Waiting

It occurred to me this evening—as I was meandering about doing a few household chores—that I haven’t ever waited very long for anything. For instance, I began to seriously think about and ask the Lord for my own home in April or May, and the following April I moved into my own home. From the day that I made the serious commitment to begin writing again (about two years ago) until the day the Lord provided funding to publish the novel I was working on was about a week. Or maybe two. Not long waits, either one.

What brought this to my mind was a particular thing that I haven’t received yet. I have many times gotten a little worried—no, I’ll be honest, I’ve been scared to death—that the Lord wouldn’t come through in time, and I’ve been afraid to believe He’ll actually give it to me. After all, I’ve "been waiting" more than seven years, now.

But, you see, it’s only that seven years have elapsed. During those seven years that have slowly passed, I have probably not waited more than about six weeks. The rest of the time I’ve been freaking out. When you’re talking about "waiting on God," the mere passage of time doesn’t count. Time passes, period. Regardless of what you do, time does not stand still. It marches on, and doesn’t care if you’re waiting on God or not.

Waiting on God is pretty much the same thing, I think, as believing God. It is living in grace. When you’re believing, you are at rest. You have "ceased from your own labors." Paul stated that "it" (which covers pretty much everything, I’d say) is either by grace or by works, but never both. Either you will try to do it, or God will do it, but not both.

I thought of Jacob, who didn’t wait for Rachel for seven years. He worked for her for seven years. But, surprise, surprise, he didn’t get Rachel, he got Leah. Rachel seems to have been a cute, spoiled girl, and she certainly doesn’t turn me on, but she was what Jacob wanted. So he worked and worked, and then, at the appointed time, he got what he didn’t want.

So the question is, are we really waiting when we think we’re waiting, or are we fretting as time goes by? Are we absolutely, one hundred percent convinced that the Lord and only the Lord can give us what we want-and that He can do so without our help? I’m serious, here. This is a very big deal. It’s true that when He tells us to move, we need to do so, but there is nothing He can’t do without us. There is nothing that He cannot do while we relax and enjoy life.

Play a game with your kids. Get a massage. Soak up some rays. Take a nap.

All your working doesn’t get you what you really want, anyway.

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