A God Worth Waiting For

Psalm 46:10

By nature, we are impatient creatures, men in particular. We know what we want, and we don’t like having to wait for it. "I want it, and I want it now" has become our daily mantra. Statistics have even shown that if the average person has to wait longer than 30 seconds for a web page to pull up they will most often skip it and move on to another site. The faster the better, and in the end quality is sacrificed for the sake of expediency. Instant gratification has become the truism for today’s "I want it now" generation.

Regrettably, this mentality has seeped its way into the church as well. Rare are those like Abraham who waited patiently for God to fulfill His promise (Heb. 6:15), or Noah who spent a hundred years building an ark for a flood he could not see. Rare are those like the Psalmist who declared, "Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long (Psa. 25:5)." Instead, we present our prayers and requests to God with the time demands of our day. And as with everything in life we cry out "God! I need your answer, and I need it now!" I believe one of the signs of a great leader is found in his or her ability to pause; more precisely, knowing when and how to wait. This is equally one of the hardest skills a leader ever learns. Unfortunately, most of us are taught to push forward full speed ahead. Rest for nothing, and wait for no one! Rest is for tomorrow, but today is the day for action. Very often this is how we come before the Lord. Not as one seeking to be in His presence, but as one who is seeking to get in and get out as quickly as possible. We hastily lay our prayers before God as if it were nothing more than a box needing to be checked on a long list of alternative solutions. Without a second lost, we most often opt to handle the situation on our own - impatient and equally unwilling to wait for His reply.

The Psalmist wrote, "Be still and know that I am God (Ps. 46:10)." Be still. The words are almost foreign, yet its truth is simple. No matter how hectic the day, no matter how great the lists of tasks; present your burdens to God and be still. These words invite us to find our peace in nothing more than the anticipation of the Lord. With God there is no need to run faster or climb higher; rather, all we need is to be still and know that He is God. This is not to say that we should be inactive, or unconcerned with the trials and tribulations of the world. Nor, should we just sit back and wait for God to do everything for us. Rather, it encourages us to be patient in our waiting for God to respond - to be still in spirit, not motionless in life. We are to be content in God’s timing, resting in nothing more than the expectation of His response. Our God is an awesome God who is willing and able to answer the prayers of the faithful. He hears our cry (Ps. 15:29) and is an ever present help in times of trouble (Ps. 46:1). He comforts us (2nd Cor. 1:4), and gives us peace (Php. 4:6-7). He is all loving, and all powerful. Truly, our God is an awesome God, but most importantly, He is a God worth waiting for.  [mp]

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Michael D'Urbano
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