What does it mean to wait on God?
Based upon Easter just passing, have you thought about the fact that if you were one of his disciples at that time, He’d still be appearing to you, not yet ascended to the Father?
Acts 1:3-
After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.
He asked them to wait. To wait on the gift His Father had promised.
That was not just for then. We need fresh fillings and strength that comes from waiting with God. Jesus taught that we are to stay persistent, ask and keep on asking, seek and keep on seeking, knock and keep on knocking, In prayer, He told us to ask for good gifts from the Spirit of God, Luke 11:5-13.
We are called to wait. It is a critical lesson for a healthy prayer and faith walk.
But we hate to wait!!! It’s one of the most difficult things we experience in the Christian faith. Sometime answers come very quickly, but other times, the “thing” we prayed for has yet to come to pass. It can be a long wait for some prayer requests. We have trouble filling time with God in the waiting. We must practice. We must develop a spiritual discipline.
How can we endure difficult times of waiting? It is a test of our relationship with God. What comes up in our feelings and thoughts in the waiting? Bitterness, impatience, demands, discouragement, giving up? Walking away from God and letting go of our time with Him?
We need to confess those things to God and to each other. We can’t hide what He already sees. Relieve burden and admit upsetting feelings you have. Do it in a way that honors Him. “God I’m really having a hard time. Please help me wait on your perfect timing.”
God knows we struggle waiting.
It’s helpful to see how God defines waiting. See picture below of Strong’s H6960. Notice in the Hebrew, it is binding together, by twisting. As rope strands are twisted together, we are to be woven into God.
Woven into His very being. We cling. We abide. We believe in Him, we develop our love relationship with God during the waiting. It is the greatest commandment to love Him with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. In the waiting, we value our relationship with Him more than the “answer”. We root ourselves in the love of God. We’re going to spend eternity with Him! It will be above and beyond all we ask or can imagine!
But waiting, it’s so hard……. wahhhhhhhhh! I get it!
In the long seasons of waiting, too many of us think whether consciously or unconsciously, “He didn’t give me what I wanted, so I’m not interested in lingering with God.” Or, “He hasn’t yet answered so I’m going to spend my time in other ways.. It’s boring. I run out of words. I just keep repeating myself.”
I’ve been there many times! And in reflection, too many times I realize I’ve behaved like a petulant child not getting what she wanted. If I can’t drive my agenda in my time with God, it has left to neglecting time in His presence.
Waiting is a call to lift your eyes to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith! To accept His timing and in the waiting, practice His presence and linger with Him! Now is the best time to deepen and enjoy waiting in His presence!
Psalm 27:14 tells us that waiting produces a strengthening of heart. And to be strengthened, a courage is necessary! A courage to believe God is good. That He is in control! That His timing is perfect and His ways of answering are part of his promise to complete the good work He began in us! To continue to wait on the LORD!
Time with God doesn’t have to be complicated. It definitely doesn’t have to be boring and miserable. You don’t have to have a ton of words. Use His words. His Word is living and active. Learn to enjoy Him! He rewards those who earnestly seek Him!
So press in for His presence and peace. Be open and let Him know you want to deepen in trust and in the waiting. His Spirit and Word does the work. And in the process you shall be strengthened, strengthened to linger and wait with hope!
Where are you today in the waiting? Practice His presence today! Episode 519 is a Mellow Monday exercise using breath prayer to meditate and repeat Psalm 27:14.
