The world is accustomed to haste. Everybody prefers to travel on the fast lane. Fast cars. Fast telephony….even fast foods! With the world wired together by awesome communication technology into one small global village, many business and lifestyle decisions can be made in no time by clicking the mouse.
Moreover, technology has made transportation easier and faster than it was in the days of our covenant father Abraham. In addition, generally, science has made life easier and shorter such that the modern man and woman recoil at the patience of job. The world is filled with the impatience plague from coast to coast.
Sadly, many Christians have contracted the syndrome. They have been stung by the haste bug. With their character shorn of patience, their faith now wavers, having lost its principal anchor: and their loyalty to Christ Jesus and her Church is now determined by the times and seasons. They make decisions in a hurry and say their prayers on the run.
Yet, the intricacy and vagueness of the human life demand that we live with caution, look before we leap and learn to hold on for God. We would save ourselves from the frustrations of futile efforts, the pains of unmet desires and the sorrows of unfulfilled ambitions if we direct our requests to God in prayer and patiently wait for Him to answer us. We would avoid the common catastrophic results of hasty decisions and presumptuous conduct if we wait to hear from God through prayer and the reading of His word.
We must slow down in life and align our pace with God’s if we will receive His help in our hours of trails, temptations and needs. “Because of his strength: said the psalmist, “will I wait upon thee: for God is my defence” (Ps 59:9). We must shun the hurrying world, share our burdens with God in prayer and wait (Psalm 5:3).
Waiting and Working
Waiting on the Lord, however, should not be assumed to mean stoppage of all efforts towards the realization of one’s set goals. Being patient for God to intervene in our affairs doesn’t turn us into fatalistic believers, doing nothing and hoping for anything. Waiting for God is turning to Him in prayers, trusting in His word for the things we desire, doing our best as may be required, and looking up to Him.
Whatever is its purpose, childbearing, marriage partner, marital bliss, good job, healing, personal spiritual growth, ministerial progress – waiting is an activity that involves the pursuit of God for the realization of desires. Whosoever, waits on God earnestly seeks his face and rests upon his promises, until He grants his/her requests.
Now, it isn’t all who wait on the Lord that realize the purpose of their waiting. Yes, it is possible to wait in vain! For waiting to be fruitful, therefore, it must be accompanied by certain elements outlined below:
Holiness and Blamelessness
Temptations to sin are rife during the waiting period. In addition, when the waiting drags too long than we have envisaged, the feelings of desperation might set in. Therefore, we should fight the urge to speed up and conclude the waiting by ungodly means. While we wait upon the Lord we should strictly abide by His commandment and walk in His ways. The scripture admonishes us to “wait on the Lord, and keep his way and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land…”Psalm 37:34. We should not attempt anything to “help God meet our desires quickly.
Patience
Our waiting should be firmly rooted in patience, otherwise, we will soon quit. There are Christians who pray and wait for a moment for God to act. If, however, they sense any delay, they begin to fret and work out an alternative.
King Saul belongs to this group of anxious waiters. The philistines had moved their troops to Micmash, and army of “thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen and a people as the sand which is on the sea shore in multitude” (1st Samuel 13:8). Ready for war against Israel. Visibly, Saul’s army and weapon were no match for the enemy’s and his soldiers began trembling, ducking and taking cover (verse 6). However, the king knew God could win the war for Israel if Samuel, the Prophet, could come in time to pray and beseech the Lord the Lord with sacrifice; and the prophet had given his word that he would visit the war front.
Now after tarrying for seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered for him: (1st Sam. 13:8), Saul quit waiting and hasten to perform the sacrifice. “And it came to pass, that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came…” (Verse 10). What followed was one of the most tragic verdicts in the scripture: “and Samuel said, what has thou not kept the commandment of the Lord they God, which He commanded thee: for now would the Lord have established the kingdom upon Israel forever, but now, they kingdom shall not continue…” 1Sameul 13:11, 13, 14).
Courage and Hope
Our waiting shouldn’t be characterised with moodiness and self-pity. We should not wear the look of a bereaved soul: or conduct ourselves like some hopeless, defeated and dejected saints. Ours is not a waiting game of uncertain outcomes. We know that, surely, our patient tarrying will result in the realization of the objects of our unpleasant situations for good. “The Lord is good unto them that wait for Him, to the soul that seeks him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord” Lamentation 3:25 – 26). Therefore, we should look forward to His intervention with solid hope and saintly cheer.
Those who wait on God should rest in the Lord though daylight turns to darkness and all hope of His intervention is seemingly lost. God is never pleased with backsliders and fickle-minded Christians (Heb. 10:38).
No matter the challenges before you now, God is able to provide you with the needed solutions and give you victory if you will wait on Him in prayer, with faith, patience, courage and hope, in holiness and service to Him. Cast away your worries and fears and don’t resort to any ungodly means to solve your problems. “Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart: wait, I say, on the LORD: (Psalms 27:14).
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