Week 9 - Waiting Room

Psalm 40:1

I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry.

Isaiah 40:31

But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

One crisp fall morning I arose bright and early and drove to the hospital.  I was proctoring an exam that started at 6:30 a.m.  As I sat in the quiet conference room during the test, I began to think of all the other early morning trips I had made to the hospital throughout my life.  There was my very first visit when I became our area’s New Years Baby.  There were many surgeries for both my loved ones and myself, the joyous births of my children and sadly the loss of a few very dear friends and loved ones.  All these significant, life-changing events centered around one place, the hospital, and one theme, waiting.

I don't care too much for waiting.  It is not something that I enjoy and it certainly does not come naturally to me.  One of the things I find most difficult about waiting is that it appears as if nothing is really happening while you wait.  The wait seems to serve no purpose.  Also, I sometimes forget that some of the waiting periods in my life aren't necessarily about me.  Often, God is working in the lives of others close to me during this waiting period.  Another thing I don't care for in waiting is the helplessness that I sometimes feel.  I have often tried to take matters into my own hands to end the wait only to make things much worse.  

The Bible carries many promises for those who wait.  God's word teaches us that His timing is perfect.  He isn't in a hurry like we are.  He has no problem taking the time needed to bring about what is best for us.  Even when it appears as if nothing is happening, God is always at work in our lives.  The next time you find yourself in one of life's waiting rooms, turn to God for the strength and understanding you need to see it through.  God uses every circumstance, every struggle, every wait to draw us nearer to Him and to develop godly character in us.  I think it no accident that He positions us in a place of healing like a hospital during some of life's most difficult waiting periods.  Even when we cannot see His hand, we can be reassured that He is looking out for our best interests.

~Up Close and Personal~

Are you in a waiting period right now?  Is there something you’ve been praying about for a very long time? 

Have you ever grown so impatient that you’ve taken matters into your own hands rather than waiting on God for a definite answer?

Have you ever made matters much worse by acting in haste rather than trusting and relying on God to help you?

Waiting isn’t easy for anyone.  However, no amount of time is ever wasted in God’s plans.  If we can acknowledge that He is sovereign and always at work in our lives, the wait will become easier.  In fact, if we truly understand His love for us and His power in our lives, we can embrace each waiting period and all it has to offer us in the way of building both our faith and our character.  The more we are called to wait, the more God entrusts us with a magnificent growth opportunity. 

~Name It~

Read Psalm 40:1 aloud.

What is the promise included in this scripture?

If we wait patiently for the Lord, He will hear our cry.

Read Isaiah 40:31 aloud.

What are the promises included in this scripture?

Those who hope in (wait for) the Lord will gain strength.  They will sour like the eagles.  They will not tire.  They will not become weary.

~Claim It~

Dear Heavenly Father, please forgive me for my distorted view on the waiting periods you have placed in my life.  So often I have been too narrow minded about these time periods and what is really happening in them.  Help me to trust that no matter what I can or can’t see, you are always at work in my life and in the lives of those I love.  Help me embrace each new waiting period as an opportunity to grow closer to you.  Strengthen my faith during these difficult times.  Help me to trust you and to wait for your perfect timing.

In your heavenly name I pray, Amen.