“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8 NIV
I don’t know anyone who likes waiting. At best, a person might not hate it too much, but no one actually likes waiting. In our modern world of conveniences, we have a growing obsession with anything that is instantaneous. As a result, waiting is often seen as a huge pain. Even waiting through TV commercials is irritating! But, thanks to our advanced technology, we don’t need to wait anymore. With high-speed internet, fast food restaurants and stores open 24/7 for our convenience, we’re all set. At least we like to ‘think so.’
Unfortunately, God doesn’t seem to work the same way…
I once heard a Pastor point out that we are used to walking into any store to buy any fruits and vegetables we want right away at any time of the year. We don’t need to wait for them to be in season anymore. We don’t even have to ask ourselves at what time of the year pineapples are harvested since we know they will be in store all year round (thanks to greenhouses that produce them). Progress is a wonderful thing!
But, the downside is that we do not have the habit of waiting and watching for the right season when fruits come to fruition. The same is true spiritually. We need to practice the discipline of waiting on God and watching as He brings the right fruit in the right seasons. “There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens.” Ecclesiastes 3:1 NIV
It is incredibly easy to seek after the desires of our hearts apart from God. It becomes especially tempting when God is making us wait and what we long for is slow to come. We might even be tempted to believe that God is holding out on us, and we can find better apart from Him. Our hearts can easily wander off while chasing after things we believe can better satisfy us than God could.
We all have to wait in different seasons of life, but we don’t always wait well.
Waiting on anyone is by nature a sacrificial act because it inconveniences us to accommodate someone else. That is why love is patient; it is selflessly willing to be inconvenienced for the sake of someone else’s benefit. Waiting forces us to put our wants, needs, and plans on hold to allow someone else to do what they need to do to prepare to meet us where we are, just like the groom waiting for the bride to get ready to meet him at the altar. Waiting can be an amazing opportunity to get our eyes off ourselves and focus on someone else.
The same is true when we wait on God. He doesn’t need anything from us, nor are we doing Him a favor by waiting on Him. But waiting puts our wants, needs, and agenda on hold. We have the opportunity to worship God, focus on the Giver (instead of the gifts) and the Provider (instead of the provision). Waiting can be an excellent opportunity for us to intentionally choose to draw closer to God and allow Him to prune us in this current season so good fruit may arise in an upcoming season.
Heavenly Father, Thank You that You remain faithful through every season and every high and low in life. Thank You that although waiting can be very inconvenient for us, You bring “beauty out of ashes,” and as we wait on You, our strength is renewed. Remind us, God, that the waiting season is never time wasted, and You are still working in us (even when we don’t see it). Teach us how to wait well and watch for the spiritual fruits that You are growing. Renew in us a spirit of joy and anticipation during the waiting. Just like a farmer who watches his crops grow with delight and looks forward to a great upcoming harvest! In Jesus’ name, amen!
Daryl Banks
Beautiful. God is good all the time. He certainly is… even in the waiting. Thank you for your encouraging word today!