Waiting

Do you ever read something in a devotional that just penetrates your heart?

As usual, it was in my "Streams in the Desert" book today.

"And therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you...blessed are all they that wait for him." Isaiah 30:18

We must not only think of our waiting upon God, but also of what is more wonderful still, of God's waiting upon us. The vision of Him waiting on us, will give new impulse and inspiration to our waiting upon Him. It will give us unspeakable confidence that our waiting upon Him cannot be in vain. Let us seek even now, at this moment, in the spirit of waiting on God, to find out something of what it means.

There are many things we are waiting for these days...

• A movement of God among the young people of Eastern Europe
• The salvation of dear friends of ours
• Resources to finish projects that we believe will bring about more fruit for the Kingdom
• To see if I'll get my FB account back or not
• A change in the dreary weather we're having this summer!

The devotional continues:

God is a wise husbandman, "who waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth and hath long patience for it." He cannot gather the fruit till it is ripe. He knows when we are spiritually ready to receive the blessing to our profit and His glory.

This speaks to my heart today. Waiting is not a "terrible thing to get finished with" as a friend of mine recently discovered, so life can move on. There is something in the waiting that is actually bringing about life...maybe not right now so that we can see...but eventually something will break forth and it will all make sense.

Maybe that won't come until heaven! But I think there are some things that we're waiting for that we WILL eventually see. And when that time comes, it will be made clear why there was a time for waiting.

Be assured that if God waits longer than you could wish, it is only to make the blessing doubly precious. God waited four thousand years, till the fullness of time, ere He sent His son. Our times are in His hands; He will avenge His elect speedily; He will make haste for our help, and not delay ONE HOUR TOO LONG.

I need this assurance today...that what we are waiting for is not outside of His hands, but safely inside them, waiting for just the right time, not one hour too long, in order to bring about the fullness of His good plan.

Thus I will wait...prayerfully, thoughtfully, observantly...wait to see what HE has in store.