Waiting

       So, waiting.....Ya, it's a pretty short word, yet it has a lot of meaning and can be so hard to act upon. Lately, I've been realizing that I have a hard time waiting on the Lord. For a long time I felt like it was a choice......that I could take things into my own hands and figure it out or speed it up if it wasn't going my way. But you know, when you have to wait for something that is not in your power to change or speed up, you kind of hit a rock wall and realize what this waiting stuff is all about.
       I was looking up verses on waiting on the Lord, and I found something very interesting in Psalm 27:14 "Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!" Ok, so it says "wait for the Lord" like 2 times, so there must be something to that. Not to mention that the Bible's not really giving us much of a choice.....it says "wait on the Lord!" That's an imperative statement. That means we are commanded to do it. So, I guess that means I'll have to scrap what I first thought about waiting.....it's NOT a choice! It's a direct command.
       I don't know about you, but most of the time, I find it pretty hard to wait, in general. I'm kind of an impatient person(I'm working on that) especially when it comes down to long term things. But you know what, God doesn't leave us in the dark without some help! He has a few pointers for us while we're waiting on Him. Psalm 37:34 "Wait for the Lord and KEEP HIS WAY, and He will exalt you to inherit the land..." Micah 7:7 "But as for me, I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God WILL HEAR ME." Psalm 62:5 "For God alone, O my soul, wait in SILENCE, for my hope is from him." So, not only do i have to wait for God's timing, I need to obey, pray, and be silent in the meantime. And although that seems like too much to ask, God isn't going to leave me to do it on my own, obviously! Colossians 1:11-12 "May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father..." God will give me the strength and patience I need in order to do all these things He's commanded me. When I see the long, and sometimes unending path in front of me, or sometimes I see no path at all, I remember that God is always by my side, and if I stay in His word and obey Him, I have no need to fear an uncertain future.
       We also need to look at the benefits of waiting. Many times, the reason I don't wanna wait, is because I think that I'll get something better if I figure things out myself. When I do that, I'm undermining the power and love of God. Things NEVER turn out better when we try to do them ourselves.....NEVER.  Besides, why would I want to go through all the trouble of forcing things so that they turn out my way, without even knowing if they're gonna turn out right??? At least when I leave it up to God, I know everything is going to work out for good and for His glory. And because it's a command, we know that God blesses those who keep his commandments. Isaiah 40:31 "But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint." So, that waiting period is like a recharge for our spiritual, and many times physical batteries. God doesn't need my help getting His plan in action, so I better not even waste my breath trying. Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." In order to wait I need to trust that God will bring things to pass exactly the way they should be. And when I do that, I leave the direction of my life completely in His hands,  not trusting my own heart or feelings. I think PRAYER is a big part of trusting God.

           A really cool verse that i don't think I've ever noticed before is Isaiah 30:18 "Therefore the Lord WAITS to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts Himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for Him." That's the first time I see the Bible saying that God is waiting. But it's true! The Lord may be waiting to give me certain things, even really good things, until He thinks I'm ready. So instead of impatiently waiting, and whining the whole time, wondering why I'm not getting answers right away, I should be maturing spiritually, so that I can be ready for whatever God brings my way. God uses everything, even the hard things in our lives to get us to grow closer to Him. If I'm waiting in a long line at the grocery store and strike up a conversation with the person in front of me, I'm bound to know more about them than if I would've pouted and complained about the line being so long the whole time. It's similar with God. There are so many things to do while I'm waiting. I can use the time to serve God in ways that wouldn't have been possible otherwise. I can grow closer to Him by reading His word and praying. And most importantly I can learn to praise and trust Him through the slow and rough times, and the good times. It's amazing to see God's blessings in my life when I wait on His perfect timing! Praise the Lord for His goodness and patience with us!!!