Monday, November 28, 2011

Waiting...

      Over this past semester at school, after coming back from project and reaching new perspectives on life, the latest thing that I feel the Lord has been teaching me is to just wait. Wait and trust in His plan and His timing for my life. There is a lot that I really don’t want to wait for right now: my summer project application, the building and renewing of friendships, to move out of the box that I call my dorm room, the day where I finally get to see my dad again, and the list goes on. But through all of this I continuously hear a whisper from the Lord saying, “My child, trust me and wait.” I hear people telling me to, “Just live where you are in the moment” or, “You are where you are for a reason.” and I believe that what they are saying is true, but I also think that you need to rejoice in where you are, instead of just merely live and get by. You are where you are because that is where the Lord has you in this time of your life. I find comfort in that. I find comfort in knowing that I am not done here. There is still life to be shared within my dorm, there is A LOT more to learn in the friendships that I have and the friendships that I long to have, there is more reliance on the Lord to trust him and where he puts me this summer and in my future.  So, I must wait.

       WAIT. What does it mean to wait? To just sit idly by and see what comes of it? I don’t think so. I believe that waiting includes active trust in the Lord, and glorifying him with where you are right now. Take Abraham in Romans 4:18-21 for example.
18 Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 19 Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. 20 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.
       God promised Abraham that he would become a father of many nations. Now, Abraham was really old, and Sarah was at the point in her life where she could no longer reproduce so you would think that Abraham would be defeated and not believe that he would be a father of many. But the Lord promised that he would, so Abraham believed it, he just had to wait for it. And as these verses say, Abraham did NOT waver through unbelief, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God because of God’s promise and power. You see, Abraham did not dwell on his own weakness, but instead focused on, and gained strength from, the promise that the Lord had given him, and continued to give God glory amidst his waiting. That is what we are called to do.
        This story of Abraham has been a reminder to me that even though I am waiting for the Lord in certain areas of my life, God is still there and his promises are still true. Promises of a perfect plan, of perfect timing, and all for my good. His promises are true, and I will give glory to the Lord and my faith will be strengthened through my waiting. It isn’t going to be easy, but with the power of the Lord I can overcome any obstacle. Continuously I am reminded to not dwell on what I am waiting for, but give thanks and glory to the One I am waiting for, and trusting that he will provide and fulfill his promises when I have learned everything I can about his character and my own as a result, and because he knows what is best for me. Some things I will have to wait for longer than others, and that is okay. Through them I will continue to learn about the character of the Lord and learn to rely on him more and more as a result.
        Where are you finding it hard to wait right now, and how could you give glory to the Lord instead of dwell on what you are waiting for?