's still on time"

When Lazarus became sick, his sister's called for Jesus to come and heal him. 

Jesus decided to stay where He was for 2 more days before going to Judea. 

He told his disciples that Lazarus had died, but that He was glad that He was not there so that others may believe. 

When they arrived to Judea, Mary told Jesus that had he been there Lazarus would not have died. Which is true, had Jesus been there, He could have healed the sickness.  But by waiting til death had come upon him, Jesus was able to perform an even greater miracle!

Jesus asked where the body was laid and was directed to the tomb and instructed them the remove the stone. 

He shouted in a loud voice, "Lazarus, Come Forth". 

And the dead was raised to life and walked out of the tomb alive. 

And the Bible is FULL of examples like these!

Joseph waited while he was imprisoned for a crime he did not commit and eventually became the second in command over Egypt. 

Job waited many many years for God's justice

Paul was imprisoned for preaching the gospel, waited in the cell (while SINGING PRAISES)

Simeon waited patiently to see the Christ child, because he was promised that he would see Him before he died.

Christians wait patiently for the second coming of Christ

And the most important example of all.....

Jesus "stands at the door and knocks" waiting patiently for all to come to salvation because it is not his desire that any should perish but that all should come to life.

Waiting may not be something we like to do, but it is necessary.

Because anything worth having is worth waiting for. 

And anything God makes you wait for, His going to be the absolute best He has to offer.

But waiting doesn't have to be boring! Waiting doesn't have to mean your entire life is put on hold!

Worship while you wait.

Work while you wait.

Rest while you wait.

Learn while you wait.

Reflect while you wait.

Pray while you wait.

Study while you wait.

Keep the faith while you wait.

And most importantly don't listen to the devil when he tries to deceive you while you are waiting. 

And when your time comes and your wait is over....

Thank God for what He has done.

Praise Him. Worship Him. 

And use your experience to help and encourage others who are in their season of wait. 

The waiting game is no fun, but the results can go beyond your wildest dreams!

"But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint."

Isaiah 40:31

Live....Laugh....Love

Until Next Time, 

Racheal <3