Waiting on The Lord

Waiting on something is not our longest suit in America.  There was a time when we missed the stage, it meant waiting a week or perhaps a month until the next one; missing a ship could mean months before we got another opportunity; not getting through the pass before winter meant parking yourself until the spring thaw.  But today, we get irritated if we have to wait five minutes in a fast food drive through, we are impatient with our microwaves; we lean on our horns if the person in front of us waits 2 seconds before moving on a green light.  We are not patient.

There are some, like farmers, who understand the need and value of waiting for a crop to grow or a pig to put on weight or for a cow to calve in the spring.  There is a time and a season for thing for which they must prepare and wait.  But, by and large, we Americans expect things to be done when we ask for them if not before.  To say that we are impatient is probably an understatement.

Even as Christians, we tend to be impatient.  We want to see results now not in a few years.  Preachers are expected to get results out of the gate rather than allowed to lay a foundation over several years upon which to build.  While studies show that it takes five years to build solid relationships and another five to begin to have significant growth on that foundation, how many preachers do you even know that have been in one church for ten years?  Most are gone in three.  And yet, the churches that have grown the most are the ones in which the preacher has been on staff for twenty or more years.  But in America, "Ain't nobody got time for that!"

The prophet Isaiah wrote, "Those that wait upon the Lord will rise up on eagles wings, the will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint" (40:31).  Wait on the Lord?  Us?  We don't want to wait on the Lord, we'll just get started on our own and let God catch up when he has time.  Really?  Not!  While we are impatient and we often go ahead not waiting on the Lord, we do not succeed until He choses to bless our efforts.  I cannot begin to tell you the number of failed church starts, dejected missionaries, and disastrous outreach efforts caused by impatience.

The thing is that we don't need to bring in things on time, we need to approach things in God's time.  We don't need to get started, we need to start listening for God's direction.  It truly isn't at all important how soon you begin but rather how long you last, how far you go, how much you accomplish.  I have known missionary couples jump into the mission field after a two year course and others that completed four years of training and then five additional years of preparation in things like language, culture, translation of material, laying down foundations of relationship.  Which do you think stayed the longest and accomplished the most?

On the other hand, some have begun a ministry without any training because they were listening to God who directed them to go.  It isn't the amount of time or training but waiting on the Lord.  But it is learning to wait upon the Lord, preparing you heart and mind to serve until He sends.  Jus' Sayn.