Wait Well
By: Khalilah Shelton
I was in the school pickup line for 20 minutes. I was thinking, wow this is a long line, I could be doing something else. I don't like to wait in long lines at the store, at the gas station, or anywhere. Perhaps my lack of patience gets the best of me. Sometimes waiting is inevitable, so how do I wait well? What is the point of my waiting? What is it that God is growing in me during this lapse in time?
Some of us are waiting for things more pressing than a carpool line to diminish. Some of us are waiting to know if we will get an earth rocking diagnosis or for the job that will relieve some of the financial pressure of being a single mom. Others are waiting for salvation for their children. Whatever the situation, the reality is that we are all waiting for something or someone, so how do we wait well?
Isaiah 40 gives us much guidance in the area of waiting. 1Isaiah is a prophet in Jerusalem, a city that has turned away from God. Isaiah is waiting to see what God’s final call will be for His people. Will all be destroyed or will a remnant be preserved? Will Isaiah live under the rule of a godly king or an evil king? Will his death be imminent or will he live to see the coming of the Lord? This is heavy stuff. Like many of us, Isaiah is in his earthly waiting room, wondering what each day will bring. God begins to comfort Isaiah in chapter 40 assuring him of at least 4 things:
He has a plan.
He can be trusted.
He is mighty.
He is worth waiting for.
So how do we wait well?
Pray
Prayer is essential. Some waiting is excruciating, especially when we have no plan or idea what is supposed to happen. We tend to feel like we are wasting time but God has a plan for creation. Not like a general, “Don't be sad, because God has a plan for you.” kind of plan, but a plan that is greater than each of us, yet includes all of us. Isaiah prays and God responds;
“Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.” (Isaiah 40:1-2)
Isaiah cries out to God and God not only hears, but He also responds. He is not impotent or lacking in anything. He is the God that not only hears our prayers, but can actually do something about them!
Study God’s Word
God’s plan was to save His people all along, but Isaiah did not know that at the time and thus had to wait for the word of God. Isaiah knew God deeply. He studied the ancient texts and lived for God and was able to endure as he trusted the plan that God had. From the beginning of creation, God has had a plan and the Bible spells out that plan for us. We too, must study to know that God’s plan has not failed as we endure waiting in the unknown.
Make Disciples
God can be trusted. Waiting is not always passive. We are to prepare. In chapter 40, verse 3 we are instructed to prepare the way of the Lord while in the wilderness and to make a straight highway for the Lord in the desert. Let's look at one who did just that. John the Baptist was sent from God “to bear witness about the light that all might believe through him” (John 1:7). John is baptizing disciples in preparation for when Christ will baptize his people with the Holy Spirit. Spreading the gospel as we wait is essential. We share with others and we preach it to ourselves. The resurrection of Christ is how we know that we have an end worth waiting for.
Remember God
God reminded Isaiah of who He is. He says,
“To whom then will you compare me, that I should be like him? says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name; by the greatness of his might and because he is strong in power, not one is missing.” (Isaiah 40:25-26)
We must see ourselves in a proper perspective and see God for who He really is. We must recall the great things He has done in creation and for us individually. This should lead us to be in awe and have even greater trust for God and His plan. He is in control! He is all powerful! He is worthy!
Do what we know to do
Sisters, do what you know God has called all of His people to do. 2We were created for God’s glory. Bring God glory in all that you do. If you are at work, show up on time and ready to work as if you are working for the Lord3. If you are in school, work hard to do your best. Be kind to the bus driver, share the gospel with your kids, be kind to your neighbors, speak gently to your husband. Bring God glory in the everyday things of life as you wait on the Lord.
Finally, as you wait, “be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Wait well, sis!
1. https://www.insight.org/resources/bible/the-major-prophets/isaiah
2. New City Catechism
3. Colossians 3:23
4. Philipians 4:6-7
