Waiting on God

Waiting on God
Strength ArisesVeronica Jones-BrownPeople are fascinated with progress. We like to "make time." We inventways to "beat the clock." From the electric washing machine, tohand-held PDA's, something about advancement grips us. Email arrivesin mere seconds; laptop computers allow us to work betweendestinations; microwave meals, delivery services, and drive-thruwindows provide almost instant gratification. We like to keep moving.That's what grips us -- the desire to move, to progress. We may seemerit in stopping to smell the roses, but we don't like to lingerlong. But then, life takes us through seasons of pain, doubt,questioning, and suffering, forcing us to wait for resolution.At times, waiting is difficult. A man trying to support a family offive on a disability check, substantially smaller than he isaccustomed to, angrily questions, "Where is God? What has He done forme lately?" His posture -- chin set hard, eyes averted, back straight,arms crossed tightly across his chest -- communicates he's in no moodfor trite answers. Abruptly he stops talking and drifts insidehimself. Softly, eyes averted, he says, "If it were not for my littlegirl, by now I would have put a gun to my head." He uncrosses his armsand drops his head. "I'm tired of waiting on God."Emotional and Spiritual ExhaustionMost of us can identify with his exhaustion at one time or another.Bills mount, children rebel, friends betray, emotions rage, and heartsache. Life's relentlessly cold winds appear only to blow on the groundbetween our two feet. Crises, challenges, and day-to-day demandsnibble away our confidence and peace, leaving us spiritually andemotionally drained.WaitingA popular verse that most of us have memorized tells us that greatbenefits come with waiting on God.But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shallmount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, theyshall walk and not faint" (Isaiah 40:31, NIV).The Hebrew word for "wait" here means to twist and bind, like a rope.It describes the strength and vigor gained from binding or fromstretching. We gain vitality when we twist and bind our lives to theLord. My friend, Samantha Landy, says, "Strength arises when we wrapour web-like strength around the steel strength of Jesus."Those who wait, exchange their own weakness for His strength. God isour strong deliverer. He is the everlasting God. He never sleeps. Hedoesn't grow weary. From Him, strength arises. Exhausted by fatigue wefind our hope in God. His providence, promises, and peace shout to usthrough the mounting "white noise" of our circumstances, reviving ourdepleted souls. When we lack both stamina and strength, God liberallygrants all we need for steady progress and spiritual triumph.Waiting from the Lord means holding on when you feel you can't holdon. It means plugging the holes in your faith as time passes. It meanstrusting when everything says it's doomed. My son Aaron isdevelopmentally delayed, which means his body has not matured likeother children his age. Like most six-year-olds, he possesses a strongindependent attitude; he's funny, unique, and greets each new day withinnocent expectation. Unlike other six-year-olds, Aaron hasn't learnedto walk. He still crawls. And his speech in not clear.Through personal experience, I've found that waiting on the Lordrequires courage, patience, and diligence.CourageBurdened with real needs requiring real solutions, how can we adhereto the psalmist's exhortation? : "Wait on the Lord; be of goodcourage, And He shall strengthen your heart [your inner being]; Wait,I say, on the Lord!" (Psalm 27:14; NKJV)A person waiting on the Lord needs courage. Once, I read a story of agrandmother who killed a lion with a butcher knife. The lion hadwandered out of the hills and attacked her eighteen-month oldgrandson. With a prayer and total disregard for her own safety, shefelled the powerful enemy with one jab and a twist of her wrist.That's courage.Courage is the mental or moral strength to confront, persevere, andwithstand danger, fear, pain, and adversity. Trying circumstances makeour inner constitution feel like shifting sands. Physical, moral, andemotional courage come from within. Emerson observed every endeavorrequires bravery:"Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell youthat you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising that temptyou to believe your critics are right. To map out a course of actionand follow it to an end requires some of the same courage that asoldier needs. Peace has its victories, but it takes brave men andwomen to win them."Fortitude enables us to maintain the course.PatienceThe concept of waiting seems almost alien to most of us in thisfast-paced, drive-through, thirty minutes or it's free society. Mostof us lack the sustaining faith required to wait on the Lord. Thedemand for instant gratification proves detrimental in four ways:First, most impatient people are easily angered (Proverbs 14:29).Second, they are usually ill tempered (Proverbs 15:18).Third, the loss of temper signifies inner weakness.Finally, lack of restraint accompanies impatience (Proverbs 16:32).Discontentment often arises out of impatience (Ecclesiastes 7:8-9).The lofty goals we set for our lives don't materialize as quickly aswe anticipated, and seem like they never will. We want to give up.Holding on requires endurance.DiligenceWaiting on the Lord is an active process. Waiting requires action. Wemust continue our tasks. Customarily, people are inclined to escapethe daily pressures of life, but we should fight against succumbing tothat proclivity with everything in us. Day-by-day, we must continueon. We must revive, nurture, and cultivate our will.William Carey, the father of modern missions, known for his diligenceonce stated, "I can plod, that is my only genius. I can persevere inany definite pursuit. To this I owe everything."Imagine what would happen in our lives if we gird our natural humanfrailty with God's unlimited supernatural might. Visualize the powerof a church filled with people who posses elevated perspective.Picture what would happen to a country inhabited by people withenduring resilience.Life-events may slow us down. Our physical and emotional strength maydiminish, but our spiritual strength should be on the rise. Whendifficult circumstances seem to halt our progress, we can "wrap ourweb-like strength around the steel strength of Jesus" and wait forstrength to arise.