Autumn is hunting season here in Michigan. For a few weeks every year,
licensed hunters are allowed to go out into the woods and hunt for various
species of wildlife. Some hunters build elaborate tree stands high above the
ground where they sit quietly for hours waiting for a deer to wander within
rifle range.
When I think of hunters who are so patient when it comes to waiting for
deer, I think of how impatient we can be when we have to wait for God. We often
equate “wait” with “waste.” If we’re waiting for something (or someone), we
think we are doing nothing, which, in an accomplishment-crazed culture, seems
like a waste of time.
But waiting serves many purposes. In particular, it proves our faith.
Those whose faith is weak are often the first to give up waiting, while those
with the strongest faith are willing to wait indefinitely.
When we read the Christmas story in Luke 2, we learn of two people who
proved their faith by their willingness to wait. Simeon and Anna waited long,
but their time wasn’t wasted; it put them in a place where they could witness
the coming of Messiah (vv.22-38).
Not receiving an immediate answer to prayer is no reason to give up
faith.
Waiting for God is never a waste of time. (RBC)
