The Problem with Now

There is probably little that frustrates us faster than having to wait, whether in a line at the supermarket or at a traffic light. We want our food prepared in minutes, not hours, and we prefer text messages over letters. Far too often, we don’t even have time to listen to someone until they are finished before responding. Our culture is wired for speed. Immediate is even better.

This perspective surrounds us, and unconsciously, we can shift it to the Lord. We want our prayers answered now, our needs supplied immediately, our relationships healed quickly, and our spiritual growth to happen overnight. The problem is that we want to be in control, and what we want matters. We forget that we are the servants of the Lord. He is not our servant. We forget that we belong to Him and resist His Lordship. “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” (1 Corinthians 6:19 KJV).

Despite our desires, the Lord often makes us wait for answers to our prayers, guidance in decisions, or for our needs to be met. However, waiting can also be a time when our flesh acts up, and we might decide to handle things on our own.

 I know a Christian woman who, as a young girl, wanted a husband and grew tired of waiting on the Lord, so she decided she didn’t need the Lord's help. First, she got involved with a married man, which did not end well. Since then, she has been married twice and has never found happiness in her marriages.

Waiting on the Lord can sometimes cause us to feel discouraged. We might doubt His love or wonder if His promises are true. We often think that giving us what we want, when we want it, proves God’s love. However, any parent knows this isn't how you truly show love to a child. What the child wants or when they want it might not be what's best for them. God understands and cares about our needs and knows the right time to answer.

We often worry and fret over all the what-ifs and what-nots that might happen. We allow our thoughts to jump to all kinds of negative possibilities, leaving the Lord out of the picture. This way of thinking steals our joy, steals our sleep, and leads to health problems. It never solves our problem.

So, why does the Lord make us wait? Isaiah 40:31 gives us some answers. “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint”.

The Greek word translated as 'wait' means to look for, patiently expect, or lie in wait for. It is not meant to be a time of hanging in limbo, doubting, or being unsure of what is coming. Instead, it is to be a time filled with faith, trusting the Lord to answer in the best way for us and according to His will.

In other words, Isaiah is saying that when we wait, expecting God’s reply, our strength will be renewed. We can use this time to draw closer to our Lord through some soul-searching, Bible reading, and earnest prayer. Then our weakness will be replaced with His strength. “Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord” (Psalm 27:14 KJV).

Waiting on the Lord will give us the courage and faith to soar above our circumstances. Eagles can fly higher than any other bird. Some can soar up to 20,000 feet. This allows them to avoid many of their predators. When we strengthen our faith in the Lord, we will have the ability to resist the temptations Satan uses to bring Christians down. We will experience God’s power and strength.

Through waiting, we build endurance and stamina to run in whatever work the Lord gives us to do. This may be to raise children to know and love Him, to be a living testimony through illness or some disability, to go into church ministry, or to go to the mission field. The specific task is not what matters, but rather developing the qualities needed.

Isaiah also tells us that we will gain the patience and confidence needed to keep walking, to keep going. I have observed some Christians as they enter their sunset years, grow weary of the fight. Instead of staying faithful and involved, they quit and sit down. That certainly can be a temptation, I will admit, but waiting and expecting God to work will give us what we need to keep walking, so we don't quit. The key is keeping our focus on Him and not on ourselves or our circumstances.

We can see that waiting on the Lord is really a time of refining. A time to recognize wrong motives or expectations. A time to humble our hearts and yield to His sovereign will. When we choose to wait patiently, trusting in our Lord’s perfect timing, we will be rewarded and blessed.

 I know waiting can be long and tough, and it is not our favorite thing to do. We often don’t understand why, but we can be sure that our Lord loves us unconditionally and will only do what’s best for us. We can trust confidently in whatever His answer may be. On the other side of waiting, we’ll be equipped and ready for whatever comes next.

“The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him” (Lamentations 3:25KJV).