Dr. Robert W. Odom
Two words in Scripture make me cringe. They are hard to deal with. These words trigger something I want to resist. My blood pressure goes up, leaving sweat across my brow. What are these two words? They are “waiting patiently.”
Impatience is a feeling we all experience at some point. It’s a common thread that binds us, a shared human experience. Like many of us, I usually consider myself a patient person. I can usually endure heavy traffic and long lines. But there are many times when I wouldn’t say I like to wait. I want things immediately.
For example, recently, I was in the grocery store. As I scanned my items at the self-checkout, something went wrong. The employee at the self-checkout came over to help but could not figure out what was happening. I got impatient and felt hurried because I had to wait for them to figure out the problem. By the way, I only had four items. He took almost 15 minutes to try and resolve the issue. The final resolution was to move to another register and ring my items again.
When I think of this subject, I think of Abraham, who had been promised to be the father of many nations. This promise was made when he was old and his wife Sarah was barren. He had this promise but no children to make it happen. He had a promise from God, but his circumstances did not match up. He had no children, and He and Sarah were too old by the standards of that day to have any children. I can relate to this waiting period when I was waiting for a breakthrough in my career. I had a promise from God, but the circumstances were not aligning. It was a challenging time, but I held on to the promise.
Unfortunately, Abraham became impatient and slept with Sarah’s handmaiden. She conceived and had a son named Ismael. This impatience led to complications and a deviation from God’s plan, teaching us the profound consequences of impatience and the crucial importance of waiting for God’s timing. His decisions then impacted this generation and were a powerful lesson for us all.
It is difficult to wait, but the benefits are worth the wait. In the end, God fulfilled His promise, and Isaac was born. Even though Abraham failed to wait on God, God used this moment to fulfill His promise.
Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD (Psalm 27:14)! In waiting for the Lord, we will experience God’s blessing. I have learned (and am still learning) that if we patiently wait on God, He will bring about some amazing things. While waiting patiently, staying connected with God through prayer and scripture is essential. It’s also helpful to surround yourself with a supportive community to encourage you during the waiting period.
Sometimes, it seems that God is silent or not concerned. But I have found that in His silence, He is working. Behind the scenes, He is at work, putting together exactly what we need.
I am reminded of when the Children of Israel were in captivity to the Egyptians. For 400 years, they prayed and waited. Sometimes, they experienced things getting worse. And they waited. They prayed. They suffered. They waited. They prayed. But God was working on a leader named Moses who would come to rescue and deliver the people of Israel. There was a promise, and that promise was to be fulfilled.
Where are you waiting today? What are you waiting for? Where are the promises you have been given that need to be fulfilled? The problem with waiting is that we can lose hope. I understand how challenging it can be to hold on to hope when the waiting seems endless. Lost hope causes us to become despondent and try things on our own. But I encourage you to hold on, for God’s timing is perfect.
It is hard to wait, but the benefits are excellent. The rewards of patience, of trusting in God’s timing, are immeasurable. So, even while waiting, knowing what is to come is worth the wait.
So, let me ask you?
- What are you waiting for? Is it healing, finances, a significant other in your life, etc? Be specific.
- Where are you rushing the process?
- What are you doing while you wait?
- What might God be doing in you while you are waiting?
- How are you preparing for the promise?
Life on the edge 