Essential No. 6: Learn to Wait on the Lord
It took forty days from the time the rains came to the day it stopped (Gen. 7;12). From the time it stopped, the waters prevailed from its peak for as much as one hundred and fifty days (Gen. 7:24).
After reaching its peak level, the waters gradually subsided, and at the end of forty days Noah was able to open his window to find out what was going on (Gen. 8:6). Then there were the days when he sent out the ravens and doves, and waiting for their return to see if the water had subsided (Gen. 8:6-11). If you added the days, it would have been approximately a year, give or take.
All this time, Noah had to wait (Gen. 8:10-12).
Waiting is not one of my stronger suits. I hate lines, waiting in traffic, waiting for flights, waiting for people (especially when they are late). This is also why it took me some time to learn to wait on God.
Why Does God Make Us Wait?
Notice that I did not say wait for Him, but wait on Him. That’s because God is never late. The combination of God’s knowledge, wisdom, and power is why we need to wait on Him. This trio of capabilities is what allows God to orchestrate life for us.
To try to explain God’s orchestration of events in our lives is too complex for my pay grade. Scripture can give us clues and encouragement but each waiting moment is a unique experience with God. Through the years I have learned to just trust Him and wait on Him, as I have grown to realize that His way, thoughts, and actions are very different from mine.
One thing is for sure though; He is never in a hurry. To God, He makes us wait so we can grow to become more like His Son, Jesus. And that takes time.
Finding Yourself in the Middle of a Storm
From the moment Noah started work on the ark to the moment, he went inside the ark, God has guided his way at every stage. During and after the flood, however, the Lord fell silent on him. Now waiting for what to do next as food and water are running low, not to mention the pile of dung was increasing, Noah had to try to do something.
The obvious thing to do was to find out if the waters have subsided. You’d have to wonder why Noah sent out a raven (a bird of prey) before he sent out a dove to check on whether the waters have subsided.
It’s always easy to embark on a project, like building an ark. Start-ups are always exciting. It’s when we find ourselves in the middle of a project or situation that we become impatient. At some point, our energies have been put into the start point but is hard to sustain when we get to the middle.
What Makes Waiting So Hard?
Picture with me for a moment as the raven returned. Noah expecting a branch of a tree or some fruit in its mouth and instead, it returned with human eyeballs and the entrails of those who have drowned.
Waiting is hard for two reasons: We want control over our circumstances, and the other reason it’s hard, is when we don’t know exactly what’s going on or what’s next. Actually, the two are very well connected. And that’s why it’s hard to wait.
A stormproof life is one that has learned to wait on God while being in a challenging situation. It is a life that has learned to be still and knows that God has our backs covered, even when He is silent, smack in the middle of a storm.
Why Waiting on the Lord is Good For You
“Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted, but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:30-31
Storms can cause us to be faint-hearted and weary, and even the strongest and the young can get exhausted during trying times. We are, however, promised that those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength. Really, how does that work?
We can either wait in patience and faith for God in our trying situations or wait anxiously, spinning our wheels trying to resolve our situation. In both cases we end up waiting, one will weaken and drain us, the other will renew our strength.
Take your pick.
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