Waiting on God

Waiting on God is never an easy process. We live in a “I want it now” culture and a world where information is instantaneously available on our mobile phones. Whether it is waiting in line, or at a traffic light, our impatience readily reveals itself when we have to wait another 30 seconds. Another reality is that God is timeless. He spoke the universe into being from nothing and exists outside of the limitations of time and space. Through Jesus Christ, God broke through these limitations to reveal Himself and provide the means by which we can come to know and have a relationship with Him. Everything God does is complete, perfect, and right, for it is His very nature to do so. Scripture says that “in the fulness of time, God sent His Son...” that is, at the exact moment, not a day later or earlier, but at the perfect time. God is aware of our limitations, since He made us.

God works on a schedule and timetable much different than ours; – much different than ours. Which leads us to think at times that He is not aware of our situation. – After all, if He knows everything, why do we have to tell Him and ask Him about our needs in prayer? I make no claims to be able to understand how God works, or to have all the answers. In fact, the very reason that “waiting on God” is the subject of this blog is because I am struggling with it myself. Some much could be said, but let’s remember that God doesn’t want us to ask Him for our needs and tell Him about our condition because He is unaware. He does so that we might realize our continued need of Him, and to build His nature and character into us. (I realize much more need be said, but it will have to wait for another blog.)

One of the passages of Scripture that comes to me when I think about “waiting on God” is Isaiah 40:31: “but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” So I began to study that and related passages for help. (In the process, I did find an interesting article on the subject by J. Hampton Keathley III [http://bible.org/article/waiting-lord] that gave some great background on the biblical understanding of the word “wait” in the Old and New Testaments.) There are several words that are translated “wait,” but the idea in the Old Testament most often is “look patiently, wait, hope, expect, look eagerly, wait expectantly.” In the New Testament the word is most often used related to the return of our Lord. As I continued to study the passage, I looked for the context of Isaiah 40, the chapter of comfort, and focused on verses 27-31:

27 Why do you complain, Jacob? Why do you say, Israel, “My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God”? 28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. 29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. 30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Notice that in verse 27 the people find themselves in trouble and begin to question not only “Does God know?” [My way is hidden from the LORD] but, “Does He even care about our circumstances?” [my cause is disregarded by my God]. When we are in distress we often think that God has forgotten us. We think that if God were watching out for me, why would I be going through this difficult period? Remember Mary’s question to Jesus about her brother Lazarus’ death: “Lord, if you had been here, he would not have died..” That is to say, “You didn’t come when I really needed you and now look what has happened!” The truth is that we are never out of His sight. Look at Psalm 139:

1 O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. 2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. 4 Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD. 5 You hem me in—behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. 7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, 10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” 12 even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. 13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, 16 your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. 17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! 18 Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you. 19 If only you would slay the wicked, O God! Away from me, you bloodthirsty men! 20 They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name. 21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD, and abhor those who rise up against you? 22 I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies. 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

After addressing their misconception about God, God reminds them “who” He is in verses 28-29: “28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. 29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.” When in the midst of a difficult time it is easy to forget who God is. We need to go back and remember what the real truth is about God. Yahweh [LORD] is the relational God, the everlasting God, who has always been here and will always be, He is the Creator of the universe, and creates out of nothing, the All Powerful One who never gets tired. He understands and knows everything. He gives strength and provides for the needs of those who seek Him. Failure to seek and wait on God is saying that God is not sufficient for the problems we face.

Verses 30-31 reminds the people to remember who they are: “Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 31 but those who hope [wait] in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” The reality of human existence is that we get tired, we get old, we make mistakes. That isn’t a possibility; it is a fact. BUT, those that wait, hope, look eagerly, and wait expectantly in Yahweh, will renew their strength. They will continue to go on, sometimes like eagles, sometimes running, sometimes just walking, but always making progress. Not from their own strength, but from Him who creates out of nothing. That’s good, because we have nothing to really offer; we bring nothing to the table.

Look what the sons of Korah said in Psalm 42:1-5:“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? 3 My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” 4 These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go to the house of God under the protection of the Mighty One with shouts of joy and praise among the festive throng. 5 Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” The word for “hope” here is the same as “wait.”

What can we do when we feel we just cannot go on? What can we do when we feel that God has forgotten that we exist? We “wait” on God. How? For starters go back over what Scripture teaches:

1. Go back to the truth of the situation: God knows me and loves me. Read Psalm 139 and John 3:16 out loud two or three times. Read them slow. Think about what God is saying.

2. Go back to the truth of Who God is. Name His attributes, His character qualities, His names. He is Creator of the universe, creates out of nothing, the All Powerful One, He never gets tired, He understands and knows everything. He give strength and provides for the needs of those who seek Him.

3. Go back to the truth of your own weakness. Only a fool would pretend that he or she never makes mistakes and never has problems, or never grows tired of the circumstances around them.

4. Go back to the truth of God’s promise to those that seek, hope, and wait on Him. The ability to persevere in difficult times is not dependent on us, but power of God’s Spirit in us. It is an act of faith, an act of the will, not emotions. Thank God for Who He is. Thank God for what He has done in the past. Praise God for His unchangeable nature and call out to Him presenting your needs and concerns, but in faith, asking for His perfect will. Believe God to act. Then, “look patiently, hope, expect, look eagerly, and wait expectantly.”

As we learn to wait on God, we grow in our relationship and faith in who God is and leave a heritage of testimonies of God’s faithfulness for those around us.