Trying to teach a toddler what patience means is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life. I have this saying with my little guy when I tell him to be patient, I say, “What does patient mean?” and he responds with, “Wait and don’t whine.” I started this because simply waiting wasn’t enough. I needed him to be patient with a positive attitude. I know I’m not the only one with kids who complain through their moments of waiting right? One day, we started this conversation and after he said, “wait and don’t whine”, he said “that’s hard Mom”. I asked him what was hard and he said, “To just wait”. Bam. In that moment, the Holy Spirit gave a tug at my heart. It is hard to just wait. It’s human nature to want things quickly. That need for immediate satisfaction or answers is exacerbated in today’s society of immediacy. It’s a fast world we live in. When I can get a book overnighted from China, or a full meal in less than three minutes at a drive through, it’s easy for me to also want answers or direction from God immediately as well. How do you wait on God? Do you wait with a positive attitude? Do you wait without whining, or are you complaining through patience?
I was recently reading through Exodus and in chapter 14 we read: “When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they feared greatly. And the people of Israel cried out to the Lord. They said to Moses, “is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.” (Exodus 14:10-13). All I could think about as I was reading about God delivering his people out of slavery, which they had been in for 430 years, was, “Why are they complaining? Can’t they see what God is doing?”
Have you ever felt like the Israelites? I know I have had moments of thinking, “What was the point of that?” Moments of feeling like your being delivered from something only to look up and see that something “marching after” you. It can be tempting to doubt God’s plan and think you would have been better off left to your sin in slavery, but momma I am telling you now, He wants to deliver you. Let Him.
What does waiting look and feel like? Maybe you are struggling with infertility. This is something that I and a very dear friend of mine have experienced and let me tell you, it is hard. Though we had different experiences, we both had periods of waiting that felt like absolute torture. There is a 400 year gap between the book of Malachi, the last book of the old testament, and Matthew, the first book of the new testament. That is 400 years the Jews waited to hear from God. But, after 400 years, who came into the story? Jesus. After 400 years of waiting, the Messiah entered the world to save all of us.
All of a sudden, my year of trying to have a baby doesn’t seem so bad. Now I have a beautiful baby girl.
It’s hard to just wait, but God’s plan is worth it Momma. Trust His plan and when he says “Be patient”, wait and don’t whine, because He has a good plan for you.
Bible Verse: “I waited patiently for the Lord; He inclined to me and heard my cry” (Psalm 40:1).
Something to think about: Are you waiting on something right now? What is it? Ask God to prepare your heart for the end of the waiting.
Prayer: Father, give me faith and confidence in your plan for my life. Remind me that you have a good plan for me. When I start to feel like things aren’t moving fast enough or want answers immediately, remind me to slow down, be still, know that you are God, and I am not. I give you control of the speed of my life God. Help me to find joy in the waiting. Show me how I can wait without whining.
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