Wait Patiently for the Lord

Smart phones, fax machines and email make for living in a high-speed society. Handheld gadgets and gizmos allow for no waiting; and with this technology we’ve conformed to little or no patience.

Admittedly, patience was never my virtue. Going anywhere had to be pronto. Tasks were done presto. For years my Christmas shopping was complete and wrapped by July 31st. WAIT was not in my vocabulary.

However, many years ago, I became a reformed “fastaholic” transforming from a jackrabbit to a sloth. Seriously, I can linger for hours never in a hurry. Tasks can lie in wait. Christmas shopping usually takes place around December 23rd. My arch nemesis patience has become “well with my soul.”

So what changed? Why the drastic reformation? Literally, God taught me patience! I would pray and then wait for God to answer. We have “right now” prayers when we need God’s intervention immediately. He is well aware of the severity and time sensitiveness to our prayers, which He answers accordingly. Then there’s the prayers God may answer in a day, week, month or year(s). Those are the prayers God used to teach me patience. God has a special way of making sure there is no way of escape by human efforts. Our rescue will come by His answer and in His timing…period. It’s during these waiting periods, I realized God’s lessons were strengthening my trust, belief and stretching my faith by building “faith muscle.”

We glean encouragement and inspiration from the bible stories of Joseph, David, Anna, Hannah and Sarah etc. They experienced having no other choice but to wait on the Lord. Also, the events of friends and family; their testimonies of God’s faithfulness. Funny, as we wait on the Lord to answer, when the response comes it’s usually quick and ironically unexpected. It catches us off guard. What took years intentionally to answer comes sudden and instant. Changing the course of our lives in ways we could only dream of.

Father, with patient hearts, we pray to be brave and courageous as we wait for replies to prayers that seem to linger knowing there is purpose in the expectancy. You’ve heard our cries and haven’t forgotten! Your responses may not be one minute early, but You’ll never be one minute late. Thank you, Your answers are perfect and always on time.

For His glory,

Kim Lacey Schock