How Well Do We Wait?

Let me ask you a question: How well do you wait?  I openly admit that I am impatient and don't like waiting (ask my Bride).  I'm that guy who gets behind the one person in line who has a million questions or simply wants to chat.  If I have an appointment, I will show up early simply because that's how I was brought up ("better early than late, especially for dinner").  Having said all that, I will say that I am still learning.  

We don't like to wait, do we?  There's something about the whole process of waiting that grates on our nerves.  And guess what? Our impatience is a trick of the enemy into focusing on us and our time, instead of making good use of that time.  One of the things I am learning to do when waiting is reading.  Everyone has a cellphone and if you have the Kindle app on your phone you can read books that will increase your knowledge.  One of the books I am re-reading is called "Three Free Sins" by Steve Brown.

Speaking of waiting, did you know that Jesus spent "40 days and 40 nights" before He began the ministry assigned Him by Abba.  Now the actual phrase "40 days and 40 nights" quite literally means "as long as it takes." Jesus stayed in the wilderness for as long as it took for Him to be truly prepared for His ministry.

The Apostle Paul spent three years in the Arabian desert preparing for the ministry Abba has given him. That's quite a long time!

In Acts 1:4-5, after Jesus was crucified, He appeared to the Disciples and told them:

[Jesus] commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” They had to wait until Abba sent His Holy Spirit to them.  Why? Because Jesus knew if their ministry was not led by Abba's Holy Spirit it would be a powerless effort and would fail because it would be of the flesh instead of the Holy Spirit.

Here's a lesson I got out of reading and contemplating on the passage...We need to meet with Jesus and we need to be quiet and we need to wait!  We need to be still to see where the Spirit is leading.  The best way I am learning to be still and quiet is by studying, reading, writing, learning.  As we wait, we need to talk with Abba.  Tell Him exactly what's on our heart. Be frank and blunt with Him.  Waiting shouldn't be a boring waste of time, it should be time where we are actively preparing our minds and hearts before Abba.

 

What Do You Mean 'Wait'?

Be still in the presence of the Lord,
    and wait patiently for him to act.
Don’t worry about evil people who prosper
    or fret about their wicked schemes.

Psalm 37:7 

 

Ever been to Disney World?  What's the one thing everyone experiences there, besides the shock of the cost of everything?  Everyone experiences the never ending standing in line to wait.  Granted, you can pay extra for a special pass that means you don't have to wait, but how many of us can afford such a luxury?  We don't like to wait, yet we go to places where we stand in line to wait, and upon our return home we share what a wonderful time we had.  Ever wonder why places like Disney offer passes for multiple days?  Because when you spend most of your time waiting, you don't get to do everything you want in one day. We hate to wait!  

 

But what about waiting on God?  We pray and expect instantaneous answers!  We quit praying because we don't think God is ever going to answer, "After all, I've prayed about it."

God tells us to be patient.  God's plans are ALWAYS better than anything we could dream up, and when it is God's timing, His answers will be revealed to us.  

 

There's a difference, believe it or not, between waiting and actively waiting.  Waiting is when we fume and pace and fuss and scream at the microwave to HURRY UP!  Active Waiting is making the most of your time while you wait.  For example, you have your phone with you, try downloading a bible app and spend your waiting time reading Scripture.  Or take a book with you that is encouraging.  Spend some time praying for those who wait with you.  Spend time asking God to show you opportunities to be His light while you wait.  God is extremely patient and always willing to show us opportunities.

 

Let me leave you with a Jesuit Prayer (I use a Jesuit app on my phone to help me focus and contemplate):

 

Abba,

 

We are often impatient and want immediate results, whether it is finding out a test result, waiting for someone to text us back, or want an answer to prayer.  Grant us patience to wait for Your perfect time in all things, and peace and comfort in times of anxiety. Like the blind man of Bethsaida, may we be willing to wait for the fullness of Your work in our lives to be revealed.

 

Amen.

How Are You Waiting?

Wait patiently for the Lord.
    Be brave and courageous.
    Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.

Psalm 27:14 

 

Let me ask you a rather personal question: How good are you at waiting patiently?  Yeah, I'm not good at that either, but I'm learning. I can only speak for me, I am extremely impatient and become frustrated having to wait.  And if you really want to know extended waiting, stand in line at Disney or stand in line at the checkout with 42 registers but only 4 are open or go to the pharmacy to simply pick up your meds and the ONE person in front of you wants to have a stroll down memory lane with the pharmacist. Waiting is NOT easy, but let me give you something to ponder: "Exceptional work is preceded by extended waiting."

 

Think about this, God chose to keep Moses waiting until Moses reached 80 years old before revealing His mission for Moses' life.  Did you catch that? EIGHTY YEARS!!!  I cannot even begin to comprehend waiting that long!

 

What about that little excursion into the Wilderness where Moses led the Israelites to the Land God had promised them?  That little jaunt took 40 years!!  

 

Even David, the beloved of God, had to wait 13 years AFTER he had been anointed as King of Israel before he could actually become the king.  In the meantime, he was chased by King Saul through the desert because Saul was trying to kill David in order to keep him from becoming King of Israel.  David ruled Israel for the best 40 years they had known up to that point.

 

I knew at age 7 that God had called me into ministry.  I waited and waited and waited.  Then I gave up waiting and went my own way for YEARS.  Finally, God got through to me that I was supposed to be waiting for Him to bring my calling to pass.  From the age of 7 until I was ordained at the ripe age of 42 God was working in my life and I didn't even realize it.  Every experience, every rebellion, every heartache, every laugh, every chuckle, every deep darkness, God was using them all to mold me and shape me to be able to walk with people through their lives.  And God made me wait 35 years to be ordained, another year to finish seminary, and another 2 years until He opened the door at the Sheriff's Department.

 

God is the God of patience.  I am glad for that because means He is more than patient with me.  Think about that.

It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere!

For everything there is a season,
    a time for every activity under heaven.

~Ecclesiastes 3:1

A couple of years ago, for all my Parrotheads, Jimmy Buffett did a little ditty called "It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere."  The point of the song is exactly what Solomon is reminding us in  today's Scripture!  There is a time for everything, and that means the time is always NOW!  Think about this message! 

This means:

     *  the time to do what is right is NOW!

     *  the time to tell your loved ones that you love them is NOW!

     *  the time to do your best at work is NOW!

     *  the time to make those positive changes is NOW!

     *  the time to stop procrastinating is NOW!

     *  the time to make things right with someone you are on the outs with....is NOW!

     *  the time to be that good friend is NOW!

     *  the time to step up and PARENT is NOW!

     *  the time to stop cutting corners is NOW!

     *  the time to remember that you are God's chosen child and act like it, is NOW!

     *  the time to stand on your own two feet is NOW!

The time to do the best things for yourself and for those you care about....is NOW!  Make those changes! Mend those relationships! Take those steps! Do it NOW!  After all....It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere!

                            

5 O'Clock