Are We There Yet?

Oh that infamous question on long journeys, “Are we there yet?” How many times have you asked this very question? I know I’ve asked it countless times. I can’t remember a season in my life when I personally haven’t been waiting for something. When I was a little girl I waited to see if I got the latest Barbie for Christmas. I waited for school to start…and then I waited for school to end. Then I waited to get my driver’s license. After that I waited see if I was accepted to the college of my choice. Right now I’m waiting for several things in my life: for a job, for my future husband, for a place to call my own, for people I’ve been praying for to know Papa God’s extravagant love, for my friends to see the promises of God fulfilled in their lives…the list goes on. It’s the nature of life.  We’re always waiting for the next thing. So what does contentment look like if we’re always waiting? How do we wait well…not only for our own desires but to see the desires of our dearest friends come true? How do we live life to the full and embrace the present moment while living in the tension of longing for those desires to be fulfilled? I’ve been thinking about these questions a lot lately and have a few thoughts on the matter.

Scripture is very clear that patience is one of the fruits of the Spirit. Galatians 5:22-23 says,
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” So in order to have any of these things…I must be filled with the Spirit of God. Without the Holy Spirit, these character qualities are impossible to muster up in my own strength. Could it be that waiting helps us realize our dependence upon God? I think so. I’ve learned being dependent upon God is so much better than relying on my own strength. I tend to mess things up when I do them on my own. But when I involve God…things turn out so much better. You see, He’s a mastermind of our hearts, our minds, and our entire lives. He sees the tapestry that He’s intricately weaving. He knows what thread needs to be placed where and when all the time aware of the beauty the tapestry holds not only in the end product but also in the process. The weaving (waiting) may seem mysterious to us because we can only see the tapestry in part, but perhaps that mystery is God’s way of inviting us into communion with Him. 

Proverbs 25:2 says, “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings.” Why would it be the glory of God to conceal a matter and the glory of kings to search out a matter? Some mothers and fathers of the faith have helped shed a little light on this question for me in the last year. I tend to agree with them in that the glory happens because the concealing is God inviting us into communion with Him. He’s not hiding things FROM us but rather He’s hiding them FOR us. The treasures He has for us our intended to be revealed. He gives us the treasure maps (a combination of God’s Word, prayer, and His people) and then invites us on this grand adventure with Him. And on the journey to find the treasure (our hearts desire) …we get to embrace the biggest treasure of all – knowing and receiving the extravagant love of the King of Kings. After all, He’s our guide and we get to spend a lot of time together while seeking out this treasure we’ve been anticipating and looking forward to.

So what does this adventure in seeking out and waiting for the treasure to be revealed look like? How are we supposed to search out the matter? I have a few ideas mostly stemming from Psalm 37.

Take delight in the Lord! Psalm 37:4-5 says, “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your hearts desires. Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and He will help you." God loves to have fun with us. Go ahead, tell Him a joke. Ask Him to tell you a joke. Laugh together. And delight in His goodness. Are you having a brain fog and can’t remember who He is? Do a study on the Names of God and what they mean to jog your memory. If that doesn’t surface delight in your heart for the Lord, then ask Him to enroll you in the school of experience regarding the names of God. For example, when you experience Yaweh Rapha, the Lord heals, I can assure you delighting in Him will come easily! In fact, being enrolled in the school of experience regarding who God is, is always a good idea even when you’re easily able to delight in Him.

Commit all I do to the Lord. For me this looks like handing the control of my life over to God. That means partnering with God to do what He asks of me and then leaving the timing and directions for my next steps in His mighty and fully capable hands. Whenever I take the reins into my own hands, it seems that I always end up out of synch with God’s timing and plan. But He’s always faithful to gently ask me if I’d like Him to take the reins back and then aligns everything back to His order for my good and for His glory.

Trust God. This means saying no to fear whenever it pops up. It means remembering and believing God is who He says He is and He does what He says He will do. I love how scripture says God will help us when we trust Him.

Be still before God. Psalm 37:7 says, “Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for Him to act.” I personally think this is where our romance with the King of Kings begins. As we gaze into His eyes, see who He is and experience Him while we are still in His presence, how can we not fall in love with Him? He’s too good and perfect not to! I also think that this is where rest happens. Isaiah 30:15 says, “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength.” In rest is your salvation. It’s in this place of being still before God that we gain strength. If we’re always working and moving, we’ll have no energy to enjoy the treasure once it’s revealed. Besides, aren’t journeys more fun when you rest along the way?

Wait patiently for God to act. There’s that word again – patience. Looks like God intended waiting to be an intricate part of our lives, so it’s time to embrace it and depend upon Him to help us be patient. Give yourself permission to wait. Just because our culture encourages immediate gratification, doesn’t mean we need to buy into it. God’s Kingdom is upside down according the wisdom of this world. But in the end, God has victory over darkness…over the wisdom of this world. I think I’ll choose to be on God’s team and wait patiently for Him to act.

Fill my heart with Scripture so I won’t waver again. Psalm 37:31 says, “They fill their hearts with God’s law, so they will never slip from his path.” Wow – so filling my heart with scripture has a direct correlation with staying on the path God has for me. It turns out the Word of God is an intricate part of the treasure map. I think I’ll pay attention to it, meditate on it, and fill my heart with it.

Keep being patient and travel steadily along God’s path. Psalm 37:34 says, “Don’t be impatient for the Lord to act! Travel steadily along his path. He will honor you, giving you the land. You will see the wicked destroyed.” Such great rewards are ahead of us when we travel steadily along God’s path and wait for Him to act.

I've only selected a few scriptures from Psalm 37, but the whole chapter is full of insights, wisdom and guidance for waiting well. I realize this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to learning how to wait well. There’s so much more – always is. But I pray this is an encouragement to you and for God’s grace and love to cover you in on your journey toward whatever you’re waiting for. May you find contentment in the journey. There are Divine appointments to attend in the waiting…nothing is wasted. And be encouraged because as Bill Johnson says, “A delayed answer to prayer is gaining interest!” All the better of a celebration to be had! And I dearly love to celebrate!