Wait Upon the Lord
By Pr Justin and Jacquie Ryan
The season of waiting can be a time of preparation for greater things in the Lord.
I believe there is one thing that we can all relate to regardless of our status, career standing, or past. We have all been there, we have struggled with it, complained to God, and questioned Him countless times. It is something most of us do not always like doing. I am talking about this one word that can have a grip on our minds, thoughts, and emotions: WAITING!
In this rapid world that we all live in today, where everyone is in a rush, it difficult to wait when we are so accustomed to having things at our fingertips. At a click of a button, things can be immediately put into action. Every transaction, payment, message, and important documents can be sent with just a click of the button. Did you know that a study was done at the University of Nebraska and many research groups on the aspect of Tolerable Waiting Time?
Yes, it is an actual term where in-depth research was being done to find out how long web users are willing to wait to enter a site. As years have passed, the waiting time has decreased significantly as people are becoming more and more impatient and want to see things happen fast. Research has shown that people are only willing to wait for 5 to 8 seconds for a site to open, after which they would leave because it is construed as “too long”.
Sadly, this thinking pattern has spilt over even to our spiritual walk with God. Waiting can bring about impatience, worry, and discouragement in us. When things don’t happen according to our timing, we often get frustrated. Since we are so used to getting instant results around us, we expect God to also work in the same way. Sometimes we even think that we are the only ones experiencing a delay when everyone around us seems to have their prayers answered instantaneously. This is so not true because the Bible documents countless people from Genesis to Revelation who also battled with waiting. David understood the importance of waiting as seen in Psalm 27:14 that reads “Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the Lord.” Let’s take a walk down the pages of Scripture as we discover people who had to wait, no not weeks.. not months.. but years!
When Noah was asked to build the ark, He obeyed God despite the ridicule and questions by those around him, who never saw the supposed flood. Noah had to WAIT 120 years before the flood happened. For Abraham and Sarah, they had to WAIT 75 years from the time the promise was given to when they held Isaac in their arms. David was anointed as a shepherd boy to become king, but that only happened 15 years later. Remember Joseph in the Old Testament, who had a dream of sheaves bowing down to him, and how his brothers got angry with him and sold him off? That dream became a reality 22 years later. Then we have the love story of Jacob and Rachel. He had to work for 14 years before he took Rachel as his wife. Now that’s true love if you are willing to wait for 14 years.
We know the Israelites were promised that they would step into the Promised Land, but that journey took 40 years. Another interesting fact is that when they reached the place and their eyes saw the Promised Land and Moses died, it was Joshua who had to lead them into the land flowing with milk and honey. However, they had to fight with the inhabitants of the land to gain access to it. They could see the land, but they could not inhabit it. If we read the book of Joshua, we would see that it took Joshua another 7 years before they could gain victory over the land.
There are countless other events in the Bible where people had to wait. I would like to take a few minutes to encourage all of us who are in a season of waiting. There are two terms I would like to highlight and that is the Season of Announcement and a Season of Fulfilment.
The Season of Announcement is each time God made a promise or gave an assurance of what is to happen in the future.
The Season of Fulfilment is when things begin to line up and come together. It is when what has been promised becomes a reality. In other words, it’s the Season of Announcement, Season of Waiting, and then Season of Fulfilment.
Some of us may now be in a season where we received the announcement but have yet to see any fulfilment and we are wondering whether we should hold on or give up. God frequently has a way of telling us to not give up. James 1:12 states “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love Him.” We may be in between seasons and there are things that need to be done while waiting. Yes, something needs to be done.
What are we supposed to do while waiting? Allow me to share 5 things we could do. As we go through these 5, we can ask ourselves which of these we have yet to do and begin today.
Firstly, understand that God’s timing isn’t our timing. We may have certain expectations but be open and allow God to work it out according to His time. We may think our time is good, but His is best.
The Second is to realize that God is in control and not us. Don’t snatch the wheel from God and think we can do a better job, because we think God is too slow. Let Him maneuver things in our lives in every area.
Next, while waiting, the more we think about it, the more frustrated we get, with all the questions, so the best thing to do is to Praise God anyway. Even when we don’t understand what is happening, praise Him, because we believe He is working something out for our greater good.
The fourth is to realize that in the midst of waiting, it is also a season of separation. Are we aware that while waiting, God can convict our heart of areas that we need to separate ourselves from? We need to separate ourselves from activities and people that are taking up our time and energy and not moving us in the right direction. When we separate and remove things that are not necessary, we create space and make room for what God wants to do.
And finally, in our season of waiting, are we aware that it is also a season of preparation? We may be rushing to have certain things done, but God may feel that we are not ready yet. There are things in our life that we need to do, to be well prepared for what is coming next. Perhaps we do not have the right skills yet or perhaps God feels we need time to mature and be ready for what is to come.
Although we can’t see everything with our physical eyes, know that God is working in the background, to make sure that everything falls into place and so that we are fully ready for what is to come. We may think we are ready now, but God sees what is to happen 5 years from now. He also sees all the challenges ahead and He needs to prepare us now.
We may have gone through our Season of Announcement. We may have yet to see our Season of Fulfillment and are now in our Season of Waiting. Can I encourage all of us to not give up? Ask God which of the 5 we have not yet worked on and start working on it, after which God will turn up as if “all of a sudden” and we will receive our miracle.
Be blessed and strengthened with God’s promises today.
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I will wait expectantly for the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.
Psalm 37:7 – Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him. Do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.
Roman 8:25 – But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
About the Ryans
The Ryans have been involved in the mission field for more than a decade. In 2013, the Lord led them to found Issachar Academy where they provide training specifically for missions in a hospitable environment. Besides missions, the Ryans also help Christians recognise and move in their seasons with God.
