Why It’s Good to Wait on God

It appears that within the blogosphere, there has been a lot of discussion on the topic of “waiting for God” recently. I really don’t know why that might be the case, but by God’s grace, it has been a real source of help and encouragement for me.

Here’s another one by Mark Altrogge, blogger and pastor of a Sovereign Grace Church in Pennsylvania, in which he lists several reasons why it’s good to wait on God. Here’s a list of them:

• He humbles us

Waiting helps us realize that we are dependent creatures.  We’re not the captain of our souls or in charge of our own destiny.  We’re not self-sufficient, but we live by every mercy dispensed from God’s hand.

• He teaches us to seek him

Waiting on God is not passive.  As we wait, we seek.  We pray, we beseech God.  We cry out “How long, O Lord?”  We ask, and knock and submit our requests to God.  If we got what we wanted right away, we wouldn’t draw near to God and we’d miss out on the joy of his presence.

• He teaches us to trust him

While we’re waiting for God to save our child or meet our needs we stretch our faith to the limit.  We trust, though all our circumstances tell us to despair.  As we wait, our trust grows.

• He builds patience and perseverance into us

The only way to get patience is to have to wait for something.  Perseverance only comes through enduring trials, failures and persecution.

• He reveals what is in our hearts

What comes out of your heart when you don’t get what you want?  Grumbling?  Hard thoughts of God?  Or praise and trust?  When you can wait with a quiet heart, you know God has done a work in you.

• He helps us to treasure him above the things we are waiting for

He teaches us to find our contentment in him.  He is our portion, not anything in this world.  Only Jesus can truly satisfy us.  No person or thing that we wait for can satisfy us like Christ.

• He makes mercy sweeter when it finally arrives

We appreciate blessings more when we’ve prayed and trusted and waited for them.  We appreciate health more after sickness.  And how much more will we enjoy our eternal weight of glory after our temporary, light afflictions.

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