Just Wait

"They who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. . ." (Isaiah 40:31).

While this passage of the Bible is perhaps the best known reminder that we sometimes need to pause and exercise patience as God leads us, it is not the only passage that brings us such a reminder.

Both the Old and New Testaments contain reminders that, in our hurried world (which is much more "hurried" now than it was then!), people of faith are sometimes called to hit the pause button: We are to stop, pray and wait before we take another step.

This waiting does not always seem helpful. After all, waiting seems unproductive in a world that thrives on production and busyness.

However, the rewards of waiting on God's timing, even if that means simply sitting back for a bit and giving some things time to take shape, are many.

In the passage above (Isaiah 30), the rewards of waiting on God's timing include renewing our strength. It goes on to describe that process as mounting up on wings as eagles, running without growing weary and walking without growing faint.

In Psalm 27, those who wait upon God's timing and leadership will be strengthened and will "see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living" (Psalm 27:13-14).

Maybe we are reminded to "wait" so often because it is one of the most difficult things we do. We hate waiting. We become easily frustrated if the grocery store line is long. We honk if someone doesn't accelerate right away when the traffic light turns green. Most of the time, waiting seems to us like a waste.

The good news is, waiting can also give us what we need to move forward: rest, strength, wisdom and provision.

If we will stop and pray, stop and ask, stop and think and stop and listen, we may find the waiting was worth it after all. So, take a moment this week, hit the pause button for a moment. Then listen, pray, reflect and grow. The Bible says the waiting will be worth the time.