“One of the greatest strains in life is the strain of waiting on God.” Oswald Chambers
Never, ever stand behind me in a check out lane. Even if the line appears to be by far the shortest of all the other lines, choose another. Even if you feel ridiculously foolish for standing three-deep when I’m next in line and no one is behind me, stay where you are. Trust me on this. I have the gift – the gift of picking the line that takes the longest amount of time, every time.
The register will run out of tape and have to be re-thread. The cashier will be due for break and just as she finishes with the customer in front of me, she’ll close out her drawer and make way for the next shift. The bagger will fill the last of his paper or plastics and wander away in search of more. An item will require a price check. The woman in front of me will have accidentally left her purse in her car and will mumble an apology before she runs out to retrieve it. Someone’s credit card won’t work or, better yet, they’re writing a check . . . that requires ID . . . ID that is trapped in the folds of their wallet and won’t slide out.
So much waiting.
Have you ever noticed that the very first thing Jesus asked the early church to do was to wait? In Acts 1:4 He instructs, “. . . wait for the promise of the Father . . .”
Why? Why did they have to wait? For the first time in all their following Jesus stuff had begun to make sense. The agony and despair of His death and burial had been transformed into the glorious reality of His resurrection. After Gethsemane they scattered, afraid for their lives. But not now. Now they were revved up. Ready to go. Ready to talk about what they’d seen and what they knew to be true about Jesus, and Jesus said, “Wait.”
Do you know anyone who’s really good at waiting? Are you?
Our lives are designed to eliminate wait-time. Fast food. Drive-throughs. Microwaves. Google. Texting and tweeting. We live like we believe that: to wait is to waste.
Why then did Jesus require waiting and what role can it possibly play in our spiritual lives today?
After Jesus’ resurrection, the disciples had knowledge and zeal, but they did not have power. Jesus was leaving – returning to His Father. The danger was that they would roll up their sleeves and attempt to do His work apart from His presence.
The promise was that Another would come. Literally, Jesus explained, another One just like Me only not limited to one human body, but able to live in and through each child of God. This One would provide the supernatural ability to carry out Christ’s commands. Without the anointing and filling of the Spirit, their service would originate from the flesh and produce no lasting fruit. “For apart from Me, you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)
So the options for the early New Testament believers were to: 1) get busy and do things for God, or 2) wait and let God do things through them.
Even today these are our same options. Waiting daily upon God is still the prescribed pattern of being filled with His Spirit. Being still in His presence and knowing that He is God. Being led and empowered by Him produces fruit that will last.
Thankfully that early band of believers obeyed. They waited. God kept His promise. Just as He had sent His Son, He sent His Spirit, and the message of the Gospel exploded around the globe. They did by the power of the Spirit what they wanted to do but never could have done on their own.
Waiting on God is always worth the wait!
Right now, in your own life, where is God requiring that you wait on Him? Are you single, waiting for the love of your life? Are you childless, waiting for God to open your womb or for the adoption to go through? Are you desperately waiting for the restoration of your marriage or for the return of your prodigal? Possibly you’re waiting for your house to sell, waiting on a good job to open up or waiting for the treatments to work and the Doctor to say all is well.
“One of the greatest strains in life is the strain of waiting on God.” Oswald Chambers
Will you trust Him? Will you obey? Will you wait?
We also have this in common with those first followers: we are waiting on yet another promise of God – the return of Messiah Jesus to rule and reign! Keep waiting and keep looking up!
Oh, Kristen… you have no idea how much I needed this! As you know, I have been waiting on God for many areas of my life. And just this past weekend I again questioned God as to what to do… I believe He answered (as He has been reminding me of this for several months now) by telling me to “WAIT AND TRUST HIM”. So that is what I will do… keep trusting and waiting for His promises to be fulfilled… and I will enjoy the journey along the way!! Thank you for your words… they are always encouraging!! 🙂
Kristen, I was directed by the Holy Spirit working through Rose Nettro, (she goes to your church) my dear friend from years ago to read some of your blog. I collect wise hearted women and knew I was in the presense of one as I read and read. Very thought provoking post and a much needed timely word of truth for me right now.
I have waited on all the things you wrote about and a ton more you did not mention. This is the one I am waiting on now, our prodigal son to return to the Father. His name is Jared and he is recently divorced, two small children. God has place us in Jared life big time as we just moved from LaGrange, Ky to Simi Valley, California where he lives to do a ministry called Member Care with New Tribes Mission. I so covet your prayers for Jared’s return to the Father arms who loves him more then we do.
I will be stopping by often. Betty
Betty,
Good morning. So good to hear from you. I believe you were going to come to the Women’s Chrsitmas gathering at Southeast this past year but were unable at the last minute to do so. I had looked forward to meeting you then. Rosie speaks very highly of you! I didn’t realize you’d moved to Simi Valley. I hope you’ve found a good church home there.
I will certainly add Jared to the list of prodigals we’re praying for at Further Still Ministries. Please keep us posted on how you’re seeing God work. I know it’s difficult, especially for a mom’s heart, to patiently pray, wait and trust, but I am convinced that God will work and is already working through your obedience.
I do have a study entitled Praying for Your Prodigal that walks through Luke 15 and provides 31 days of prayer for your prodigal. We’re seeing God really use this study to encourage those praying and to bring prodigals home. It is available on our website at http://www.furtherstillministries.org. We’d be happy to ship it to you.
Please keep us posted so we can pray specifically. So good to hear you’ll be stopping by often.
May the Lord bless and keep you, Kristen
Kristin, thank you for the reply and yes I think I will order the study. And yes I was suppose to come to your Women Christmas Gathering but had a wreak on my way to meet Rose. No one was hurt thank God but it totaled our car.
Rose lived next door to us 36 years ago, I had just got save and could not shut my country mouth about the Lord, she was not saved at the time. Little did we know God was going to use my big mouth to influence Rose decision for Christ. I wrote a little piece about her on my blog. Her and Ron are real prayer warriors and I am so thankful God brought us together again. They love serving as I am sure you have found out.
. Only a Holy God could get me to make another move after countless moves and living over seas for 20 some years. It was time for us to come apart from over seas mission and when we went seeking a minsitry in the states with our mission, Member Care opened up. We are over six states including California and all New Tribe missionaries coming or going from those six states we will be their member care contact. And we get to live in Simi Valley where our son lives. In fact we are sharing a condo with him which is a huge God move on my heart as I was against it at first. God used Rose and another woman I ask to pray for me concerning this to change my heart if needed. He travels two weeks out of the month, we will be traveling a lot so…we have committed to try it for a year. We have worked hard with God’s help to maintain a loving relationship with our son and his former wife. Of course we do not agree with the divorce but this we know there is life after a divorce because life is in Christ. Thank you so much for having your team carry Jared to the lap of God in prayer. And thank you Kristin for exercising your gift of words…my how God has blessed you with wisdom.
Jared use to go to Cornerstone where Frances Chan pastored for quite some time and we have contact there so we may just light there. Blessing my wise hearted sister.