WAIT…
Such a dreaded word. No one likes to wait. But we wait in traffic, in grocery stores, for the microwave (that’s so funny to me!), for the doctor, for a spouse, for a baby, for vacation, for retirement, or for Jesus to return.
Waiting has a negative connotation, especially in our fast-paced, instant gratification culture. It means zero productivity. Wasting time. Being idle.
My mom used to say to me, “Good things come to those who wait.”
Despite the words of motherly wisdom, the concept of waiting never bode well with me. And yet…
Wait is the word the Lord gave to me for 2017.
“Let all that I am wait quietly before God,
for my hope is in him.” Psalm 62:5
My response: You must be kidding me, Lord. You know I hate to wait. I’m not good at it.
Let me back up a moment here and tell you how I knew the Lord had specifically given me this scripture and the word wait.
Back in December during my prayer time, an old song came to mind. I often sing to the Lord, but I cannot remember the last time I sang this song before then.
Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on me.
Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on me.
Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me.
Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on me.
For several days I literally woke up with this song in my head. The more I sang it, the more touched I became by the lyrics. Until one morning I found myself in tears barely able to finish the song. It was the morning after I had visited the local Rescue Mission. On my way home from the mission I had asked the Lord to give me a heart like His for those who are in need and homeless.
The reality is, I know I don’t even come close to having a heart like Jesus. Especially for those who are dirty, on drugs, or mentally ill, like my perception of many homeless people. The Lord impressed upon me that this is where the song comes into play (no pun intended).
Change my heart, O God. #changemyheart https://t.co/GrNytKnxGZ pic.twitter.com/q89yOXtMhc
— Beckie Lindsey (@BeckieLindsey_) January 9, 2017
What I needed was a softened heart. A heart that melted for others. A heart that was pliable and moldable. Only then could I be filled with the love of Christ in order for Him to use me, like the lyrics of the song stated.
“Yes, Lord! That’s what I want. Have your way. You’re the potter. I’m the clay. Mold me, Lord,” I exclaimed, then got up to end my prayer time.
But I didn’t have peace, so I sat back down.
WAIT
I sat still, waiting for the Lord. But that was it—wait.
Over the next several days and throughout the holidays, the word wait was everywhere. It was in the message from my Pastor, it was in songs, it came up in scriptures, in conversation. I could not avoid the word. I’ve learned that when God wants to get a point across to me, He will many times bring confirmation that often (but not always) includes circumstances, people, music, dreams, and teaching. But God will always include the truth of His word. Finally, while doing a Bible study, I came upon Psalm 62:5 “Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him.” NLT
I wrote the scripture in my journal and meditated upon each word, writing what the Lord was teaching me.
Let all that I am:
To allow every part of my being
Wait:
To remain stationary in readiness or expectation
Quietly:
Tranquil
When I looked up the verse in the NIV translation, this is what I found:
“Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; for my hope comes from him.”
WAITING can be RESTING
And who couldn’t use some REST? Hmm, maybe this isn’t so bad after all.
I also found in scripture where the following words: wait, rest and hope were all interchangeable. Take a look at one example from Isaiah 40:31 in three different translations.
New Living Translation (NLT)
“But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles.They will run and not grow weary.They will walk and not faint.”
The NIV
“But those who hope in the Lord…”
Lastly, KJV
“But they that wait upon the Lord…”
All the same scripture, but with deeper meanings for the word wait.
Waiting means finding hope in God—the only true source of hope.
Waiting means resting in who God is and what He will do.
Waiting means trusting that God is in charge and His timing is best.
Hope, Rest, and Trust are active words. They are not wasting time with zero productivity— the way I’ve looked at waiting in the past. Waiting produces patience. And patience is a much-needed commodity, especially nowadays.
