Don’t Leave the Waiting Room
How many of you enjoy waiting? Waiting in the drive thru, in traffic, in the doctor’s office, in God’s waiting room?? If I am honest with you, I do not always enjoy waiting. Often times, I will leave a place to avoid waiting in line. Regretfully, I have even left God’s waiting room at times and taken matters in my own hands, only to make a mess of things.
I am reminded of the story of Abram and Sarai. God had promised them a child, but Sarai became impatient while waiting on the Lord and came up with her own plan. She had Abram sleep with her maidservant, Hagar, so that she could make sure she would have a child of her own. So, Hagar had a son for Saria named Ishmael. However, he was not the child the Lord promised Abram. After this decision by Abram and Sarai, it took fourteen years for Isaac to come along.
I am also reminded of the Israelites, who waited to enter the promise land. Their journey should have only taken eleven days, but due to some roadblocks along the way, it turned into a forty year wait. We will look at some of those roadblocks in a bit.
Ecclesiastes 3:1 says,” To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven” Life seems to be a waiting room. You have kids waiting to be 16, 18, 21…adults waiting on kids to move out or retirement…We are always waiting on something, someone, sometime.
Since this is the case, how should we wait? Romans 8:25– “But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.” Eagerly means intense desire, to wait with excitement and enthusiasm. We should wait with excitement and not give up until we receive what we are waiting for! You may say, but there is nothing exciting about having to wait. Then maybe you do not really believe God can do what you are waiting on because if you believed, then you could see it in the spiritual and eagerly wait for it in the natural.
We must also wait patiently. Psalm 37:7 “Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him. ” Maybe you do not think you have patience. Let me remind you, when you invite Jesus into your life, the Holy Spirit comes in and He doesn’t come empty handed. He comes bearing fruit, with patience being one of the them. So the fruit is in you, but maybe it is not fully ripe or grown. How does that happen, James 1:2-3 “My brethren count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.”
God never asks us to do something that He didn’t first do Himself. II Peter 3:8-9 “But beloved do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is a thousand years and a thousand years one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise as some count slackness but is longsuffering (patient) toward us not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”
God was patient with us first! He eagerly waited, waited, and waited while we were out making a mess of things. He patiently called out our name and tugged at our heart until we said yes to Him. He is the God of patience, therefore He can help you be patient while you wait.
Isaiah 64:4 “For since the beginning of the world, men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear nor has the eye seen any God besides You who acts for the one who waits for Him.” As you wait, He sees the bigger picture and is working on your behalf. Psalm 18:30 says, “As for God, His ways is perfect.” Why wouldn’t we want to wait on His perfect plan?
I can’t help but think of the lyrics, “He’s an on time God, yes, He is. He may not come when you want, but He’ll be there right on time. He’s an on time God, yes He is!”
Maybe you wonder why you’re still in the waiting room. I have a few questions that you can ask yourself.
1. Do I believe? The Israelites battled with doubt and unbelief. Your faith moves God- Matthew 21:22
2. Are you ready or preparing for what you are waiting on? James 2:17-18
3. How is your attitude while you are waiting, are you thankful for the things God has already done for you? The Israelites complained and at times wished they were back in Egypt.
4. Are you willing to be taught? There are always lessons to be learned in the waiting room. God wants to develop your character.
Don’t give up on God because He never gives up on you!
Galatians 6:9 “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap, if we do not lost heart.”
Don’t leave the waiting room…
Let’s run our race with endurance… Focusing on Jesus, THE CHAMPION of our Faith Run.
