Holding Still In The Wait
“Therefore wait for Me,” says the Lord.”- Zephaniah 3:8
Wait. Generally used as an intransitive verb, wait is defined as “to remain stationary in readiness or expectation” (Merriam-Webster). Though often spoken in isolation, it is not a passive or weak verb. This little word carries weight. No pun intended.
It is hard to Wait. As children, perhaps we were told to wait our turn, and any connotation of doing so as an adult now leaves us with a sour taste lingering from our memories. It’s in the same category of being told that “children should be seen and not heard.” But Abba Father always desires to hear His children cry out to Him. He always welcomes us into His presence. He always desires to see us and hear our petitions and praises, our disappointments and joys, our tantrums and frustrations. He doesn’t put his finger to His lip, saying Wait your turn, but instead invites us to talk with Him in our very present time of need and the wait comes in as we watch to see His purposes unfold in our circumstances.
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” -Psalm 46:1
Synonyms for present might be at this moment, even now, immediate. He wants to dialogue with us in all our moments. Then, as we journey with Him, we learn of Him even in the seasons when a hush seems to grow over our dialogue with Him, when our antenna is up and our radar is keen, but all we hear is…silence. It is in those seasons when the waiting takes on a whole new context. These are the seasons where we are being called to higher ground and all the crying is of no avail. What is wanted in this season is all other senses alert, as a babe who is listening intently for its mother’s voice. All the baby’s expectations are hinged on the mother who will nurture it, provide for it in its very present need, at this moment, immediate state of helpless being.
Andrew Murray writes, “In waiting upon God, the first thought is of the God upon whom we wait. God longs to reveal Himself, to fill us with Himself. Waiting on God gives Him time in His own way and divine power to come to us. Be still before Him, and allow His Holy Spirit to waken and stir up in your soul the child-like disposition of absolute dependence and confident expectation. Wait on God till you know you have met Him” (Joy and Strength, Tileston, 315).
He is in the midst of the waiting. You will be found by Him in the waiting.
“If the Lord Jehovah makes us wait, let us do so with our whole hearts; for blessed are all they that wait for Him. He is worth waiting for. The waiting itself is beneficial to us: it tries faith, exercises patience, trains submission, and endears the blessing when it comes. The Lord’s people have always been a waiting people.” -Charles Spurgeon
“Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!”- Psalm 27:14
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Deborah Ann Custer, who is a homeschool mom of five, lives in the southwest corner of Wisconsin. Deborah Ann is living her dream with her family by keeping up with laundry, dishes, chauffeuring, and giving piano and voice lessons. The things that make her heart skip a beat are hearing the footsteps of her children, read-alouds with her younger children, cross country skiing through snow dusted trails, and sunlight filtering in through her window during the quiet, early morning hours. She and her husband have been leading worship at their church for over twenty years, and it has been a joy to be joined by their growing children in making music for the Lord.