Please hold and enjoy the music . . . Don’t you hate to be put on hold?
When there’s something that needs to be done, it’s hard to sit still. If you’re anything like me, you want to mount up and charge into action. In Scripture, I wonder if the prophet Nehemiah felt that way?
His beloved countrymen were struggling and suffering, in urgent need. But as a Jewish exile serving a Persian King, what could he do? So he prayed for their relief. Day and night he prayed, while his own burden for them grew and grew…until its agonizing weight birthed a commission from God.
And still he had to wait.
Weeks of pleading petition, personal examination, planning–then scrapping those plans and starting over. Nehemiah spent months of wrestling with God, struggling to trust, anxious to dig in, eager to move forward.
But God had him on hold, and I’ll bet he hated it.
However, God used that time of “dead air” to prepare Nehemiah for his future work, and Nehemiah didn’t waste it. He prayed, he planned . . . and he waited.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t like waiting, I like action–especially when confronted with unmet needs. Yet, when we rush ahead, we don’t give God the chance to lay any groundwork.
And we miss the importance and power of the prelude to God’s plan.
If we will only wait on God, He will work through us. You know that, I know that, but sometimes I forget it’s not a once-for-all event. It’s an ongoing process that takes place many times, season by season, step by step. This is especially true if it is a new work and requires a lot of faith and commitment.
But sometimes God’s “work” is simply praying, trusting, and waiting.
Perhaps you are in a place today where the “work” God has given you is to pray, trust, and wait. Don’t discount the power and value of that “work.”
And though we may feel we aren’t making much progress, it’s in the praying, planning, and waiting that we have already taken the first step in fulfilling God’s call!
What is the hardest thing about waiting for you?
Comments 6
You said, “…though we may feel we aren’t making much progress, it’s in the praying, planning, and waiting that we have already taken the first step in fulfilling God’s call!”
That’s what I needed to read today. As you say, we know it, but do we really? Obviously I need to learn to “know it” on deeper and deeper levels until my default will NOT be impatience and bolting ahead of God or blanket-over-the-head retreat into self, but waiting “productively” with no sense of rush, only confidence in our Sovereign, Faithfull God. The key there: seeing the waiting as productive, and that happens only when put firmly and repeatedly into the hands of God.
Ahhhh, this earthly life of faith is a waiting room for what is next. You nailed the challenge of it, dear friend, and brought home the value of it. I thank our God for using you to inspire my heart to wait.
“waiting ‘productively’ with no sense of rush, only confidence in our Sovereign, Faithfull . . . ” LOVE that! THAT is just what I needed to hear today.
“Pray, Trust & Wait” — that is what most of our journey involves. Excellent and inspiring meditation and powerful message! I also think of the time that the Apostle Paul spent before his ministry, after seeing Jesus and hearing His call. While it is not specifically mentioned, it appears from Acts and Paul’s letters that he waited for several years before his outreach to the Gentiles. None of this was time spent out of God’s will for Paul. He was waiting for God to say, “Now…” And, our Lord spent the first 30 years of his life waiting for the right moment–the right time. “Wait” and “Be patient” are words spread throughout the scriptures. The older I get I remember that God’s will is NOW–in this moment. If I can live in His Presence, moment-to-moment, there is actually never a wasted moment. That is the challenge for me. And, when doubts trys to creep in, I remember those other oft repeated words, “Fear not.” Thanks again for sharing your marvelous praise in your ministry here and on twitter, Blessings, luke
“ ‘Pray, Trust & Wait’ — that is what most of our journey involves.” Isn’t that the truth! The “waiting room” seems to be something of a spiritual Quantico for God’s people, especially His leaders. Thanks for sharing your wisdom and insight.
I love your comment “We miss the importance and power of the prelude to God’s plan.” So true…sometimes I think the hardest part about waiting is wondering if in focusing so much attention on waiting, that I’ll actually miss “it” when He shows me whatever He’s been waiting to show me or teach me. That’s the very human/fleshly part of me thinking that Him showing me is about me…duh…about Him again!!! Just as it should be.
There’s a lot that happens in the “waiting room” time frame, that’s for sure. I can relate to your fear of missing “it” when it comes. I take great comfort in the fact that God won’t let us miss anything (at least not for too long!) when we are focused on Him. 🙂