By sis Christine Phang / sis Mary Ann
Waiting is never an easy feat, whether it may be a career progression or a milestone in life, further aggravated by your friends’ winning season. When your life is stagnant and nothing seems to be happening, it is so easy to be hopeless. The deceitfulness of the devil then slowly creeps into the heart and plants the idea that God has abandoned you.
To keep the faith during this season of waiting, we must take the time to remember God’s character. Let us look at different stories in the Bible where God’s fingerprints are all over in between the NOW and the NOT YET of...
1. David – Waiting to Be King
“I waited patiently for the Lord; And He reached down to me and heard my cry. Psalm 40: 1
David had to wait 15 years after Samuel anointed him as the next King. David would never have dreamt that his journey to be king was longer and more difficult than he expected.
During the 15 years of waiting, most of his time was spent fleeing from Saul's pursuit. Saul was jealous of him and even sought to get him killed in battle with the Philistines (1 Sam 18:7-9; 25).
After Saul's death, David eventually became the next king.
David had waited 15 years to be king over Judah and another 7 years to be king over all of Israel. This means David had to wait more than 20 years to be crowned King.
2. Abraham – Waiting for a Promise to Be Fulfilled
“And so, having patiently waited, he obtained the promise.” Hebrews 6: 15
Abraham was called the Father of Faith in Rom 4:12, 19-20 because he believed and trusted God.
He never doubted God and simply believed that God would do as He promised. Though he was old and had no son and might not have understood how such a thing could be possible to have a son at old age, he humbly accepted God's word (Gen 15:4-6).
His faith in the promise of God saw him through 25 years of waiting. It is this kind of faith and patience that pleases God (Heb 11:1, 6).
But it is also in the time of waiting that many have failed in their faith and obedience. When God's plan is for us to wait, He will make it worth the wait. Let us commit in our hearts to wait for God to fulfill His purpose and promises in His own time, as David and Abraham did.
3. Job – Waiting Through Suffering
“We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.” James 5: 11
What makes Job an outstanding Bible character is his endurance and reverence for God. He never cursed or blamed God when calamity and sickness befell him. Instead, he continued to worship and bless God (Job 1:21-22).
The devil uses two other weapons to tempt mankind: pain and pleasure.
Pain may sometimes cause us to feel helpless and to doubt whether God cares about us, and pleasure may lure us into sin.
When we suffer, the way to resist the devil is to be like Job: to hold fast to our faith and trust in the goodness of God (1 Pet 4:19).
According to the Bible, God finally rewarded Job twice as much as he had in the beginning because of his faithfulness and patience in waiting for Him (Job 42:10; 12).
Through these three examples in the Bible, we’ve seen God’s faithfulness and trustworthiness. The God who loved, blessed, and delivered David, Abraham, and Job (to name a few) is the same God that we adore and worship today. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13: 8). So, for whatever reason you are made to wait, rest assured that God is orchestrating something beautiful and more extravagant than what you are yearning for!
Lest we forget...
I. Bible Verses on Waiting on God:
Romans 12:12 - "Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer."
Psalm 27:14 - "Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord."
2 Peter 3:9 - "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."
Exodus 14:14 - "The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still."
Isaiah 30:18 - "Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!"
2 Peter 3:8 - "But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day."
II: Song "Teach me Lord, to wait"
Teach me Lord, to wait down on my knees,
Till in Your own good time You answer my pleas;
Teach me not to rely on what others do,
But to wait in prayer for an answer from You.
Teach me Lord, to wait while hearts are aflame,
Let me humble my pride and call on Your name.
Keep my faith renewed, my eyes on Thee,
Let me be on this earth what you want me to be.
Chorus:
"They that wait upon 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."
Teach me Lord, teach me Lord to wait.