Waiting, Waiting, Waiting!

April 25, 2024

Waiting, Waiting, Waiting!

They were told to wait in the city.  I don’t know how they did it…day after day, week after week, one month leading into the next month.  They just waited in the city of Jerusalem. 

It was not an easy place to wait!  Jerusalem was a dangerous place filled with unrest; it was a city ripe for revolution, a city consumed with oppression, a city filled with intolerance! 

But, the disciples waited in the city because the Risen Savior had told them to wait.  In Acts 1:4 we hear; “While staying with them (the disciples), he (Jesus) ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father.”  They waited and waited for the Word of God to come true in their lives.

Waiting is not one of my spiritual gifts.  If I know something is going to happen, I just as soon it happen right now rather than in some distant and undisclosed future.  If there is a promise made or a hope raised, I just as soon those good things be fulfilled now rather than later.

We are in the process of purchasing a vehicle; we are excited!  However, the salesperson has told us we have to wait because the vehicle we would like is not yet available for sale.  It will be available in the near future, but it is not right now.  It’s hard to wait!

After a time, I think the disciples began to tire of waiting, too.  In Acts 1:6 we hear; “So when they (the disciples) had come together, they asked him (Jesus), ‘Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?’”  Is this the time?  Is it going to happen now?  How much longer do we have to wait?

Jesus responds in a way that people who are tired of waiting never like to hear.  Jesus tells the disciples (and you and me!) that we will not always know the time.  I maintain we also may not always know the place or the how or the who for the great movements of the Holy Spirit in our lives and in our world.

Do you remember me saying, “Waiting is not one of my spiritual gifts”?  Waiting is sometimes quite difficult. 

I do not want to wait an entire week to hear the doctor’s test results.

I do not want to wait two months to hear if I am accepted into graduate school.

I do not want to wait for Jesus to answer my prayer.

When I tire of waiting, I need to hear a Word from God.  I need a Word from God to encourage me to wait on the Lord when I would rather push things ahead by myself.  I need a Word from God that calls me to rely more on (trust and obey!) Jesus than on myself. 

For those who are tired of waiting on Jesus to make good on His promises, there is a simple, but difficult Word from the Lord God.  In Psalm 46:10 we hear; “Be still, and know that I am God!” 

The Psalmist reminds us that waiting often involves these elements;

+Get still; stop running here and there like it is going to hurry things up.

+Be quiet; stop filling the air and your ears with your sense of urgency.

+Seek God’s presence; stop relying so much on your skills and strengths and strategies.

+Remind yourself Jesus is God; stop living as if you are the God of the universe. 

The Psalmist goes on to help us understand why we can wait.  In Psalm 46:11 we hear; “The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.”

The Psalmist reminds us that waiting often involves practicing being in God’s presence.

Celebrate being in God’s powerful presence rather than blaming God for not acting.

Practice being in God’s providing presence rather than devising yet another scheme to get ahead.

Rehearse being in God’s protecting presence rather than responding in anxiety and fear.

I confess waiting is not one of my spiritual gifts.  And yet, I have also learned there are times and seasons when I must wait for the Lord to act, for Jesus to respond, for the Holy Spirit to move.  Psalm 46:10-11 are the Word of God showing me how to wait on the Lord when I would rather be done with all the waiting.

I imagine you know someone who is in a season of waiting right now.  They may be worn out by the waiting.  They may be discouraged by the waiting.  They may be loosing faith in Jesus because of the waiting.  They may be contemplating doing something that is self-destructive or will hurt another person because of the waiting.

I encourage you to grab a cup of coffee with your friend this week.  Listen to their story…again.  Listen to their complaint, their impatience, their desperation.  Listen and then pray with them.  And then, walk with them through their season of waiting on Jesus.  Be an encouragement, be a support, be the person who helps them reach out for Jesus’ hand.

When you help your friend wait on the Lord, you will see more delight in them and more delight in you…a delight only the Lord can give. 

Take Delight In The Lord!

Doug