My daughter purchased for her children clocks to help them keep track of what matters most in their young lives. Seeing that they are three and five years old respectively, those time-keeping machines are not there to rouse them from sleep, but rather to cause them to wait for just the right time to bound out of bed, be it in the morning or at naptime.
Surrounding the clock’s face is a circle that is lit from behind with different colors. Red, purple, and blue are pretty to look at but really don’t mean anything. The anticipation that the kiddos will soon be free to get up, however, builds when yellow clicks on. Now watching the clock ever so closely for the light to turn green, they come out of their rooms ready to be hugged by mom and dad when it does.
Learning to wait. What a wonderful life lesson to have under your belt at such an early age.
Has God ever called you to wait? For me, waiting has not ever been easy, nor has it been something I have done with much grace. In the past when any decision was made, I was always ready to move because God wired me to be a go-getter. Details, what were they but mere nuisances? Throwing caution to the wind—right along with those pesky details—too often I leapt before I looked. The end result was not pretty.
Yet, in this season of life, waiting on the Lord—living in the fullness of His counsel, His wisdom, and His perspective—is something, by God’s grace, I am falling in love with. Like the farmer who plants the seed and watches with expectancy for the crop to grow, part of the fruit of waiting happens in the process.
I am learning that when I wait:
- My heart is quieted before the Lord. All that is swirling about me feels as if it is losing momentum and falling to the ground. My heart can now be more attuned to the Lord than it usually is. My spiritual senses are sharpened, because I want to see and hear what He is telling me.
- The Holy Spirit is working in my heart to root out what is not of God. He is sanctifying my heart to make it a place where Jesus can be more and more at home.
- The Lord is growing His faith within me, deepening it into understanding His love, that I “…may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you (I) may be filled with all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:18-19 nkjv
- The Lord opens my eyes to see that He is sovereign and in control. I begin to realize that everything that happens to and around me—even what seems horrible—is born from His deep abiding love. In the moment, I might not clearly see that, but if I wait on Him, He will comfort my heart and give His peace deep within.
- I begin to understand that because He is God, Who is omnipresent and sovereign, I can let go of trying to be in control. Little by little, as I relinquish the idea that I know better than the Lord, “dying to self,”—begins to blossom within. Choosing to rely on Jesus instead of myself in any fashion—self control, self-confidence, self-centeredness, selfishness—and to come to the realization that only Jesus can save me, is the most precious gift I have ever been given. To know that I can let go and fall back into the Savior’s arms is life abundant indeed.
When I was in college, we sang a Scripture song that was based on Isaiah 40:31 and Psalm 68:35. God has brought it to mind many times and it has been such encouragement to me. I wish you could hear the melody, but even so, I pray these wonderful promises will bless you.
“Those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength.
They shall mount up like eagles,
With wings of great length.
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.
He gives strength to His people
And power to His saints.”
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for Your abiding love and care. To know that we can take refuge in You is better than anything this world can offer. Please cause us to wait on You. Please work that into our hearts. We praise and love You. In Jesus name, Amen.
Kimberly
