Have you ever asked God for something and had to wait for His answer?  I have come to realize that waiting is one of the central elements of Christian growth and maturity.  Read Isaiah 40:31.

   Many have failed by not waiting on God.  Consider that one of the reasons Saul was removed as King of Israel was becaused he got impatient and quit waiting (See 1 Samuel 13:7-14).

  Let’s not forget that Abraham waited 25 years for the son God promised him!  The Children of Israel waited 40 years to enter the promised land.  Noah waited 120 years before the flood, and deliverance, God promised came.  Jesus’ followers waited 3 days before their joy was exponentially increased by Jesus’ resurrection from the dead.  Then they waited 40 days for the Holy Spirit to come upon them in Jerusalem.  I know a lady in a church I served previously who prayed and waited 50 years (!) before her husband became a believer.

  Psalm 25:3-5; 27:14; 31:24; 33:20; 37:7-9; 62:1; 62:5; Isaiah 40:31.

But we find ourselves in difficult circumstances… crying out to God for help… and have to wait.  We wonder why God makes us continue in difficulty when all He has to do is wave His hand and or speak a word and it could be ended… but we have to keep waiting! 

Why do we have to wait?  Let me offer some suggestions…

Waiting Builds Our Faith.  If God gave us what we asked when we asked for it, we would become spoiled Christian brats (If there is such a thing.).  But when God makes us wait before we receive what we ask for, we learn to rely on Him for everything and our faith is increased.

Waiting Increases Our Joy.  There is nothing like waiting, and waiting, and waiting, and waiting before we receive something we desperately want or need.  I have found that waiting does not minimize my joy, but increases it when what I’ve been waiting for is received.  God may at times simply may be increasing the amount of joy we’ll experience when what we’re waiting for is received.

Waiting Affirms God’s Wisdom.  News Flash… God knows more than we do.  God is wiser than we are.  God is God and we aren’t!  So how dare us presume to know better what the right time is for what we are to receive.  I’ve found that every time God provides, His timing is perfect whereas mine would have be a disaster.

Waiting Gives Times For God To Work On Other Levels.  There is more going on in the universe than what is happening in our puny mundane little lives.  There are other people in more desperate need than we are.  Then there are countless things God is working in/on that must be completed before what we’re asking for can take place (Read that again).  Once everything is in place, THEN God acts.  Not one second before… not one second later.

So you are waiting for God to do something in your life.  You started asking God for deliverance a while back.  Have you been waiting three days?  Three weeks?  Three months?  Three years?  Has it been 25… 40…  or 50 years?  Remember Isaiah 40:31!  Remember Proverbs 3:5-6.  Remember that God is great, mighty, and worthy to be praised.  You can trust God because He loves you.

   Romans 8:23 We ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

When the time is right… when everything is in place… when all is ready… God will act.  Till then… WAIT.