Devotional Gems by Jolene
Created for Bible Study for Kids
Waiting on God -- Flip Side
Psalm 27:14, Luke 4:1-13, John 3:14-18, 1 John 4:19
By J.D. Griffith
"Can you wait one minute?" Your Mom snaps impatiently. "Your
food is ready now, so sit down at the table." If you think she's
impatient, you remember plenty of times you were impatient, too. Kids and
adults all want immediate satisfaction to their demands. Someone labeled
this “instant gratification”.
Imagine how God feels. He patiently waits for His children to invite Him
into our hearts. He longs for us to love Him unconditionally as He loves us,
and seek His advice so that He can lead us to victory.
The opposite of acting impetuously is waiting patiently. I am amazed at
God’s restraint in our impatience. The more I learn about Jesus, the longer
I study the bible, the more my observation of His restraint impresses me.
God must daily choose to restrain His own power from annihilating us. God’s
terrible insistence on human freedom is so absolute that He grants us the
freedom to live as though He doesn’t even exist!
Why is God content on growing us slowly, in the mysterious way of increasing
righteousness rather than avenging our reluctance? Only love can summon the
response of love from human hearts. He could insist on pyrotechnic displays
of omnipotence that show us His power to get His own way. But that’s not who
He is.
The Bible lets us know that “wait” is more an attitude than an activity.
Wait is a noun rather than a verb. To wait on the Lord is to trust Him.
He knows what’s best. He will give us the desires of our heart. He is
working all things together for good. He strengths our heart when we
wait on Him.
Often, our nervous impatience forces us to DO SOMETHING when waiting for
the Lord. That’s wait as a verb.
So the next time we stomp our feet in impatience on wanting something right
now, we could remember God’s patience with us. His waiting for us to love
Him is long-suffering (lasts a long time); the least we can do is wait on
Him. (He’s usually getting ready to bless us when we honor Him by waiting
for His lead.)
Take Home Nugget
Jesus won’t come until every person hears the Good News of the Gospel
and has a chance for salvation. God “desires all men to be saved and to
come to the knowledge of the truth.” (Timothy 2:4). It’s not His desire
that anyone be lost. He “longs for us to know Him”. (2 Peter 3:9). That
includes you!
“Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength.” Isaiah 40:31
J.D.Griffith
