The Waiting Game

We should all be very good at waiting because we have had so much practice.

At home, we wait for our food to finish cooking, for the clothes to dry, and for the serviceman to repair whatever item needs fixing.

Outside the home, we wait in line at the market, the bank, the doctor’s office, and many other places. And we are not the only ones.

The Bible is replete with examples of people having to wait.

After finally boarding the ark that had taken more than a hundred years to build, Noah had to wait seven days before the promised flood arrived.

Then, after enduring long days of pelting rain, he had to wait for the storm to stop. Then he had to wait on board until the ground was dry enough to walk on safely.

Through that one family, God repopulated the earth.

God made a promise to Abraham that he would have a special son.

He just did not say when. He told him that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky. Twenty-five years later, Isaac was born.

From this line Jesus was born—the Savior of the world.

Although Moses grew up in the palace as a prince in Egypt, he became a fugitive.

After forty years of caring for sheep in the desert, God changed this reluctant shepherd into a strong leader. He was then able to use Moses to lead more than a million Hebrew slaves out of Egypt and bring them freedom in the Promised Land.

Joseph went from being a favorite, slightly spoiled son to becoming a slave and then, through a false accusation, a prisoner. More than two years after being confined to what was probably a dirty, vermin-infested dungeon, he was released.

Because of his God-given ability to interpret dreams, the Pharoah then set him in charge of all the lands of Egypt. Although the times and situations are different in the twenty-first century, waiting is part of life. It is not a pastime people usually enjoy.

Like many Christians, I am looking forward to the Lord’s return.

We have been waiting for Him for a long, long time. While we wait, we can use the time to show the love of Jesus to others in many ways. As we see people turning to the Lord, waiting will seem less like an annoyance and more like an opportunity. Let us choose to work for Him while we wait for His return.

Marcia Mollenkopf