By Jeanna Swann
Years ago, my sister was in the middle of building her dream home. She and her trusted canine, Ginger, were inspecting the construction. As she walked up the back staircase, she became aware of nails, loose boards, and an unsecured balcony. Instinctively, she commanded Ginger to “wait” while she quickly finished her tour through the upstairs. As she completed her review, she realized that Ginger was nowhere to be found. She called out over the noise of the table saws but alas, no dog appeared. It was then she remembered her command for Ginger to wait on the back stairs. Sure enough, Ginger was found safe, still waiting, front paws on one step, back paws on another. Given the unsafe conditions, we can all agree that it was worth the wait for Ginger’s well-being, wasn’t it?
But what about when we are asked to wait? What about when we are asking God for the same thing day after day and His answer seems to be ‘wait.’ Not a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’, but ‘wait.’ I can honestly tell you, it’s not what I want to hear. However, as we look at scripture, we find ourselves in good company.
Elizabeth, the elderly wife of Zechariah, after waiting, experienced the miracle of a baby.
Ruth, widowed at a young age, waited, obeyed, and found love and provision in her redeemer.
Sarah, wife of Abraham, while waiting for an heir, made a cataclysmic mistake, yet realized God’s faithfulness with a child.
Anna, widowed and alone, waited to meet the Messiah. She did.
A wealthy father waited in grief to see his prodigal son again. He did.
I’ve learned that when the Lord whispers to me, ‘wait,’ many times it is followed up with, ‘trust Me.’ And that’s what waiting on the Lord is all about, trusting Him.
“I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word, I put my hope.” Psalm 130:5
First, we need to realize who we are waiting for, ‘the Lord.’ While the waiting is hard, could it be the Lord has a purpose for us in the wait? Is He protecting us from something or someone that will only be realized at a later time? Perhaps He is teaching us to trust Him more and this is the only way for that to be accomplished. Even in the waiting, when circumstances do not seemingly change, we can trust His character.
How do we wait? We wait with our whole being. We yield our minds, will and emotions to Him, sometimes over and over as the clock seems to tick on. We wait yielded. We worship, we pray, we might even cry, and we listen. We choose to obey His voice with our whole being.
In what do we hope? I can personally tell you the best way I learned to wait is by immersing myself in His word. If not, my surety of hope would be fleeting. My hope, my trust, must stay in Him. It must remain firm. When I stay fixed on His word, hope rises above the noise of circumstances.
But there is a warning for those of us in a ‘wait’ right now.
“Do not lean on your own understanding but in all your ways, (even in the waiting) acknowledge Him and He will make your path straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6
Leaning on my own understanding will only cause me to stumble, jump ahead of God, and try to manipulate what I believe is God’s best outcome. That choice can have huge consequences, can’t it?
You may find yourself in a waiting status much like our sweet Ginger. You may wonder if God has forgotten you or you question your own ability to hear from Him.
Let me assure you, God has not forgotten or forsaken you.
His arm is not too short nor His ear too dull to hear you. He loves you dearly and in due time, you will see His hand move on your behalf. I can promise you one thing, it will be worth the wait.
Jeanna Swann is a mother and grandmother living in DeLand, Florida. She holds a Master’s in Education and has been a Christ follower for over 55 years. However, it has been through life’s challenging circumstances that God has used to deepen her desire to know Him more. In Him and through Him, Jeanna has been honored to minister to women all over the country. Her greatest desire is to lead others who are called and chosen, wounded and weary, to experience Him like never before. @jeannaswann www.nowuntohimwhoisable.com
Words of wisdom ❤️