THE BYPRODUCT OF WAITING IS PATIENCE. THE BYPRODUCT OF PATIENCE IS GROWTH. #waitontheLord https://t.co/GrNytKnxGZ Isaiah 40:31
— Beckie Lindsey (@BeckieLindsey_) January 8, 2017
Another thing I discovered was a reoccurring theme of waiting on the Lord throughout scripture. Abraham waited 25 years for the son God promised him. After leaving Egypt, the Israelites wander the desert for 40 years before entering the Promised Land. David waited close to 20 years from the time he was anointed by Samuel to the time he became king over Judah. Simeon, the priest, waited his whole life for the promised Messiah.
How long did Jesus pray in the Garden of Gethsemane? Probably several hours. Then after the horror of His death, how long did Mary and the disciples wait in anguish? Three long days that must of have seemed like an eternity. Christ followers waited 50 days for the promised Holy Spirit.
Growth and holiness are not achieved through
hurriedness, busy-ness, or instant gratification.
The way of God is the way of waiting.
If I want to have a heart that melts for what melts God’s, I must wait, hope, trust, and rest in Him.
In this way, I can be molded, filled and used by God. Waiting on the Lord in 2017 is beginning to sound pretty good to me.
YOUR TURN: Has God ever told you to wait? Do you have a hard time with waiting, like most of us?
— Beckie Lindsey (@BeckieLindsey_) January 9, 2017
I encourage you to read some of the insightful comments from readers below.
I’m honored to link up this post to LMMLinkup:
http://maryanderingcreatively.com/lmmlinkup-new-year-giveaway/
WOW! So so good Beckie! And yes, I am Type A, planner, must know all aspects of a project and our God has drawn me near to Him and quietly said “Eve, I’ve got this, just trust me….” Oh man, so hard . . . Then He asks, “Do you trust me with Lee? Do you trust me with the Teen Center? Do you trust me with your book?” Oh so so hard . . . But time and again He is faithful, so so faithful and in the wait I learn that dependence on El Shaddai is so much greater than independence on myself.
Thank you for this beautiful reminder! God Bless and Happy New Year!
Eve, I’m so glad this post resonated with you the way writing it did for me! I also appreciate the things you listed that God is teaching you to TRUST HIM with. Man, are we works in progress, or what? I’m so glad that the Almighty WAITS for us to finally trust Him.
Blessings to you and yours!
Beckie — what a wonderful message. I too have often struggled with waiting. I’m trying hard this year to make improvements in this area. I love the way you used some of your Twitter feeds throughout to drive home your point. My favorite verse on this much need topic is :
Psalm 27:14. “Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait I say on the Lord. ”
Great read! Del
Del, Thanks for taking the time to comment and sharing another great scripture about waiting.
So interesting that your word is wait. Mine is go as in ‘keep going.’ Both take patience. The main thing is God knows the best method to accomplish His will in our lives. Listen to God. Patience Grasshopper. (Do you know that reference?)
Patty, I find it pretty funny at first blush your word appears to be the opposite of mine, and yet they both require patience and trust in God. It doesn’t surprise me that God would give “The Girl on Adventure” the word GO! And yes, I remember the Kung Foo series with David Carradine that you referenced 🙂
Thanks for commenting and your encouragement!
Oh, yes, Beckie, the word “wait” has come to me many times with a resounding “Amen,” especially when I’ve been concerned about the impact my novels might have to spread God’s Good News. So many times, I’ve tried to promote them in the ways I saw fit, only to be met by disappointment and discouragement. In those moments, I clearly heard the Lord tell me to “wait” upon Him. He has plans for them. I need to pray and wait in hope, taking action only when I feel His green light shining upon me.
“Wait” is a perfect word for your year, my friend. Mine is “Huge,” hoping and praying that my huge God has huge things in store. I don’t want to miss one moment of it!
Blessings to you!
Martha, I read your post about God giving you the word HUGE. I must say, at first I was disappointed with my word—wait. But as you can see, after some much needed time in the Biblr and prayer, the Lord has changed my heart and thoughts on the word. Thanks for taking the time to write words of encouragement. May the Lord bless you in HUGE way in 2017!
