In the above story who is it that you most identify with? The man, or the neighbor? I think for most of us it would be the neighbor because in this world anything unexpected can seem to be the worst thing that ever happened until the next perceived worst thing occurs. It takes a concerted effort to learn, yes learn, how to wait on God and how to place our hope in Her and Her son Christ Jesus.
As I write each week to all of you, I realize that truly I can only share with you the things that I have learned. The lessons that Yahweh has taught me and helped me to learn. And for each of us, our learning comes in stages of growth. Even at this time in my life and in this period of growth am I learning each day how to wait on the LORD. Just wait.
Psalm 39:7 “Now, Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in You.”
Psalm 130:5 “I wait for the LORD; I wait, and put my hope in His word.”
And what is it that we wait for? It can be many things...an answer to a prayer perhaps? A resolution to a difficult circumstance? Our deliverance? Salvation? Or maybe even we wait for the lesson that is meant to be learned. If we could all be like the man in the story, calmly waiting for what might come next, can you imagine how much easier life would be? For some of us it might turn a roller coaster into a leisurely walk through the park. But truly it’s not only about ease, but growing, maturing in our faith, our trust and our hope. These things are like flowers that must be tended to daily so that they might flourish and bloom.
Psalm 27:14 “Wait for the LORD; be courageous and let your heart be strong. Wait for the LORD.”
We must be courageous with hearts that are strong. In these End Times we see a rehashing of events that have occurred from time to time over many decades. We see people struggling to survive, to find work, food, keep a roof over their heads and provide for their families as a result of the declining economy worldwide. We see those who suffer and endure through natural disasters, pestilence and plagues. We see those who meet with accidents and disease and lose loved ones, friends, coworkers. And we see those who lose hope completely and commit heinous crimes in the taking of others’ lives as well as their own. It is hope lost. And not only that, it is love lost as well.
Psalm 25:5 “Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; I wait for You all day long.”
A day is a thousand years to Yahweh. Can you imagine waiting a thousand years? There are those who have and who do. Those who exist as a part of the invisible spirit realm who are in union with Father and Christ and have been fighting the Spiritual War and working with mankind for literally thousands of years. They have learned how to wait, have faith and trust and hope in our Creator. For them it’s been a much longer time period and they serve as examples to us all but it’s also important to put things into perspective. Our lifespan here on this earth is much shorter. So we only have to wait the amount of time that we are given on this earth and sometimes much shorter than that. A few days, a few weeks, a few months or a few years. When we seek and wait on the LORD, with patience and hope we can be assured that all our needs, all our problems, will be taken care of for She is good to those who wait, to the people who seek. Can any of us honestly say we cannot wait, when there are those who have waited more generations than we can even imagine?
Lamentations 3:25 “The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him.”
In seeking we do not forget. In seeking we know we are not alone. In seeking we realize what is important and what is not - what is unnecessary or unimportant and what can wait. In doing this we learn that in all things no matter how urgent the need may seem, we can wait.
In a time of fast food, quick weight loss, power lunches, satellite communications, microwaves, Googling, and in which 30 seconds is too long to wait for a download... we must learn how to wait. How to be patient. How to seek what is good and righteous and pay closest attention to the lessons we learn that make us grow stronger and closer to God in love and understanding.
Psalm 33:20 “We wait for the LORD; He is our help and shield.”
As a final word, remember this: When confronted with any situation that causes your heart to feel heavy with worries and anxieties, take a deep breath, turn your eyes to heaven, pray, rely, seek Yahweh and never, ever give up hope. Then... just wait. Just wait.
Romans 8: 18-25 “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us. For the creation eagerly waits with anticipation for God’s sons to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to futility - not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it - in the hope that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage of corruption into the glorious freedom of God’s children. For we know that the whole creation has been growing together with labor pains until now. And not only that, but we ourselves who have the Spirit as firstfruits - we also groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. Now in this hope we were saved, yet hope that is seen is not hope, because who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with patience.”