Pleasing God, Making Disciples of Jesus Christ

Lessons Learned in God’s School of Waiting

PSALM 13: How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?2How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? 3 Consider and answer me, O Lord my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, 4 lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,” lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken. 5 But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. 6 I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me.”

We live in a culture that mirrors the cry of David’s heart in today’s scripture–impatience. Just think how impatient we have become because we have access to instant everything. Here a few examples of the instant culture around us–money at ATMs, information via the internet, news from many sources, and food. And the instant world is devastating to spiritual growth. God is not impatient. And He wants to ensure we are not either. Impatience is a poor testimony from a Christian. It makes us like the world. So, in the wisdom of God, He often will put us in His school of waiting to teach us valuable spiritual lessons. These lessons will not be known in any other way than Him delaying to intervene in our lives as we would desire and when we desire. David would learn them. He went from the impatient cries of “How long, how long, how long to a trust in God’s steadfast love, a future of rejoicing in the Lord’s salvation, and a singing heart over the Lord” –all fruits of patience. Now four lessons the Lord will teach us when enrolled in His school of waiting.

First, waiting on the Lord teaches us submission to His sovereignty. The most important word in the Christian life is submission and nothing teaches it more than having to wait on God’s movement in our lives at His timing. So, don’t impatiently complain at God’s delays. Patiently submit in His delays. It pleases Him as we do.

Next, waiting on the Lord builds perseverance in seeking Him. Enter David’s heart as he pleads with God and pours his heart out to Him. When God delays His intervention in our lives, it should intensify our seeking Him. Want to learn how to really pray? It occurs in God’s school of waiting.

A third lesson learned when called to wait on God is our hunger for Him deepens. Closely related to the last lesson, the more God seems silent, the more we want Him. We won’t be satisfied without sweet fellowship with Him. This might be one of the choice lessons God would have of us; an insatiable desire for Him as we wait upon Him.

Finally, in God’s school of waiting, we learn the opposite of the world’s impatience–patience. It is in the development of patience, we become more and more like Jesus. And what does an impatient culture need to observe? Patient Christians. By living this out, open doors for the Gospel will occur as we show an “otherworldliness” about us and causing people to ask why (1 Peter 3:15).

PRAYER: “Father, forgive me when I allow impatience to keep me from learning the lessons I need in walking with You.”

QUOTE: “We need not ask God to teach us patience. He will. It is part of His construction work making us like Jesus.”