"You know sometimes in life, situations are going to occur where you may look to the left or right and you can't find any answers and you can't find anybody to help you....but I'm reminded of the word that says they that wait upon the Lord, He shall renew their strength, they shall mount up on wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. C'mon, you gotta learn how to wait"
I love the opening narration by Juanita Bynum for this song. Can you identify with it? I sure can. Countless times I find myself backed up to a corner, between a rock and a hard place and desperately needing a solution; an escape route....."dialing heaven, mayday mayday Lord do you copy? get me outta here ASAPest". "Not yet child, just a little longer", :-( not quite the response I expected.
I can tell you for sure waiting on the Lord is not the easiest thing to do. Most times you may feel discouraged and ready to give up. Other times, you may want to devise your own way out. Trust me, some very juicy and tempting shortcuts always pop up. The easy way out may however not always be the best way out of whatever it is you are facing. From personal experience, save yourself the trouble of dealing with the ripple effects of rushed decisions made out of a desperate situation. You may think you are solving a problem, only for it to metamorphose into an even bigger issue which you could have avoided altogether had you been just a little patient with the Lord.
Why I'm on about waiting on God you may ask? Well, life has schooled me a good one on my impatience and always devising a plan B. I mean if plan A doesn't work, I still have plan B - Z huh!!! or so I thought. Thing is, with God there is no plan A sijui plan B or Z. If it's His way you have chosen, stick to Him. In Genesis 32:22 Jacob wrestled with God till daybreak. I can only imagine that struggle to the point that Jacob was being asked, "let me go now for it is daybreak". Jacob's determination amazes me, this guy even dares to place a condition - Genesis 32:26 "I will not let you go unless you bless me". That is the kind of determination and stubbornness that you need to possess. "Lord you said I wait? Haina shida, I'm gonna chill till you come through."
When God tells you to wait, He fully knows why as He sees the bigger picture - Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a future and a hope". God already knows how things are gonna end up so it makes much more sense to wait on His direction don't you think? Isaiah 46:10 "I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, 'My purpose will stand and I will do all that I please". I mean, I would rather stick with God's timing because He has already made some divine strategic plan that will definitely be for my benefit.
God knew waiting was not going to be easy that is why he assures that He will always give strength to keep moving and waiting on Him. Isaiah 40:31 "but those who wait on 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". When you feel that you are growing weary - let's be honest, unless you are superwoman/man there are moments no matter how strong you are you just feel drained & ready to give up - memorize and meditate on this verse. Hold God to account on this word and tell Him to renew your strength. Some days will be worse than others but, with this assurance there is no giving up you've gotta keep moving.
As you wait on the Lord, stay away from murmuring and whining. Whining & complaining about how long God is taking to sort your situation will only prolong the waiting period. The children of Israel spent an entire 40 years crossing a desert which should have taken them at least 40 days because of all the complaining they were doing. As you wait, seek God out, read His word and get encouragement from it. Lamentation 3:25-26 "The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord". As you seek Him, He promises that you will find Him, you just need to seek Him with all your heart.
God uses your time of waiting to mold your character. If the time out does nothing else, it will inculcate patience. Much as its a fruit of the Holy Spirit, patience took a while to grow on me. I used to be very impatient :D. {Much like my 6 year old niece, in whose world "wait" does not exist. If she wants something done, she wants it now & now. "Wait" is just an invitation for her to nag and throw tantrums till you heed to her demands :-)}. Thank God for His panel beating, I have developed patience to levels I never thought possible.
While Im Waiting By John Waller
I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am hopeful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it is painful
But patiently, I will wait
I will move ahead, bold and confident
Taking every step in obedience
While I'm waiting
I will serve You
While I'm waiting
I will worship
While I'm waiting
I will not faint
I'll be running the race
Even while I wait
I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am peaceful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it's not easy
But faithfully, I will wait
Yes, I will wait
I will move ahead, bold and confident
Taking every step in obedience
While I'm waiting
I will serve You
While I'm waiting
I will worship
While I'm waiting
I will not faint
I'll be running the race
Even while I wait
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve you while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting on You, Lord