Well, here we are, waiting with bated breath to learn who won the presidential election. As you wait, be encouraged: God waits too.
We Wait
In a sense, this waiting isn’t new. Every day we wait:
- for that Internet page to load.
- in the drive-through line at lunch.
- for our COVID19 test result.
Sometimes the waiting squeezes our hearts to the near breaking point:
- Yearning for a positive pregnancy test.
- Waiting for a man to discover the gift that we are and pursue us.
- Longing to be reunited with our loved one in heaven.
Something that encouraged me in my own season of waiting for marriage was the fact that I wasn’t alone in my waiting; God waits too. And the things He waits to accomplish impact me for good.
Not only that, but while God waits, His waiting looks different than ours. He waits knowing the end from the beginning.
God doesn’t wait hopefully, with fingers crossed, but with absolute certainty, as the One who ordered all the details of the world before He spoke it into existence.
He waits in perfect peace, knowing the end from the beginning. God waits with complete power to accomplish all He desires as well as with total purity and goodness in all He does.
God Waits Too
Specifically, God waits:
- For the last human to become a recipient of His lavish gift of mercy through Jesus. And then, He returns! (2 Peter 3:9)
- To defeat His enemies finally and fully. And of course, these enemies are ours as well. Sin, death, Satan; their time is numbered. (Heb. 10:12—13)
- To judge all injustice and unrighteousness. And we have seen plenty of it in 2020, haven’t we? We have also participated in our fair share of it. But one day, He will put an end to it all. (1 Cor. 4:5)
- At times when you call Him so He might show His power toward you and receive glory as others believe in Him. I think of the time Jesus delayed rushing to Lazarus’ side, so He might show His power in raising Lazarus from the dead. (John 11:3—15)
- To be gracious to those who wait on Him. This does not mean He sits back with folded arms; rather, He actively works on behalf of those who wait on Him. Check out John Piper’s sermon, “God Works for Those Who Wait for Him” for some real encouragement. (Isa. 30:18)
I wonder, what are you waiting for today (other than the election news)? And how does the fact that God waits too encourage you in your own waiting?
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Paula (Hendricks) Marsteller is a compassionate, bold Christian communicator offering you gospel hope, thought-provoking questions, and practical help along the way.
