When All You Can Do Is Wait

 There in times in life when all we can so is wait.
 
As I write, concerned people everywhere are in waiting mode. As you listen to conversations, people are waiting for the economy to recover, waiting for a new job, waiting for a raise or promotion, waiting for healing of a disease, waiting for the restoration of a marriage, waiting for a broken heart to mend, waiting for new opportunities and new doors to open, waiting for a husband or wife, that new baby to arrive, or waiting for a significant breakthrough or a dream to come true.
 
 Waiting…waiting…waiting!
 
If the truth be told, most of us are uncomfortable with waiting times.
 
I will be honest with you: I hate to wait! But I must learn to wait.
 
 In our walk with God, there are times when all we can do is wait.
 
In the Old Testament of the Bible, the prophet Micah was waiting.
 
“But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.” Micah 7:7
 
Note that Micah said “But as for me.” He confessed a personal commitment to wait for the Lord. Whether others waited or not, Micah would. He diligently watched for the God of His salvation, waiting for the Lord to hear him and meet his need.
 
The nation was morally and spiritually lost. Oppression ruled the day. Greed and corruption abounded in the hearts of Judah’s leaders. Micah’s heart was broken over his nation’s waywardness in walking away from the ways of the Lord. As darkness surrounded him, Micah waited on the Lord for His light to shine through.
 
As with Micah, life happens to you and me. And it often leaves us waiting.
 
So, we wait. While we wait, we do all we know to do. We faithfully obey the Lord in every detail. We stretch our faith to the max. We seek wise counsel. We exhaust all our ideas and resources. All is left is to wait. And wait some more.
 
Waiting is not necessarily a bad thing. Wait is a good four-letter word when we are waiting on the Lord. It is good for us to wait for Him.
 
The Psalmist David wrote in Psalm 27:14 “Wait for the Lord, be strong, and let your heart take courage. Yes, wait for the Lord.” From personal experience, David knew the benefits and blessings of waiting on God. That is why he could exhort and encourage you and me us to wait for the Lord.
           
Waiting for the Lord when you have been waiting and waiting requires a positive attitude, a confident, patient spirit and a steadfast, courageous heart.   
 
It takes faith, fortitude and more than a fair amount of personal discipline to wait for the Lord in life. Strong, not weak people, have learned how to wait for the Lord when all they can do is wait.
           
I do not know your situation today. But like me, you are probably waiting for something to happen in your life that you have been waiting  for some time. So what should you and I do when there is nothing else to do but wait? We should WAIT!
 
Let me suggest some ways how to wait when all we can do is wait.
 
            1. WAIT WITHOUT WORRY. Do not be anxious while waiting. Refuse to worry. God is not in a hurry. He will show up right on time. His time. Our worrying will not speed God up. Worry will only make our waiting time miserable!
 
            2. WAIT EXPECTANTLY. While you wait, expect God to come and do something magnificent for you. Be encouraged that He will keep His promises and do for you what you cannot do for yourself. Keep your expector expecting good things from the Lord while you wait for Him.
           
            3. WAIT PATIENTLY. Be patient with God’s perfect process. He really does know what He is doing. The Lord knows when to reveal Himself and meet your every need according to the riches of His glory in Jesus Christ.
           
            4. WAIT WELL. Be and stay positive. Resist pressure to make something happen. Step back. Be still. Let God be God. Encourage others as you wait. Inspire people to wait well when all we can do is wait.
 
Waiting time is never wasted time when we are waiting on the Lord. When you wait on God, it is worth the wait!
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Years ago a dear friend sent me these inspiring words on a Dayspring card.
 
            “God wants you to move through this day with a quiet heart, an inward assurance that He is in control, a peaceful certainty that your life is in His hands, a deep trust in His plans and purposes, and a thankful disposition toward all that He allows. He wants you to put your faith in Him, not in a timetable. HE WANTS YOU TO WAIT ON HIM AND WAIT FOR HIM. In His perfect way, He will put everything together…see to every detail…arrange every circumstance…and order every step to bring to pass what He has for you.
           
What a wonderful word of encouragement and inspiration! It reminds me to wait well when all I can do is wait.
 
Micah declared “But as for me I will wait.” What do you say? Will you say “But as for me (your name) I will wait?”
 
If you are waiting for the Lord, keep waiting on Him. Yes, wait for the Lord!
 
“Therefore, return to your God, observe kindness and justice, and wait for your God continually.”                                                                                                            Hosea 12:6
 
“Lead me in Thy truth and teach me, for Thou art the God of my salvation; for Thee, I wait all day.”                                                                                                 Psalm 25:5
 
A Word For Your Week: When all you can do is wait—WAIT!!!