Waiting

There’s nothing worse than waiting. As a kid growing up, we were late to everything. One of my strongest memories is being late to church…OFTEN. My mom, brother, and I would walk in through the front doors of our enormous sanctuary (it was in my child’s eyes) and sit down on the front row. My dad sat at the platform (chancel), where he helped lead the service and would watch us as we walked in.

I have made a point not to make people wait on me. My daughter has not inherited this trait. We have to start 20 minutes before we leave the house, getting her to gather her stuff.

If only it were that simple with God. “Lord, I need you to answer my prayer on Friday, so I’m going to go ahead and start this request on Monday, so I give you enough processing time……Amen.”

Waiting on the Lord may be one of the hardest things we do in our spiritual lives.

“This is what the biblical phrase “wait on the Lord” is about: committing our Red Sea situations to Him in prayer, trusting Him, and waiting for Him to work.” –The Red Sea Rules, by Robert J. Morgan (Rule 5)

Waiting is more than simply sitting around. While we wait, we must pray and trust God. We aren’t to sit in one spot until God acts. Instead, we must move forward, learning more about God and who we are in him.

But Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.” –Exodus 14:13-14 NLT

Imagine how hard it must have been for Israel to stand still–wait in place. Moses told them to do nothing in a moment of fear and danger.