God's Waiting Room

Have you ever had to wait for something or someone? If you're like me, it drives you crazy. I admit it, I just don't like to wait for much. That's why they invented microwaves, instant coffee (blah), instant messenger, instant cash machines, direct push email (that delivers email to your mobile the instant it comes into your account), dsl/cable to give you instant access to the 'net. Instant gratification for our instant world.

But what about when it comes to God making us wait? What do we do? Get angry, bitter at Him? Give up? Turn to the world and its ways to get what we want? Doubt God's goodness?

Have you ever stopped to think about why God allows us to wait? And what it is actually good for? Here are some things that I learned while waiting upon the Lord in this last year.

1. Waiting develops our character. God works on our humility, endurance, patience while we wait.

2. Waiting increases our trust in the Lord. Gives us time to seek Him, to pray, to develop our faith in Him.

3. Waiting prepares us to receive what God has for us. And it might not be what we wanted in the first place! Waiting allows us time to evaluate what we are waiting for - is it from God? Will it benefit our walk with Him?

4. Waiting causes us to come to end of ourselves, our resources, our abilities. And yes, sometimes even our dreams, desires, wishes, hopes. And that is when God enters the picture!

Waiting isn't just about WHAT we are waiting for. It's about what God wants to do in us WHILE we wait on Him. It's about who God is making us into. Sometimes being in the very process of waiting is the reason why God allows us to wait! Hard to believe but it's true - ask Moses, Joseph, King David or Lazarus. Ask the disciples. So how do you see waiting on God? Are you in a stage of waiting now?

Be encouraged by the Chinese bamboo tree. After the bamboo seed is planted, one sees nothing the first 4 years. Seems like the seed is dead, a dud. But in the 5th year, that bamboo seed begins to miraculously grow and shoots up 90 feet or so! So what was happening in those 1st 4 years? Ahhh, hidden to the eye, the seed WAS growing. It was developing an immense root system that would be able to sustain the 90 feet growth later!

And that is what God is doing with us when He makes us wait. He is developing a root system - our character and faith. And one day we will shoot up tall and mighty. And be able to stand the storms and wind. Because we have waited on the Lord.