Waiting On God

And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” (Acts 1:4-5)

Waiting. It seems like so much about following God has to do with waiting on Him. The Israelites waited in captivity, waited for the Promised Land, and waited for the Messiah. The Disciples waited for the promised Holy Spirit. We wait now for Christ's return. 

Sometimes, it makes you wonder: why the wait? The Disciples, for example: couldn't Jesus simply have baptized them in the Spirit right then and there?  Why make them wait for it? 

Well, for one thing, the waiting builds us into stronger people. It builds up our patience. It changes our character. Waiting builds anticipation, which makes us even more grateful for that which is to come. Waiting helps us to reflect on what's coming, on our own motives for wanting it. Waiting, in short, transforms us from those merely waiting into those who are ready. 

And finally, waiting builds reliance on the Giver. When we wait on God to come through on His promise, we also rely on Him to get us through the waiting.  

There's a good chance you are waiting on God today. There's a chance you're waiting on a decision from a prospective employer or perhaps on a bank loan. Maybe you're waiting on word from a doctor. Maybe you're waiting on God to provide any number of things. That's good. Keep waiting. And as you wait, take the time to reflect on the Giver of all that is good, thank Him for the waiting, and allow Him to prepare you for whatever He has in store.