Waiting - Part 2

Psalm 119:84
How long must your servant wait?

So once I learned that I'm not alone in my struggle with having to wait, a few questions come up:

1.) Why do we have to wait?
2.) What am I supposed to do while I'm waiting?
3.) How do I wait? (I tend to get restless and impatient)
4.) What am I supposed to be waiting for?
5.) When will be be done waiting?

In my search on waiting with the help of Biblegateway.org, I found another story where someone had to wait - Ruth. After potentially embarrassing herself by sneaking into Boaz's bedroom, she is stuck waiting. What is Boaz going to do? What if he rejects her? What if it doesn't work? And if he doesn't want her, then where is she going to get food? He had always taken care of her. She couldn't go back there - it would be humiliating...

On and on her thoughts could have gone, but she was simply instructed, "Wait, my daughter, until you find out what happens." Wow! What a tough job! Definitely easier said than done.

1. Why do we wait?

I think sometimes it's because there is simply nothing else for us to do in the matter. Ruth had done all she needed. Isaac sent his servant to find a bride, and that was all he could do. Simeon was told he'd see the Messiah, but he couldn't speed things along.

In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice;
in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.
Psalm 5:3

2. What am I supposed to do while I'm waiting?

Psalm 37:34 Wait for the LORD and keep his way.

Psalm 119:166 I wait for your salvation, O LORD, and I follow your commands.

While I wait, I'm supposed to "keep his way" and "follow his commands." That means keep on obeying. One of our pastors said recently, "Do the next right thing." As we all know, life keeps moving while we're waiting, and there are opportunities for good and evil all around us. I am to keep choosing good in the midst of the confusion.

Hosea 12:6 "But you must return to your God;
maintain love and justice, and wait for your God always."

I think the bigger question is "What am I not supposed to do?" One thing I'm not supposed to do is take matters into my own hands. If we are told to wait, to rush God is disobedience. The prodigal son decided not to wait and demanded his inheritance early. Esau decided not to wait and sped up dinner. David knew he was to be King, but he didn't kill Saul to get there. He waited on God's timing.

I'm also not supposed to worry! All of those thoughts Ruth could have had, that we all have, worrying, second guessing, running scenarios over and over through our minds... fretting.

Psalm 37:7-8
Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when men succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.
Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
do not fret—it leads only to evil.

And the end there says I'm not to get angry. Proverbs 20:22 says, "Do not say, 'I'll pay you back for this wrong!' Wait for the LORD, and he will deliver you."

Instead of worrying and getting angry, we are to be patient, just as Abraham patiently waited for Isaac (Hebrews 6:15) and God waited patiently for Noah to build the Ark (I Peter 3:20).

More to come...