Understanding God's TimingSample

We should notice a pattern in the stories of Martha and Jesus, Abraham and Sarah, and Naomi and Ruth. Each “delay” in God’s timing strengthened their faith and accomplished God’s will. But the wait also resulted in events that would not have otherwise occurred. When Mary questioned Jesus, we learned that expressing our emotions and doubts to God is okay. But the delay allowed Jesus to demonstrate His power over death. Abraham and Sarah’s wait for the promised heir, Isaac, strengthened their faith and resulted in the birth of Ishmael and generations of his descendants. When Ruth and Boaz were married, Naomi learned she could trust in the Lord, even though she made mistakes. And her heir, Obed, was the grandfather of Israel’s greatest king, David. Perhaps one of the most important things we learn from these stories is that we are to wait on the Lord. Scripture tells us over and over to wait on Him. Isaiah 40:31 says, “They who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

Let’s face it: we hate to wait. The average person grows impatient after just 30 seconds of waiting. We find it easier to act than to wait. We often try to rush God’s hand when He works out His sovereign will. Sometimes, we grow impatient with God’s timing and doubt His reliability. Like Martha, we may lash out in anger when things don’t happen as we think they should. However, the story of Martha and Jesus teaches us that it's okay to express our emotions and doubts to God. However, there are still times when we would rather play God than trust Him. So, what does it look like to wait upon the Lord?

Scripture is abundantly clear that we are not to try to rush God. We are to wait upon Him. Psalm 37:7, Proverbs 20:22, and Romans 8:25 are just three of the forty times Scripture tells us to wait upon the Lord. Translated from the Hebrew, Isaiah 60:22 reads, “When the time is right, the Lord will make it happen.” We are to trust God’s timing. Isaiah tells us, “When the time is right,” not when we think the time is right. From the perspective of eternity, God’s timing is perfect. Therefore, we are to wait on God’s timing. God repeats Himself forty-plus times to wait upon Him because He understands how hard this is for us. We must wait on Him.

Sometimes, the purpose of the waiting is for us to wait. If you doubt that statement, think of a time when you waited for something you wanted. The wait probably changed you, for good or bad. Sometimes, we aren’t ready for the blessings that God has in store for us. Sometimes, God has something better for us than what we anticipate. Sometimes, like these stories, He wants to strengthen our faith and reliance on Him. As we go through seasons of waiting, consider what God is trying to teach you by waiting. Understanding the depth of God’s steadfast, redeeming love for us changes how we wait. As Philippians tells us, we are to have a “peace that transcends all understanding,” meaning we can be at peace while we wait. Even when being at peace makes no sense. Trust in God’s timing. Trust in His all-encompassing redeeming love.