Hurry Up and Wait!

Oh my God, I trust in thee . . . let none that wait on thee be ashamed. Psalm 25:2-3 (KJV)
(Listen to the audio version)

 

Are you seeking direction from God, but haven't received an apparent answer? Do you need a resolution to a problem, but you don't see a way out? Have you been asking God for help, yet you feel he remains silent? Are you held captive by your situation?

In this day of instant answers (thank you internet), we tend to tap our fingers at the microwave. We don't like waiting. We want what we want when we want it, which is now! And waiting on God can be one of the most difficult challenges in our Christian lives. 

In Psalm 25 David declares his faith in God, I trust in thee. He then acknowledges that waiting on God may cause others to ridicule the faithful: Let none that wait on thee be ashamed. 

Has this happened to you? Have you been humiliated or mocked by others while waiting on God's answer? Has the Adversary whispered, "Does God really care about your situation?" Undoubtedly, this makes waiting more difficult. It might even cause us to question God's love for us.

God has all the power in the universe. With a blink of an eye, he could change our circumstances. So why does God make us wait? I believe Psalm 25 helps us understand the purpose of waiting. The King James Version translated the Hebrew word, "qavah" as "wait." However, "Qavah" means more than just wait. It also means to bind together (by twisting), to expect, to look patiently, to tarry, and to wait (for, on, upon). Some other Bible versions have translated "qavah" as trust and hope.

No one who trusts you will be disgraced. . . (NCV)

No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame . . . (NIV)

And the Amplified Bible says, Indeed, none of those who [expectantly] wait for You will be ashamed; Those who turn away from what is right and deal treacherously without cause will be ashamed (humiliated, embarrassed). 

Qavah is not the finger-tapping-at-the-microwave kind of wait. It is the young child going to sleep on Christmas Eve, knowing there will be gifts to open in the morning. It is the young Army wife waiting at the airport terminal for her beloved to exit the plane. Qavah is expectant waiting. It is hoping in God, because we know he is eternally bound to us, he is committed to us in love. In our waiting, there is something he wants us to learn, a gift to be opened, something to anticipate! David understood this. In his waiting, he called out to God: Show me thy ways; teach me thy paths (vs. 4). Lead me in thy truth (vs. 5). Teach sinners in the way (vs. 8). The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; And he will shew them his covenant" (vs. 14) KJV.


God wants his children to look to him. David said it like this, "Mine eyes are ever toward the Lord; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net (vs. 15)." He understood it was the Lord who would deliver him. But if we forge ahead in life without waiting on God, our lives will become entangled in our circumstances, and we will be held captive in our waiting. On the other hand, if we wait in expectant hope, seeking the Lord's guidance and learning from him, then we will be set free from our anxiety and fear, because we will be trusting in God's faithfulness to provide exactly what we need in his perfect timing.

God's children have been set free from sin and death. God wants us to grow up in him. This doesn't happen overnight, but over a lifetime. Galatians 5:1 says, "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." If you are waiting on God, then know this, there is something vital for you to learn in this circumstance. Wait in anticipation, with expectant hope for God's answer; he is bound to you, he can be trusted, because he created you and loves you more than you can ever imagine!

". . . I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation" (Psalm 5:3). "My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him" (Psalm 62:1).


Teach children about expectant waiting, "patient faith."
It's a Fruit of the Spirit trait!

Copyright 2012 Sarah Keith
SundaySchoolNetwork.com

   
Posted by Joanne L. Harris
"Thank you so much for this. I've waited over 30 years for one answer, and this is a great reminder of HOW to wait, with anticipation, not worry. I recently received a direct answer from God on another direction in my life, and it was so loud and clear that it was overwhelming! And yet, He put a stall on the timeframe, but this time I am preparing for the next step in His Plan, and We are rolling along together. I've never felt such Peace, knowing that I'm doing His Will in His Time." 

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