I don’t know of anyone that likes waiting. I have met people, typically persons I would characterize as mature or wise, who dutifully accept waiting, but to say I know people who get excited about waiting, that would be a NO. But for the past several weeks as we have been on a journey from a cancer diagnosis now through a surgery and next, a deeper diagnosis, waiting has been one of the constant undercurrents. Surprisingly it has not been the dread that, at an earlier time in my life, I am sure it would have been.
Isaiah 40:31 (NKJV) comes to mind as I sit in this time of not-yet-knowing.
But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.
I have a relationship with God, my Heavenly Father, because of what Jesus did for me. In a small chapel in the piney woods of central Louisiana, Jesus made me an offer that I accepted. He offered me a new life, one walking with Him from that moment forward. It required my letting Him have dominion over everything, but He promised He would never leave me or forsake me. For 40+ years He has been true to His promise. He has been tangibly present for over forty years. I have grown to know His leading through His Word, through the community of faith He has placed me in, and the witness of the Holy Spirit living in me.
This is an offer that is available to every single human being. It is His desire that we all become His children walking in a life-giving, love-saturated, joy-filled relationship with Him. I share this as context to this strange phenomenon I am in. I am at peace in this waiting. I sense changes occurring in my soul as I wait in a place of trust.
As an engineer I do my research. I’ve read some of the stats. If the cancer has spread, the potential five-year survival rate goes down significantly. In a detached way I acknowledge this potential knowing that Jesus has not left or forsaken me, therefore I wait in hope. Those same percentages that are not in my favor do not compare to the One who is in my favor. The odds of this working out for God’s glory and my good are 100% as I wait upon Him, as I put my trust in Him.
I started to say “put my WHOLE trust in Him”, but I know that I bring all that I can and let Him supply what lacks. I have learned that is often what the waiting is about. Learning to release control. Or more accurately, learning to release the illusion of control to the One who is able to meet all our needs. Waiting on the Lord is the place where faith and patience are nurtured and grown.
Waiting on the Lord fulfills His purpose in several ways. As I look back, I can see the younger me and realize many changes wrought through the Lord’s work in times of waiting.
- The need to control situations to meet my perception of “good”. While I would have said, I wanted the Lord’s will, there was often a flavoring of what I thought was best. I often didn’t see God’s big picture point of view.
- A bias towards action and doing something rather than beginning with prayer and waiting for direction. Boy are there a lot of toes I’ve stepped on trying to “make things happen”. (My apologies to you if you are one of those whose toes I’ve stepped on.)
- My understanding of Ephesians chapter 5 and what marriage looks like. This one took years of waiting and being reminded by the Holy Spirit to “love Lisa like Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for her.” (There will be more on this in the future!)
- Being male and an engineer, when presented with a problem, I naturally go into “figure it out and fix it” mode. Not all problems require that formula. In fact, that is the wrong approach at times. The Lord’s work is often best achieved by pausing and allowing Him lead. This is Spirit-led action after waiting on the Lord.
- Related to the one above, sometimes being present and inviting the Lord into the midst of the problem is all we are to do. The Lord’s work is sometimes accomplished by my being there but stepping out of the way. This is Spirit-led stillness after waiting on the Lord.
I find it no coincidence that this fresh season of waiting for us corresponds with our Bible reading plan in the letters of Paul. Trials, afflictions, and times of waiting fill the chapters we have been reading. Yet we read about joy and patience and hope not instead of, but in the midst of the challenges Paul and the early believers faced. Things have not changed in this respect. While we have many creature comforts unavailable to our ancestors, we still deal with sickness, hardship, loss, and death.
Thanks be to God, the same Holy Spirit who gave comfort and guidance to the early Church is present with us in all our affliction. He is not in any way constrained today from giving us what we need. In fact, it is often through our affliction that we become keenly aware of our need for His help, guidance and comfort. A key though is to realize the timing is the Lord’s. Instant gratification is NOT God’s typical way. No, He gives us this precious gift of time to allow the better work, the deeper work, the soul work to take place.
Earlier in my walk with Christ, I remember asking the LORD to hurry up and give me patience… His response was a No and Yes. He did not hurry up. But in the waiting, I have seen much fruit grow including a patience that the younger me wanted, but struggled to attain.
Friend, while I don’t know what your situation is, I have a pretty good sense that if not now, at some time in the near future you will be tasked with waiting. It is my prayer as I finish today’s post that you will experience the Lord’s purpose in your waiting. Let go of having to have answers right now and reach for having intimacy with Him. The LORD loves you and He has the best in mind for you. Sit with Him and rest knowing that the Lover of your soul is all in for you. He will supply exactly what you need when you wait upon the Lord.
Be blessed my friends as you wait upon the LORD!
areliablefaith 