Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! (Psalms 37:5-7) 

As of today, there are ten days until Christmas. Advent is half over. Soon our waiting will turn to reality. During this season, I was recently asked, “What’s the point of waiting?” It was a good, fair, and honest question. Let’s face it. Waiting is hard, especially when we believe we know what the will of the Lord for us is. But, waiting does some really practical things for us.  

First, waiting helps us prove where our heart is and what the Lord’s will for our lives is. When we think we know what the Lord’s will is, especially if we feel He spoke to us about the matter, there is a tendency to jump into it immediately. But, when we wait patiently and don’t try to push it, the truth of what we believe becomes evident. The key to seeing the reality is what I said: we don’t try to push it. We don’t try to take things in our own hands, we follow the Lord and continue moving forward, step by step as the Lord directs. Then, if what we have believed to be His will truly is, suddenly we will find ourselves where we felt the Lord taking us.

Let’s consider a few examples. When Mary was given the news that had been chosen to birth Christ, she waited. She asked some questions, but she didn’t come up with a plan herself. She simply responded step by step. And then there’s David. He gets anointed by Samuel to be King of Israel. Think about it. “I’m gonna be KING one day?!??” Did he run and seize the throne? No. He went back to work for his father and it took many years, even time spent in service to the very king he would replace (Saul), before that “knowing” became substance. There are so many other examples, such as Abraham, Moses, and Rahab

Second, waiting also helps us be prepared for the time or event for which we wait. When a woman becomes pregnant, that pregnancy can’t be rushed. Both she and the baby have to be prepared, so they will be healthy, and so she can learn to be the person she needs to be. When two people enter a relationship, they enter a period of not only learning about each other but also preparing to be the person the other needs. Even if the two people have a word from the Lord, they still need to be in that season of waiting. To rush ahead is to build, at best, an incomplete foundation for what lay ahead. In David’s case, his waiting period was used by God to develop the maturity and trust he would need in the Lord as King of Israel.  

Finally, waiting helps us prize and appreciate the fulfillment of that for which we have been waiting. When we rush into things with an unsure foundation and with a lack of maturity, we may have some joy and happiness. That, however, will not last because we don’t have the long-term maturity needed—which only comes from waiting. Waiting is like the refiner’s fire and the potter’s kiln. It is often unpleasant. But if what we are waiting for is of God, it will be more than worth the wait.  

Many choose not to wait, hoping to avoid the often-painful period of waiting. That is understandable. Pain, however, is a part of this thing we call life. That is unfortunately true, no matter what situation we find ourselves in. It’s not a cynical view, it’s just a realistic view. So, the question becomes how we will deal with that pain when it comes. Will we try to deal with it ourselves and push it down, seeking something else to fill the void, or will we turn to the Lord and allow Him to heal us and teach us and learn to walk in true joy–the kind of joy that is only found by going through such pain?  That’s the question, really. 

Do not fear the waiting. Rather, fear the consequences of not waiting.