Come Up Here And See

Since waiting is not something that we like to do and because our city had so many freight trains lines running through it especially when we were considered the automotive capital of our country, the productivity could not halt to zero with all the train lines coming through. So, underpasses and overpasses have been built to avoid that. However there are still roads where motorists are stopped every time the trains come.

Not too long ago I came up to a railway level crossing and the train was moving slower and slower and you could see the two cabooses stop in their tracks at the crossing and all you could think was “So close and yet so far away”. Those cabooses seemed to be frozen in their spot and unable or unwilling to move.

As I sat there waiting I did have thoughts of “well I could turn my vehicle around and head for a different road and was very tempted but the logic of if was the time taken to get to a further north road which has an underpass would probably be not that much different in the overall wait time, so I waited.” The amount of cars that did turn around was overwhelming.

Thoughts came to me of how we do not like to Wait on God for answers to our prayers or even to Wait on Him at all. We become impatient, some become offended at God and even turn away from their relationship with God, then say they do not believe, even start claiming that they are an atheist or an agnostic.

How many have stopped waiting in their marriage and then given up? How many have stopped waiting until they can afford an item and charge it to their credit cards? Today the number of people who have been bankrupt or have had a consumer proposal has skyrocketed, some have even lost all because they did not know how to wait.

The word “Wait” is one that we do not like, we do not want to consider that we must do that. Many times I believe that all of us, myself first of all do not even consider what is the definition of the word Wait is.

Wait – to stay in place in expectation of –transitive verb – Merriam Webster

Wait – to remain stationary in readiness or expectation, to look forward expectantly, to hold back expectantly, to be ready and available – intransitive verb – Merriam Webster

We live in an instant gratification society with an instant pot mind set. Because of this mindset we become upset with the Lord when the promises, the prophetic calling that He has given to us do not happen in our time expectations.

The funniest thing is that even the Lord Jesus Christ told them who walked with Him on this earth that He was returning quickly and meanwhile it has been over 2000 years. Hilarious at how we do not like to wait. We forget what the Word of God says about a thousand days.

 2 Peter 3:8 ESV But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

We forget or do not take into consideration that it took approximately 15 to 17 years before David became King of Israel and Judah after he was anointed, prophesied and called by Samuel the Prophet.

After Paul’s conversion he was trained 3 years to learned directly from the Lord Jesus (Galatians 1) and then Paul tells us he had 14 years of training before he was up in Jerusalem.

Galatians 2:1 NASB Then after an interval of fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along also.

Then the best is Jesus. We hear of His birth, then at 2 years old when the Wise Men came, then at 12 years old when He was in the temple sitting with the professors and they were stunned by His wisdom and not again until He was 30. The Word of God says that He grew in favour and stature with man and God for a 3 year ministry. Luke 2: 52

If we are speed readers then we think all of the details, stories, changed lives happened overnight and then we start believing that we can also see things happen at our demand and that is not the case!

The worst thing about being impatient is that we do not fully grasp how patient the Lord God Almighty who is Holy has been with us each and every day and that He longs to be patient with us, gracious to us. Wow, that is amazing. When we do not realize that awesome virtue of God, we become impatient with others and not give them the mercy of God which has been freely given to us.  

2 Peter 3:9 NASB The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance.

Isaiah 30:18 NASB Therefore the Lord longs to be gracious to you, And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; How blessed are all those who long for Him.

One of the best songs that I have heard about waiting on God comes from Elevation Worship & Maverick City called “Wait on You” and some of the lyrics are:

I’m gonna wait on You, I’ve tasted Your goodness, I’ll trust in Your promise, I’m gonna wait on You. What else is there to do? It is the least I can do. When we wait on the Lord, He will renew your strength. We shall walk and not grow weary, run and not faint, Just wait on the Lord!

Isaiah 40:31 ESV But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Psalm 27:14 ESV Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!

Wow even when I spend time meditating on God’s goodness and how He has waited on me because of His compassion and mercy I am praying that I will become more like Him and not forget how He wants all to come to repentance because of His love. Lord You are amazing. Thank you.

Holy Spirit I pray that you would reveal to us today of Your amazing virtue of waiting and how You long to have compassion on us and be gracious to us. Lord I pray that You would continue to reveal Your truths to me so that I am gracious to others, I would be waiting on them with readiness and availability for Your purposes and not mine. Please forgive all of us where we have had an instant pot mind set and we have not been patient with You. Lord please forgive us where we have not been patient with others or learned how to wait like You do with us. May we be able to give out the same mercy and compassion that You do. I pray that we would be able to wait on You and that our strength would be renewed, that we would mount up like wings as eagles, running and not be wearied and not fainting. We thank You that You are giving us courage and the ability to wait. In Jesus Name, Amen.