The Waiting Roomنموونە

The waiting room messes with all of us. We are susceptible to believing lies about God and His work. The first lie we hear is that God isn't doing anything while we're waiting. But as we saw on day one of this plan - while we are waiting, God is working.

This truth is embodied by people outside the familiar Christmas characters, including Joseph, Mary, the shepherds, the Magi, and King Herod. These uncommon people waited longer than we have.

Their story begins in Malachi 4:6, the last verse in this book. When Malachi ends, the Old Testament ends. In my Bible, only one page separates the books of Malachi and Matthew. Did you know that the one page between Malachi and Matthew represents a 400-year gap?

During these 400 years, there was no prophetic voice in Israel. God did not speak as He had before then. Some have described this era as the "400 years of silence" between Malachi and Matthew.

But that's not true. A lot is happening between Malachi and Matthew. There are wars and battles, and generations live and die. I think a better title for this section is the "400 not-so-silent years." During this period, God prepares His people for the arrival of His son.

If you lived in that moment, you wouldn't pick the word "preparation" to describe this time. You'd pick a word like "turmoil!" As Malachi ends, the people of Israel shift from being ruled by the Babylonians to the Persians. Later, they go from having the Persians rule them to the Greeks.

God's people get a little reprieve when a group called the Maccabees defeats the Greeks, and they rule themselves. But, the Maccabees can't get along. So, when the Maccabees look to the Romans to resolve their differences, the Romans take over and become their oppressors.

Throughout these 400 years, the people waited and longed for the Messiah. If you think you've been in your waiting room for a long time, think about waiting 400 years. In a waiting room like that, temptations get real, and things get complicated.

The people of Israel were tempted to look to other gods for deliverance, trust in their righteousness through keeping the law, and seek help from different nations.

I don't know your temptation within your waiting room, but I know you are being tempted. Like the people between Malachi and Matthew, our spiritual enemies work in the waiting room. They seek to lie to us, deceive us, and discourage us. If we succumb to their temptations, they will heap shame and condemnation on us after we've given in to their lies.

The waiting room can lull you into dropping your guard, thinking you're stronger than you are. As Peter wrote in 1 Peter 5, be on guard for the devil as he seeks to devour you. Like James encouraged in James 4, resist the devil, and he will flee from you. His power is great, but He's no match for God's power at work in you!

On day three of this plan, we'll examine one of the key differences between you, me, and God. Remembering this key difference will save you a lot of frustration in the waiting room.