Are you waiting on the Lord’s timing right now? Why is waiting so hard? Perhaps you are waiting on something significant in your life. We live in a microwave culture and want things instantaneously, but life does not work that way. Waiting can be one of the hardest things to do at any age, but the Lord can teach us while we are waiting. Scripture says this about waiting on the Lord. Psalm 27:14 Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord. [1]
Nehemiah Waited on the Lord’s Timing
While Nehemiah was living in Babylon, he received a bad report about the condition of the walls and gates in Jerusalem, which was his homeland. The walls were down, and the gates had been burned which left the city without any protection.
Nehemiah mourned, fasted, and prayed to God about the situation, which lead him to confess his sins and the sins of the nation of Israel. Nehemiah realized the walls were down and gates burned because of the sins of the nation. God had warned them many times to change their ways as a nation, but the people did not listen. God’s patience ran out and the people were taken into captivity into Babylon as punishment.
Nehemiah had a significant position as a cupbearer to King Artaxerxes but waited for God’s timing, which took months, before speaking to the King about his homeland. Nehemiah 2:1Early the following spring, in the month of Nisan, during the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes’ reign, I was serving the king his wine. I had never before appeared sad in his presence. 2 So the king asked me, “Why are you looking so sad? You don’t look sick to me. You must be deeply troubled.”
Then I was terrified, 3 but I replied, “Long live the king! How can I not be sad? For the city where my ancestors are buried is in ruins, and the gates have been destroyed by fire.” 4 The king asked, “Well, how can I help you?” With a prayer to the God of heaven, 5 I replied, “If it please the king, and if you are pleased with me, your servant, send me to Judah to rebuild the city where my ancestors are buried.”[2]
What Can the Lord Teach Us as We Wait?
The Lord teaches us the value of being still as we wait. Psalm 37:14 Be still in the presence of the LORD and wait patiently for him to act. [3] Like Nehemiah, we need to wait because we need God’s direction and need to hear from Him. By waiting on God, we move forward in His strength not ours.
We humble ourselves as we wait on his sovereign timing as we listen for His guidance. When we listen for God’s voice and His timing, we become more sensitive to His will in our lives. As we wait, we also become more aware of our sinfulness and need of forgiveness just like Nehemiah. Today remember how important it is to wait patiently on God’s perfect timing! It will change your life.
To hear more about waiting on the Lord’s timing, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/rebuilding-unfinished-hope-call-sending
[1-3] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation . Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.