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Lou Coleman
By Lou Coleman
Sometimes, God seems inattentive, like He can’t hear us, like He’s not listening, like He doesn’t care. Sometimes, God seems uncooperative. Sometimes, it seems He is actually fighting against us and making it impossible for us to do what we think He is calling us to do. Sometimes, we feel helpless in grief, struggles and failures. Sometimes, we feel that God has abandoned us. So what do we do in times like these? What do we do in our lonely moments? Should we give up on God and go our own way? Should we let our emotions take over? Should we plunge into despair? Well, in Scripture, God gives us some directions for the waiting room. (1) Trust the one who is in charge! “Though the Lord slay me, still will I trust him. (2) Stay close… Don’t desert the waiting room. That is where you are most likely to hear from God. (3) Pray… Get alone with God for a time of reflection, evaluation, correction, and dedication. (4) Be still… and wait! (5) Anticipate God’s response, Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.
I tell you everybody goes through something and at times feel like God has abandoned them. John’s Gospel tells the story of Jesus and three of his friends: Lazarus, his sisters Mary and Martha. There came a time when this family had a need. Lazarus was sick. He was so sick, in fact, that his sisters sent messengers to Jesus and asked him to come right away to help Lazarus. Lazarus was dying. Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. So when he heard that he was ill, He stayed, where he was, to begin with, for two days {John 11:5-6}. What a curious statement – Jesus loved them, so He decided NOT to go help them right away. When Jesus finally did arrive, both Martha and Mary confronted him. “Lord, if only You had been here! You could have saved our brother!” What they were saying was, “Jesus, why did you delay? Why didn’t you come on time? Why are you late? Why didn’t you come when you could have done something to save our family? “If only you had been here!”
Sometimes I struggle to remember that it’s good to wait for the Lord. It isn’t easy. It goes against the grain of our quick-fix society. From our perspective, we have everything figured out and we want God to move within our timeframe. But can I tell you that God rarely does things according to our timeframe; matter of fact, in Isaiah 55:8, God lets us know that “His thoughts are not our thoughts, and His ways are not our ways.” So with that in mind, let us be persuaded that God is in control of the timing and intensity of our trials. Let us realize that He has a specific purpose for each trial in life. Let us understand that each trial is designed to meet a specific need that God sees in our lives. Let us accept that our waiting period is going to result in our own good if we respond in faith. Let us discover how each trial can strengthen our faith by proving that we can depend on the Lord for all of our needs. We must be convinced that God will walk us through every step of our trial. We must have faith that by His grace and the enabling power of the Holy Spirit, we will not only survive, but we will also conquer in our trials.
Trust that God has a reason for your waiting, and submits yourself to whatever He desires to teach you.” For in the waiting room, God gave Job a new perspective, one he would never have had if he had abandoned the waiting room. The waiting room drove Job to the very feet of God where he discovered a new nearness, a new intimacy, a new dimension of his relationship with God he would have never known otherwise. So if you find yourself in God’s waiting room… Trust Him, Stay Close, Pray, Be Still, and get ready for some wonderful discoveries. Start declaring: what a God! For right around the corner is another day. A day when you’ll be surprised! A day when you’ll be awe-struck… A day when you’ll realize – when you’ll know, that you know, that you know that God’s waiting room is a means of experiencing His peace, His prosperity, and His power. Keep hoping, trusting, believing in God and wait for that appointed time in faith patiently. There‘s a hidden benefit in waiting. The soul is revived and the Spirit is renewed. (Is. 40:31) “I will stand at my guard post and station myself on the lookout tower. I will watch to see what He will say to me and what I should reply about my complaint. The Lord answered me: Write down this vision; clearly inscribe it on tablets so one may easily read it. For the vision is yet for the appointed time; it testifies bout the end and will not lie. Though it delays, wait for it, since it will certainly come and not be late.” {Habakkuk 2:1-3}
May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him are the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen!
Some Bible Verses about God’s Timing: Isaiah 40:31; Psalm 27:14; Ecclesiastes 3:1; Galatians 6:9; Psalm 37:3-4; Lamentations 3:25-26; 2 Corinthians 12:9; Genesis 18:14; Psalm 46:10; Micah 7:7; Acts 1:7; Isaiah 64:4; Isaiah 55:8-9; John 14:18; Psalm 121:7-8; Phil 4:19…
