That word is not one I want to hear.
The barista says, “Wait at that counter.” But I want my latte now.
The customer service person says, “Wait right here.” But I want my problem solved now.
God says, “Wait a while.” But I want my prayer answered now.
You too?
Even though wait is a word we usually detest, it seems it is one God often uses.
Think about it. How many times did God ask His people to wait in Scripture? Jonah waited three days in the belly of a fish. Esther waited a year to meet the king. The Israelites waited four decades to enter the Promised Land.
Maybe wait is an important word.
Although our hearts squirm at the sound of it and our souls try to wriggle away from its grasp, maybe it’s a word we need.
But, perhaps we need to reframe it. Look at it from a different angle. Hear it in a different context.
What if when God said, “Wait,” we heard one if its synonyms? What if it were pronounced “pause”?
Or “Expect“?
Or “Abide”?
Would it make a difference?
I think it does. Although the word wait almost always has negative connotations in our culture, I don’t think God necessarily intends waiting to be gloomy and punitive. Sometimes waiting is meant to be restorative. To give us a season of rest. To draw us closer to the Father. To help us abandon our own puny efforts and rely on the almighty power of God.
Isaiah 64:4 says:
Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.
This is so reassuring! As we wait, God acts!
If you want to learn more about this concept, check out my new eBook.
In it, you will discover seven words that can mean wait. Seven words that can give hope and purpose in the middle of delay. Seven words your soul needs in a waiting season.
It’s FREE! Just sign up in the box below for my Soul Rest newsletter and you will receive this devotional eBook with seven lessons on waiting, plus beautiful graphics of my favorite waiting Scriptures that you can print and frame.
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