Saturday, April 17, 2010

Waiting for God


We are in the time between Passover and Pentecost on the Jewish calendar. For the apostles it was a time of waiting....waiting for what God would give them. Jesus had told them to wait for what he would give them and it came on the day of Pentecost. It was the Jewish holiday when they celebrated the giving of the law to Moses. During this same period of waiting, this 40 days, Moses waited on the mountain more than 1,500 years earlier. He waited for the same amount of time....waited for God to speak. He waited for God's word. For the apostles and for Moses it was a time to wait. Moses waited for God's given word. The apostles waited for God's given spirit. And now, we wait. We wait for the Son to return.


Before each great gift of God there is a period of waiting. Waiting seems to be part of God's plan, part of his training for us. Waiting is a discipline that forces us to trust, to calm, to focus, to anticipate. David writes about this is Psalms, Psalm 37:34 "Wait for the LORD and keep his way...." and, Psalm 38:15 "I wait for you, O LORD; you will answer, O Lord my God." The topic of waiting is an ongoing theme with David and with others in the Bible. David speaks once more, Psalm 119:166 "I wait for your salvation, O LORD, and I follow your commands."


Joseph waited 13 years to see God's plan. David waited for his promise to come true. Moses waited. Daniel waited. You will wait as God works in your life to prepare you for what he wants to give you, what he wants to reveal to you and what he wants to do through you. Waiting is part of God's spiritual training. So, sit back and enjoy the wait. It will be worth it! He promises.



2 comments:

Kerry said...

Thanks Mike for your post today! This really helps me right now as I'm on the sideline waiting...... your topic timing is uncanny!

Cheri said...

As irritated as I get about waiting...

I can honestly say that everytime I have chosen to wait on God. I have NEVER been disappointed.

I more that once I've let go of something I didn't even know was possible to let go of.