“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flame burn you” - Is. 43:2
One of the truths of this life is that we’re always waiting for something. We gain false confidence when we feel like we have nothing to wait for. “I have it all under control”, we think. Then, the waiting for something always begins.
Oh boy! Am I disqualified to write about this or what? Being the youngest of four brothers, I grew up selfish and entitled and spoiled. I don’t have a self-image problem- it’s just the truth. I’ve never liked to wait!
Thankfully, many years of walking with the Lord Jesus have helped develop some confidence and security. But I’m still “under construction” for sure.
Think about it. We wait for our next appointment. We wait for that phone call. We wait for tables at restaurants (and some wait tables). We wait for that package to arrive.
Waiting is just hard! And “waiting rooms” don’t help much. A typical waiting room has outdated furniture, old magazines and screaming kids. Some appointments are tougher than others.
What we’re waiting for is something we feel we need…something that will bring peace to our hearts. But it’s rarely a peace that lasts.
We wait for the huge game Friday night and we win! There. The wait is over? Nope. There is a game next Friday. Suddenly, the game we won is a faint memory.
Waiting becomes a problem when our peace lies on the other side of the waiting.
But there can be peace IN the waiting.
Someone said, “Ships don’t sink because of the water around them; ships sink because of the water that gets in them. Don’t let what’s happening around you get inside you and weigh you down.”
We’re waiting well when our peace and contentment aren’t dependent on what’s going on around us. It’s what Paul wrote in his Philippian letter in Chapter 4 verses 11-13, “Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things 1through Him who strengthens me.”
The Pandemic is getting so old. Like you, I’m tired of masks, cancellations and sickness. But true peace won’t come with a vaccine or cure. There will most certainly be another “disaster” around the corner. In “Lady A’s” song “I Run to You”, they sing these words: “This world keeps spinning faster into a new disaster, so I run to you.” We need to run to the One who can bring true peace and contentment to our hearts. God alone, through Jesus Christ, brings a peace that most certainly surpasses all understanding. That is the place we need to run to-not consider or walk to, but run to!
Because God is such a phenomenal Father, He knows that the best way to grow us up is to orchestrate circumstances in our lives that will produce faith and trust. He knows we’re at our best when we’re on our knees depending on Him. So, He’ll engineer circumstances for us to “wait”.
As we’re sitting in the squeaky waiting room chair today, may we run to our loving God. Don’t let the crazy circumstances get inside of you. Fight for that space and let it be filled with the peace and security of our loving God and Lord Jesus Christ.
May we set our minds on things above. If we get weighed down, may we run to Him and empty ourselves into the care of our loving God.
May the God of Peace be the ruler of our lives today…
…as we’re waiting in the waiting room.
By Eric Joseph Staples ©
www.lifeaid101.com
