The Weight of Waiting

Life is full of waiting.  Everyday we encounter moments when we are required to wait.   We hurry through the aisles of the grocery store only to find a line of three people with carts overflowing.  Wait.  We rush to get out of work, going slightly over the speed limit until we get run into stop-and-go traffic.  Wait.  Husband and wife find out they're pregnant and are so excited for the moment when they get to hold their firstborn child.  Wait.  Or more profoundly, our whole life seems to be pointing us to this specific employment opportunity that has recently opened up only to find that it, like the others before it, has been filled by an older, "more experienced" person.  Wait.

It is nearly impossible for us to go throughout a single day of this life without encountering at least one situation when we are required to wait.  But what about when that waiting is for something incredibly important like waiting on the Lord.  Oftentimes in this life, God puts something right before our eyes and asks us plainly to wait.  Evenmore, He equips us and passions us perfectly for certain things only to tell us to wait patiently.

A great Scriptural example would be the story of David.  David was made king, anointed by Samuel long before he was actually able to rule (1 Sam. 16).  Because Saul had already been anointed and set up as the legitimate king of Israel (1 Sam. 10), David had to wait.  Not only that but throughout Saul's reign, Saul continually tried to kill David, forcing David to flee for his life numerous times.  However, David proved his worth during his waiting.  Although Saul vociferously pursued David to kill him, David spared Saul's on two occasions when he had perfect opportunities to kill Saul and sieze his kingdom (1 Sam. 24, 26).  This was faithful and obedient waiting.

The book of Psalms, gives numerous verses that shed light unto the act of waiting (Psa. 27:14, 37:7, 40:1, 130:5).  Most important to this is to recognize the active nature of waiting.  It is not a passive activity.  Rather, waiting is intentional and active obedience.

God puts plans and desires in our path with the intention of giving certain blessings and opportunities into our hands; however, He almost always accompanies these dreams with a period of waiting.  Jesus could have came down to earth just to die on the cross to pay the debt of mankind, but it was the wait and preparation that made His salvific act sure.

Similarly, when we are in a period of waiting, we need to remain obedient and faithful.  We need to understand that it is in those times of waiting that we are being prepared for what is next just as what is next is being prepared for our arrival.  Waiting is active obedience in times of preparation.  When there is something big in our future, more often than not, we are not ready for it right now.  But with a heart intent on the Holy Spirit's refining and an obedient posture during the wait, we will be ready when the time is right.

This is why we wait: to become what we need to be when the time to wait has passed.  Use those times when you have to wait to grow in preparation for what you're waiting for.  Wait, but wait well.  Faithful waiting is essential to achieving all that God has for us.