Waiting With a Purpose
Tuesday, February 2
Waiting With a Purpose
Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord! Psalm 27:14
In Exodus Chapter 32 we read about the people of Israel who were waiting for Moses to come down from the mountain, where he had gone to meet with God and to receive instructions from Him. He had been gone for forty days and forty nights, and during that time the people became impatient and seemed to forget the amazing miracles that God had worked for them only a short time before in bringing them out of Egypt. In their impatience they demanded that Aaron make them a ‘god’ to be with them. As they began to worship the golden calf, all restraint went and they began to indulge in all kinds of revelry and debauchery. The consequence of this was death for many of them – all because they couldn’t wait. The question is, how good are we at waiting? And what are you doing while you wait?
During the time of waiting life can be painful but, in these moments we are called to draw closer to God. It is not good to spend this time of waiting looking for the next thing to fill the void but looking to the One who holds the missing piece. During the time of waiting God was giving to Moses very precise instructions about the tabernacle and the pattern for worship and living. This was to be how the people would meet with their God and know His blessing and protection, but by not waiting to receive these instructions they replaced God’s plan with their own substitute, and there were dire consequences.
This incidence calls us to take a pause. God has a plan for each of our lives. If we fail to wait on the Lord for specific instructions, and if we substitute our own way of doing things, the consequences can be disastrous. Abraham failed to wait for the fulfilment of God’s promise and he put his own solution into effect – resulting in the birth of Ishmael.
If you are waiting for the fulfillment of a promise in your life, don’t be tempted to substitute God’s plan with a ‘quick fix’. Wait patiently for God. Take it one day at a time. Spend time in His presence, listening to Him and receiving instructions from His word. Right there in His word, is the safest place to be.
Prayer for today: Father, forgive me for not waiting patiently for You. Forgive me for taking matters into my own hands trying to fill a void that only you can heal. Please help me to remain in Your presence, listening to You, receiving instruction from You and not acting on my own thoughts and ideas. Amen.