Waiting.  I’m going to admit something that probably only my family and closest friends know – I’m not the most patient person.  In fact, I quit praying for patience, because God answered my prayers by putting me in positions that required me to be patient.  (You understand that is how it works, right?  If you pray for something like patience – you will not wake up with an unbelievable measure of patience – you will be placed in situations where your patience is going to be developed.  God is concerned with your character, not your convenience.)  God, however, is not fooled – He continues to place me in situations to develop my patience, because it is in my best interest.   If I appear patient, it’s because I work on it every day.

Is it hard for you to wait? More importantly – did you know that you will often have to wait for the Lord?  Did you also know waiting would test your strength and courage?

We often have a “microwave mentality.”  We want our food…and we want it now.  I don’t want to wait an hour for a baked potato – I want it in 5 minutes. My popcorn package says 2:30, but at 2:10 the bag is out of there – I’m ready to eat!  How often are we like that with God? ” God – give me patience – and give it to me right now!”  We want to see evidence of God working in our lives immediately. We want proof our prayers are answered today.  But if we believe Romans 8:28, “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” then we must believe that in God’s timing we will see the proof that He is working in our lives.

In Esther 5:6-8 we see the setup that will be evidenced in the coming verses and chapters.  Esther has a plan to present her request before the King, but postpones her request until the banquet the next day.  We will see how the delay in her request is then timed perfectly with God’s plan for honoring Mordecai and saving the Jews.  If you look through the Bible you will see many more examples of God’s timing.  Think about Abraham: God called him to leave his country and follow him. He told Abraham that He would make him a father of many nations.  Do you know how long Abraham had to wait for God to fulfill that promise and send him Isaac?  Over 40 years!   What about David?  He was anointed King of Israel as a boy, yet he had to wait over 30 years to be crowned King – and many of those years were filled with despair and fear for his life from the reigning King of Israel!

Ladies, if you will allow me, I want to share something personal with you.  About two years ago I went through a fairly challenging year spiritually.  You see, I have felt the call of God very strongly on my life for several years, but I couldn’t quite figure out what He wanted of me. I began the year by again surrendering everything to God, and said that He could use me any way He wanted.  I prayed.  I fasted.  I studied the Scripture.  And I felt…nothing.  No urging.  No assignment.  There were things that I felt He laid on my heart to study, however, and so I did.  I poured myself into the Scriptures daily.  I was faithful to what He put in my path.

As the year progressed, I became discouraged – did God not want anything from me?   Was I not strong enough?  Did I not know enough?  Was I always going to be mediocre?  I felt as if I was in God’s classroom and He was calling for helpers – and no matter how often I raised my hand He picked someone else.  I felt this way for an entire year.  But then, one day, two women came into my small group who had serious issues: addictions, chaos in the home, doubt as to their worth in God’s eyes (one had in the past been suicidal).  And, through the Holy Spirit, I knew how to speak to them.  (They are still active friends in my life, by the way, and God is working MIGHTILY in their lives – praise God!)  I was amazed at how I responded!  And on my way home from church, God revealed Himself to me so strongly it felt like a punch in the chest – THIS is what He prepared me for.  I am an encourager – this is my primary gifting.  This is why He spent a year preparing me (and continues to prepare me) – “to know the word that sustains the weary” (Isaiah 50:4, NIV).  I learned about spiritual warfare and strengthened my prayer life so that I would be an intercessor, a watchman on the wall.   God sends me broken people – and it’s my job (and privilege) to care for them.

What is God preparing YOU for?  Will you reject this time of waiting because you need immediate proof?  Or will you ask God to strengthen you, to teach you, to grow you, to prepare you while you are waiting for His promises in your life to be fulfilled?

Let’s pray:

Lord, how great are Your promises, how great is Your patience!  Your timing is perfect and Your will is amazing.  Teach me, Lord, to wait for you!  Help me to see the waiting time as productive time.  Help me to see Your hand in my life.  Help me to be faithful to the small things You place before me, as You are faithful to even the smallest detail in my life.  Thank You, Lord, for Your incredible love for me, and thank You for allowing me to be used in Your service and for Your glory!  In the name of Your Son we pray.

Amen.