I had a few conversations that touched upon the fact that the most recent generations don’t like to wait. We (including my generation, though not the most recent) want everything instantly. And in many things nowadays, that can be done with a quick flip of a plastic card and/or with a click of a button, whether it be on phones, on computers, or on TV. We’ve been dubbed the “microwave generations.” The ones who has no patience to wait for anything to marinate and cook the good ole traditional way. But what do you do when a life situation makes you wait for the change you want to see? There are no buttons to push. No magic plastic cards to take on the burden. Though the “microwave generations” have been mentioned here, I think this question can reach across diverse generations. What do you do until your change arrives?
Change is an inevitable part of life. It gets thrusted upon us when we would rather things stay the same. Jobs are lost. Relationships spring a nasty leak; maybe begin to sink. Health status take a turn in a downward direction. These often bring on an unexpected waiting period, even one that may take a bit longer than anticipated. Business or ministry not taking off. Shaking off a haunting habit has not been easy. Leaving a job you’d rather not be in, has so far taken 15 more months than expected. The lingering healing time of that surgery has even taken the doctor by surprise. Without allowing a weakening into a disintegration and a collapsing of your inner resolve, what do you do until your change arrives?
You Wait.
But Wait…! There’s more! When you feel like there’s nothing else you can do…
You can Wait!
Workout for Your Vision
I just mentioned once again that you can wait, so what exactly does that mean? Well… as with many words, the word “wait” has several definitions, but a select few will be discussed here from the perspective of Scripture. As Jeremiah struggled through some hardships and trying times, he wrote:
“It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.” Lamentations 3:22-25 KJV
The particular form of “wait” used in this verse is derived from a Hebrew word, qavah, which means “to expect, to look for”. That sounds familiar, but this word also means to “strain the mind… with an expectant attitude.” In other words, it can become difficult to keep hope for change to come. It’s very easy to give up and settle where you are. But just as a muscle doesn’t get stronger without the “strain” of weight against it; just as it atrophies if you don’t push through the pain of bearing that weight; your mind will begin to only see the current circumstances, and do nothing to bear your wait. It will settle into near sightedness, never reaching to see the best that stands ahead of you.
Yes, it is hard, but not impossible. God knew it would be difficult. If we look at what He said in Habakkuk 2:3 “For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.” The original Hebrew word for “wait” in this verse is chakah, and is related to another Hebrew word, called chaqah, which means “to carve”. So, waiting can and sometimes will be excruciating. But keep your mind on a workout for your vision! Keep hoping! Keep believing, because just as God was faithful in Jeremiah’s and Habakkuk’s day, He is faithful to keep His promises to you now.
One Place Worth Waiting in Forever
Wait is also defined as “To continue to be in a place”, along with synonyms such as Abide and Dwell. In life, places change all the time. Sometimes not of our own will. At times, the place you’re in may feel like one of confinement from which you’d like to be freed. It is at these very times in which circumstances puts you into undesirable situations when it is safer to be in a place that never changes; abiding in the presence of God. Psalm 4:8 KJV says; “I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.”
Taking this a little further, King David also says in Psalm 16:11 KJV, “You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” So, not only will you experience the Father’s peace and rest, He will also show you paths as you progress through the tough waiting periods of life’s changes. Presence, according to the original Hebrew word in this verse, paneh, which means “face” was derived from panah, which means “to turn to face”. If you have already given your life and heart to Christ, you already know He’s promised to never leave you, nor forsake you. However, sometimes trials become distracting, causing us to pull away from God, seeking our own solutions and remedies that often fail us or make matters worse. So, though The Father has no literal face, because He is Spirit, during your waiting, and continuing even after, turn your spirit to face God, by seeking to know Him through His Word, prayer, and listening for His leading. He is wherever you are. There is no place where you cannot find His presence. You just need to turn to it. The answers you seek now, to the unraveled nerves and the overwhelming feelings, are in His presence. It is in His leading that the paths to solutions, strength, and joy will be revealed and released; the paths that are chunked into various destination levels representing every age and stage of your life. It is in taking time out of your busy schedule to be in His presence where you will rest and be restored. It is in His presence where you’ll feel most at home; for it is where we all belong. It is where you were originally created to dwell. It is the one place worth waiting in forever!
Wait On The Lord
The last definition I’d like to touch upon is the one in which the word “wait” means “To work and care for”. In other words, to “wait on”. One job that you can never lose, only forfeit, and that pays very well is to wait on The Lord, while you’re waiting on The Lord for your change to come, by allowing Him to use you right where you are, with what you already have. It’s as simple as a bit of a tweak to a common question from a waiter or waitress; “Good Day, My Lord. How can I serve You on this day You’ve made?” Then allow Him to lead you towards what will always be a selfless kind Kingdom task to improve and further Kingdom business here on earth. The assignment may be as simple as helping a disabled person off the bus, or volunteering to pass out church flyers. Or a directive to serve your current boss, no matter how difficult she or he may be, knowing that by doing your best work no matter the circumstances, you are serving The Lord who is truly your highest boss who holds your most valuable bonuses.
Every promotion requires the receiver to have gone through preparation before it’s offered to ensure the job can be done effectively and efficiently. Most change, if not all, calls for us to do something new when it arrives, something different. Whatever it is for you that’s going to be different, it’s going to require you to be prepared to be the best you can at it. Becoming a parent for the first time. Even becoming a parent an additional time is new because each child is different. Becoming a homeowner. Becoming a spouse, whether it be for the first time, or a subsequent time, just as with becoming a parent again, is new because your spouse will be different. Landing that supervisor position. Transforming into a leader. Getting you ready, putting things in order, arranging all that’s needed for you to step up to the next level, God will prepare you to be ready to rise higher, even in the presence of your doubters! The greatest and most rewarding part of going through the waiting period of change does not reside in the arrival of the change in the external or physical circumstance, but the change within you. Anything new requires preparation. So as you seek God’s face, let Him know you want Him to prepare you for where He’s taking you. You can start by taking some time to “… Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.” Habakkuk 2:2 KJV and from there “May this God of peace prepare you to do every good thing He wants…” (Hebrews 13:21 GWT) and open your eyes to see, your ears to hear, and your heart to understand all that’s needed for you to do to grasp all He has for you in this next phase you are entering! Amen!
When we are in waiting mode; waiting for our change to come, it can feel like the wait will never end. The one thing we can be sure of is to depend on and seek out the One who never changes. So many of us, including myself in the past, may respond to someone’s question somberly with, “Oh, I’m just waiting at this point.” The phrase “I’m just waiting…” can now hold a completely different meaning because there’s power in your faith in working out for your vision; holding on tightly to your hope! Things begin to shift when you wait in the presence of The Lord who throws His weight at what’s weighing on you. And, forward movement ensues as you realize that there is much you can do as you wait on The Lord, serving Him and allowing Him to prepare you for the change that’s approaching. Until your change arrives, while being strengthened, renewed, and prepared… you can wait… Victoriously!