Waiting is not a pleasant worse at all, especially when you want to be used by God! What I’ve found out most about waiting….it grows you up in your most Holy Faith. It matures you for the tasks at hand, and when your entirely ready, nothing or no one can shake the call that God has purpose for you. Excellent write, Beckie. Thanks for sharing. Blessings and much favor unto you. May you grow, mature and brake forth in the wisdom God has purposed first you.
Shira, I cannot tell you how much your words mean to me. I will take them as another confirmation from the Lord. Thanks for taking the time to share. I’m sure others will benefit from your words of wisdom here.
Blessings to you, dear sister!
You’re most welcome! So good to hear, Beckie! Keep shining!
I sometimes have difficulty waiting, other times I wait too long. It’s a difficult bridge to assess.
Molly Jo, I know what you mean. I think most of us have these tendencies. All the more reason to stay attached to the vine of Jesus, right? (John 15:5) Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts.
You know what Beckie? God also waits…I enjoyed this post. Years ago I would quote the scripture, For those who WAIT upon the Lord shall renew their strength…and the Holy Spirit pointed out to me about waiting upon the Lord, is serving Him. Like you said it is action, not just sitting still. Although being still, is also part of waiting. I loved this post. So much to learn and you expressed it beautifully.
I love how the Amplified Bible says it too…
Isaiah 40:31Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) (The benefits of waiting)
31 But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired.
Mount up close to God…Oh how powerful that is…<3
Marla, Indeed, the Lord waits and oh, how glad I am for that! Such a good point to make. Thanks for taking the time to comment and include this wonderful translation that helps us delve even deeper into scripture. Your words of wisdom are much appreciated.
Blessings to you, dear sister!
Waiting—that was my word in 2014, 2015, and 2016. Wait for reply, wait for confirmation, wait for treatment, wait for evaluation, wait for paperwork, wait for answers…
I had Psalm 25 on my refrigerator. It mentions waiting on God 3 times, like near the end: “May integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for you.” (verse 21). I wasn’t always happy with the answers, but I was thankful when direction finally came. I’m still waiting on certain resolutions, but I know God is faithful. I meditated a lot on Lamentations 3:
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.”
Lamentations 3:22-25
Sorry for the long comment, just want to say I get what you’re expressing here. Meditating on God’s promises and His unchanging nature really helps when despair threatens to consume. God is faithful—I know you know that, but it’s always helpful to be reminded from time to time. 😊
Elihu, Thanks for taking the time to write about some of your experience of waiting. I truly appreciate your words of wisdom and the scriptures. I will be writing those in my journal and meditating on them as well.
By the way, I’ve learned a great deal from your writing, so I’m more than happy to have a lengthy comment. I hope others will benefit as I have.
Blessings to you, dear sister!
Wait is a great word for the year, but it is so hard to do. Thank you for linking up with the LMMLinkup.
Beckie, Great post. Waiting is difficult. I try to praise God through the waiting time. I’ve learned that “My last minute is His perfect timing.” My worry & waiting have turned to Worship. This morning I was anxious about writing one book, and getting the other published (the release date has been moved to the fall instead of the Spring) God reminded me of His #1 Commandment. I am here to love Him, even while waiting.
Cherrilynn, Resting/waiting in one of God’s scriptures is great advice. Thanks for sharing.
Wishing you the best on your writing projects!
I’m in a waiting period for several things right now. I like your quote, “Waiting means resting in who God is and what He will do.” This is so true! Thank you for these words while I wait.
Heather, I’m lifting you up in prayer right now. I know it’s not easy to wait. Thanks for taking the time to share.
Thank you!!
“Therefore, brethren, be patient until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the earth to produce the precious harvest and how he waits patiently until the rains of autumn and spring come.” James 5.7 Understanding helps to wait.
Carlos, a great scripture reference for this post. Thanks so much!