When I travel internationally, as I’m doing this week, I am often amused at the throngs of people rushing to wait.
We rush through ticketing…to wait at security.
We rush through the checkpoint…to wait at the gate.
We rush to the door…to wait on the plane.
We rush to grab our carry-ons…to wait in the aisle.
We rush to the baggage claim…to wait on our suitcases.
We rush to immigration…to wait on customs.
Not a single part of the traveling experience can be rushed! But we act as if it can. And unfortunately, this is how I sometimes treat my experience with the Lord: pushing and pressing against everything around me as I jockey for position to get to the next thing.
It’s easy to take control of our circumstances and run ahead of God…before wondering “What went wrong?” when things go wrong. Why do I do this? I’m not, after all, going to arrive at my destination any sooner than the plane I’m on!
I think I have little tolerance for waiting, and I need to further develop this important skill. I want to more often wait on the Lord, regardless of life’s pressures, and trust Him to plot and follow a trustworthy flight plan.
Waiting on the Lord allows me to…
- See where God is at work.
I long to see where my Heavenly Father is already at work, then join Him! - Grow in confidence.
As I watch Him work in the difficult and pressing circumstances around me, I see His faithfulness over and over. When I rush, I miss it! - Know when and how to act.
God will make my path clear as He forms my heart and mind to be effectively prepared for the challenges before me. - Recognize God’s timing.
Refusing to submit to the tyranny of the urgent (otherwise known as my timing) pays off every time! - Remember who God is and what He is able to do.
God is able to accomplish so much more than I ever could by my own strength and efforts.
When we wait upon God, we are acknowledging that he is sovereign and in control. You are faithful, waiting says to God. You are truthful, dependable, and worthy. You are my Lord, and Your rightful place is there, in front of me.
Think of this as the most influential game of Follow the Leader you’ve ever played. If others know that I am following The Leader, they are much more likely to follow me–because they will know it’s not even me they are following! The following leader is the one that I want to follow, and he is the leader I want to be for others. Confidence in our leaders comes from their dependence on the Lord, and their willingness to wait on Him and follow His guidance in their lives.
Some Scriptural references on waiting:
Psalm 25:5
Psalm 27:14
Psalm 37:7-9
Psalm 52:8-9
Psalm 62:5-6
2 Corinthians 4:16-18
Philippians 4:11-13
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