God's People Wait - The Glorious Table

Winter is l-o-n-g, and we are sitting dead center in it. The hoopla of the holidays has faded, and the chirps of birds and budding of new leaves are still several weeks in the future. This is the waiting time. Waiting for spring. Waiting for warmth. Waiting for the new life that always comes, but sometimes seems to take forever.

Waiting is a skill many of us aren’t good at anymore. Even those who make an intentional effort toward “being present” and “savoring the moment” can’t help but be influenced by the reality that we live with microwaves, instant communication, and commercial-less television. It’s hard to be a person who knows how to “wait well” because, in truth, we have so little opportunity to practice.

Our modern lack of waiting leaves us vulnerable to spiritual crisis. We may find ourselves not only impatient, but also questioning God, questioning ourselves, and wanting desperately for a season of waiting to “hurry up” so we can understand and see what is on the other side. We want to know why, we want to know how long, and we want to know what we can do to “fix” a season we may perceive as broken.

Well, my sweet Jesus-following friends, rather than assuming the negative, let’s all settle into this important truth: God’s people have always been a waiting people. The Israelites waited for deliverance out of Egypt (Exodus 20:2), Noah and his crew floated around for forty days to only then wait for another seven for the dove to come back (Genesis 8:12), and Sarah got gray hair waiting for a baby (Genesis 18:10-12). Even Jesus practiced waiting (John 7:6, 11:5-6). Thematically, waiting is as strong a storyline as almost any other in the Bible. I would suggest that if we are going to be God-followers, we are also going to be God-waiters.

And to that end, we must realize that waiting doesn’t always mean that something is broken. Waiting is just part of how following God works.

While reflecting on this waiting of God’s people, a couple of champion wait-ers came to mind: Joshua and Caleb. I have always considered these two men to be such blessed heroes. Because of their faithfulness, because of their trust in God, they got to enter the promised land. They were the only two members of their generation who lived to see the lush valleys of Canaan. What a reward!

Then it struck me. Yes, Caleb and Joshua eventually entered the promised land. But they had to wait forty years first.

Forty years. Forty years of wandering in that dry, dusty desert. Forty years of watching their friends and loved ones pass, one after another. Forty years that must have been brutal at times because they knew the promise was coming, but they had to wait for God. The ultimate puzzle master was working, and he had to move all the pieces where they needed to be.

Caleb and Joshua’s story is an essential one for us to absorb into our underdeveloped mental muscles of waiting. There are so many reasons God may elect to bring one of his children into a season of waiting. Yes, certainly, there is the possibility that we have been disobedient and/or there is something he wants us to change or learn or let go, but there is another possibility. For those who always think, “What am I doing wrong here? Why isn’t God moving?” I need you to absorb the example of these faithful men and hear this clearly: it’s not always about you.

Caleb and Joshua did nothing wrong. In fact, they did everything right. They were brave, and they were faithful. They even pushed against the opinion of the masses to declare their belief, and yet God had them wait. They waited for a long, sometimes painful time because God needed to finish his work in some other folks. And (this part is really, really important) while they waited, he was there with them. He stayed with them and he loved them and he grew them while they waited in that awkward, dusty place. He was fully present for that entire experience.

If you are in an extended winter—or rather, desert—of life, please don’t limit the possibilities for your waiting. Give your spirit room to cling to the ways you are being faithful, the ways you can do things right while you wait for the puzzle master to do his thing. Brave, beautiful, faithful, holy people all throughout history have had seasons of waiting on God and waiting with God. Waiting is a common experience among God’s people, and your waiting is now part of that.

Be faithful, dear reader. Be Caleb. Be Joshua. And be ready. Spring is coming someday. It always does.

Anne Rulo is an author, speaker, professional counselor, marriage and family therapist and veteran coach’s wife. She and her husband Tim have two children and are passionate about reaching people for Christ and sharing information on coaching, marriage, family, and mental health. Read more from Anne at www.annerulo.com.