Children
want things now: “But I want dessert now!” “Are we there yet?” “Now can we open
our presents?” In contrast, as we get older we learn to wait. Medical students
wait through training. Parents wait in hopes that the prodigal will return. We
wait for what is worth waiting for, and in the process we learn patience.
God, who
is timeless, requires of us a mature faith that may involve delays that seem
like trials. Patience is one sign of that maturity, a quality that can develop
only through the passing of time.
Many
prayers in the Bible come out of the act of waiting. Jacob waited 7 years for a
wife and then worked 7 more after being tricked by her father (Gen. 29:15-20).
The Israelites waited 4 centuries for deliverance; Moses waited 4 decades for
the call to lead them, then 4 more decades for a Promised Land he would not
enter.
“My soul
waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning,” wrote the psalmist
(Ps. 130:6 NIV).
The picture comes to mind of a watchman counting the minutes for his shift to
be over.
I pray
for the patience to endure times of trial, to keep anticipating, keep hoping,
keep believing. I pray for patience to be patient.
God
seldom does great things in a hurry. (RBC)
