Worth the Wait

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. 

Isaiah 40:31 ESV

Waiting Feels Impossible Sometimes

I don’t know about you but I’m not terribly patient. I’m a lot like that character in Willy Wonka, the girl who wanted what she wanted when she wanted it. (Ahem.) I’m a product of 21^st century living, I suppose.

Maybe you can relate. These days, life is so instantaneous. We order fast-food or take-out. We pop our popcorn in the microwave, and we cook our dinner in an InstantPot. We really can have what we want when we want it. . .mostly.

We don’t have to wait on the vegetables to grow in the garden like our forefathers did. If we want French Fries, we drive through McDonalds. We don’t have to pluck a chicken and fry it in a pan. We just buzz through KFC or Chickfila. 

Sometimes God Calls us to Wait on Him

Recently I decided to try a new recipe. I was in the mood for a cobbler and looked through my cupboards to see if I had any canned pie filling. I was feeling pretty lazy that evening and didn’t want to mess with making the filling from scratch. 

I tossed a quick homemade pie crust on the cobbler and popped it into the oven, then checked my recipe before setting the timer. 

55 minutes. 

Ugh. I didn’t want to wait 55 minutes for that cobbler. Why couldn’t it bake in 20 – 30 minutes? 

I got busy with a project and distracted myself but I couldn’t stop thinking about that yummy dessert and how badly I wanted it. . .now. 

55 minutes later the cobbler came out of the oven and I swooned. It was. . .amazing. The crust was crisp, the gooey fruit layer was bubbling, and the sugar on top was glistening. Perfection!

If I’d pulled it out when I wanted to (at the 20 – 30-minute mark), I would’ve had a soggy crust. The outcome would have been disappointing.  

Some things are worth the wait, friend.

Oh, it doesn’t feel like it when you’re waiting, of course. Human beings are impatient. We give up. We lose heart. We feel like God won’t come through for us. 

I don’t know about you, but…

I’ve been praying and believing for big things in my life, but they haven’t happened yet. I see glimpses, but the “big miracle” hasn’t yet arrived on the scene.  

While praying, the Lord gave me an image to ponder. I saw myself with a tiny mustard seed in my hand. I knelt down on the ground and dug a hole. . .a deep hole. . .then dropped the teensy-tiny seed inside.

As I rose and brushed the dirt off of my knees I realized I’d lost sight of the tiny seed. It was no longer in my hand. It was in God’s, deep below the surface.

And I had to trust that He was working under the soil to perform something miraculous, even when I couldn’t see it with my own eyes. 

What are You Believing For?

I don’t know where you are. I don’t know what you’re believing for. I don’t know how big (or how small) your faith is. But I do know that good things are worth the wait. 

Take that mustard seed of faith. Dig deep. (Go deep with God, in prayer and in worship.) Drop that seed into fertile soil. . .then step away. Trust God. Believe that He’s working on your behalf, even when you can’t see it. 

The cobbler is bubbling. It’s going to be ready soon. And when it is, you’ll be so very glad you waited. 

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Lord, I’ll confess. . .I’m impatient. And I lose heart while I’m waiting. But today I choose to place my trust, my faith, in You. I’m letting go of this mustard seed and placing it in fertile soil for you to blossom into something wonderful. I can’t wait to see what’s ahead, Father! Amen.  

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About the Author

Janice Thompson is an author, baker, and all-around mischief maker! She has overcome a host of baking catastrophes, including a toppled wedding cake, to learn more about the baking process. Janice has published over 150 books for the Christian market but particularly enjoys writing recipes and baking devotions. To learn more about Janice or to drop her a note, visit her About the Author page.