The Beauty in Waiting
By Ryan Dawson
Waiting is hard. Have you ever had an experience where you were waiting for something to happen, or waiting for some better result, or waiting for completion in some way? It’s hard, isn’t it? Or maybe you were trusting God for a certain outcome that seemed to be so slow in coming. You were waiting and hoping, yet nothing seemed to be happening. This kind of waiting comes in all shapes and sizes. For you it might be waiting for a relationship of some kind, or waiting for healing for a health issue, or waiting for financial provision, or waiting for a baby, or waiting for a project to be completed, or waiting for a career advancement, or waiting to retire, or waiting for etc. For me I think of waiting to see loved ones surrender to Christ; waiting to see God bring healing and restoration in the lives of those we love; waiting to see God bring renewal and revival to the Church in the City; waiting to see more disciples raised up at Sequoia; waiting to see a building on our land in Barrhaven; waiting for more Impact Communities to be established; waiting for the next generation of leaders to be raised up; waiting; waiting; waiting. To be honest, I don’t like waiting much.
This kind of waiting can be brutal, but this kind of waiting is also a gift, because it’s in the waiting that our faith in God, and His promises, is forged. Waiting produces a humble dependence in us and I’m learning this more and more in these days. And the season of Advent also trains us in this kind of waiting as we anticipate the arrival of our Saviour and King. Of course, we know the story of Christmas and we know that Jesus did come, but the incarnation fuels our hope that Jesus Christ is present and working in our midst now, even as we wait for His return. But this waiting (and hoping) requires real faith.
It’s easy to have “faith” in God when we see a lot of positive movement and progress, but truth be told, that is not really faith. For faith “is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1). If we see it, then it is not really faith. Faith is forged when you refuse to give in to your circumstances and you resolutely stand on what you know to be true about God, even though it looks like God is nowhere to be seen.
We see a great picture of this from the prophet Habakkuk who was looking at his bleak situation through the eyes of faith. The Babylonian empire was threatening Judah, and this menace coincided with a period of increasing moral and spiritual deterioration in Judah. Habakkuk writes: Though the fig tree does not blossom and there is no fruit on the vines, [though] the product of the olive fails and the fields yield no food, though the flock is cut off from the fold and there are no cattle in the stalls,18 Yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will exult in the [victorious] God of my salvation! 19 The Lord God is my Strength, my personal bravery, and my invincible army; He makes my feet like hinds’ feet and will make me to walk [not to stand still in terror, but to walk] and make [spiritual] progress upon my high places [of trouble, suffering, or responsibility]! Habakkuk 3:17-19 Amplified Bible.
I love this passage. I need this passage today. Isn’t this an incredible picture of faith, and an amazing promise to us who believe in the God of the Bible? I want to encourage you to speak this promise into the situation, which threatens to crush you and discourage you. Speak this promise into your heart until you really believe it, and then the ‘waiting’ will have accomplished its purpose. For then you will make spiritual progress upon the high places of your trouble, suffering, and responsibility! So, rejoice in the Lord and exalt in the victorious God of your salvation!
May God bless you as you wait.
Ryan
Waiting is hard. Have you ever had an experience where you were waiting for something to happen, or waiting for some better result, or waiting for completion in some way? It’s hard, isn’t it? Or maybe you were trusting God for a certain outcome that seemed to be so slow in coming. You were waiting and hoping, yet nothing seemed to be happening. This kind of waiting comes in all shapes and sizes. For you it might be waiting for a relationship of some kind, or waiting for healing for a health issue, or waiting for financial provision, or waiting for a baby, or waiting for a project to be completed, or waiting for a career advancement, or waiting to retire, or waiting for etc. For me I think of waiting to see loved ones surrender to Christ; waiting to see God bring healing and restoration in the lives of those we love; waiting to see God bring renewal and revival to the Church in the City; waiting to see more disciples raised up at Sequoia; waiting to see a building on our land in Barrhaven; waiting for more Impact Communities to be established; waiting for the next generation of leaders to be raised up; waiting; waiting; waiting. To be honest, I don’t like waiting much.
This kind of waiting can be brutal, but this kind of waiting is also a gift, because it’s in the waiting that our faith in God, and His promises, is forged. Waiting produces a humble dependence in us and I’m learning this more and more in these days. And the season of Advent also trains us in this kind of waiting as we anticipate the arrival of our Saviour and King. Of course, we know the story of Christmas and we know that Jesus did come, but the incarnation fuels our hope that Jesus Christ is present and working in our midst now, even as we wait for His return. But this waiting (and hoping) requires real faith.
It’s easy to have “faith” in God when we see a lot of positive movement and progress, but truth be told, that is not really faith. For faith “is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1). If we see it, then it is not really faith. Faith is forged when you refuse to give in to your circumstances and you resolutely stand on what you know to be true about God, even though it looks like God is nowhere to be seen.
We see a great picture of this from the prophet Habakkuk who was looking at his bleak situation through the eyes of faith. The Babylonian empire was threatening Judah, and this menace coincided with a period of increasing moral and spiritual deterioration in Judah. Habakkuk writes: Though the fig tree does not blossom and there is no fruit on the vines, [though] the product of the olive fails and the fields yield no food, though the flock is cut off from the fold and there are no cattle in the stalls,18 Yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will exult in the [victorious] God of my salvation! 19 The Lord God is my Strength, my personal bravery, and my invincible army; He makes my feet like hinds’ feet and will make me to walk [not to stand still in terror, but to walk] and make [spiritual] progress upon my high places [of trouble, suffering, or responsibility]! Habakkuk 3:17-19 Amplified Bible.
I love this passage. I need this passage today. Isn’t this an incredible picture of faith, and an amazing promise to us who believe in the God of the Bible? I want to encourage you to speak this promise into the situation, which threatens to crush you and discourage you. Speak this promise into your heart until you really believe it, and then the ‘waiting’ will have accomplished its purpose. For then you will make spiritual progress upon the high places of your trouble, suffering, and responsibility! So, rejoice in the Lord and exalt in the victorious God of your salvation!
May God bless you as you wait.
Ryan