The Wait by Ann Wayne

Job Losses. Foreclosures. Debt. Divorce. Death. Broken Relationships. Illnesses. Addictions. Look at our world today. Sin and the economy are setting the pace for record high stress levels. Any of us could be front page news at a moments notice.

You have likely experienced several of the above mentioned trials and may be experiencing one in the present. I have friends who have had job losses this past year. Family who have had lay-offs and cut-backs with their paychecks. This only adds to debts that continue to mount up. It becomes a domino effect. No job, no pay, possible foreclosures. You know the story.

I have another friend who is having marriage problems. Thank goodness, Christian counselors are guiding them. Friends and family are lifting them up in prayer. We read heart breaking stories of people who can’t handle the pressures of life and turn to drugs, alcohol or unhealthy relationships to temporarily relieve the pain that life dishes out.

Then we get a phone call in the night that death has knocked on someone’s door, unexpectedly and abruptly. Or a terminal illness that changes your path in life.

What are we supposed to do while we WAIT on answers?

In Isaiah 43:2, the Lord tells us “when you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you.”

The word “will” here means determined. The Lord is saying that He is determined to be with us, no matter what we go through. When we walk or crawl through adversity, we won’t be burned or even scorched. Now some of us might think differently about the trials that we have experienced. But if we look at the outcome and have called on the Lord; I think we can honestly say that He brought us through stronger and better off than before the journey. I certainly can attest to this.

In Psalm 27:14 (NIV) the passage reads, “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” Easier said than done. I know this because I feel as though I am in a waiting season for God’s best. Waiting for direction in ministry work, waiting for a spouse, waiting to make other decisions about life goals. The list goes on. But he emphasizes three key things. We are supposed to (1) wait, (2) be strong, and (3) take heart.

(1) Webster’s definition of wait is to anticipate; to pause.
(2) While we wait, we should be strengthened to bear up under our burdens.
(3) We must look unto the sufferings of Jesus, and pray in faith, not to be delivered into the hands of our enemies. Let us encourage each other to wait on the Lord, with patient expectation, and fervent prayer.

In Psalm 130:6 (NIV), the psalmist says, “I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.” There is no better place than putting our hope in the word of God. It is described as a “double-edged sword.” Jesus intensely states this in Hebrews 4:12 (NIV). “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing souls and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” There is nothing like the hope of eternal life that comes from the word of God to keep us from fainting under all calamities.

So we ask again, what are we supposed to do during the wait?

Look at what we can experience if we trust God during this season. I have always wanted to fly, literally, with my own wings. When I was a little girl, I tried the Mary Poppins thing and tried to go up the chimney with my umbrella. And of course, it did not work. In Isaiah 40:31(The Message), we are promised to be strengthened and soar like eagles. “But those who wait upon God get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles, they run and don't get tired, they walk and don't lag behind.” Read the poem below.

From an Eagle's View

Have you ever wondered what it's like to fly free,
To see the world as far as the eye can see,
To view the surroundings from high and from low,
To hear only the sound of a distant echo,
To float in the air with the wind being your guide,
To admire many rainbows that the trees tend to hide,
To see the misty mornings over a beautiful mountaintop,
To glide over a flowing river that never seems to stop,
To watch the animals from over a mile away,
Or to rise above the treetops that glisten in the day?
If you were an eagle you would wonder no more,
For it can see things you have never seen before.
Next time you look into the sky of blue,
Think of what it's like from an eagle's view.
© Stacy Smith

We are supposed to wait with expectant anticipation and continue our daily lives, trusting our heavenly Father. The answers will come in God’s perfect timing.