I will worship while I'm waiting

Waiting. Patience. Perseverance. Waiting. Waiting is not easy. Especially in today's society, where we have instant access to everything. It's all at the mere touch of a finger. Many people today have smart phones that give them instant access to anything on the internet instantly. We don't want to wait. We don't want to wait for our food, so we go to fast food places. We drive over the speed limit because we want to get places faster, and we get upset when we hit all the red lights and how long they make us wait. We want to see instant results, and if we can't see the results right away, something must not be working properly. We are always on the rush. Always on the go. We want things when we want them, and we don't want to wait. As the course to a famous song by Queen goes: "I want it all and I want it now".

This attitude, unfortunately, as permeated our spiritual lives. We expect God to act like our smart phones and give us the information we need when we want it, the way we want it. We pray to God, asking Him to bring healing to the sick loved ones in our lives. We ask Him to take the pain that we are experiencing away. We ask Him to provide for us a job so we can pay the bills. We ask Him for a new car when ours breaks down. We ask Him to bring that special someone into our lives whom we can love and cherish, and one day marry. We ask Him to show us the path He wants us to take for our lives. But when He doesn't answer our prayers; when our loved ones don't get better; when the pain doesn't go away; when we don't get the things we ask for; we get upset at God, thinking He doesn't care or isn't listening. We expect a timely response from God, but often times that isn't the case. Bottom line is: we don't want to wait.

Waiting. Waiting on God requires trust. Waiting on God requires faith. If we don't trust that God has the best in mind for us, it makes it very hard to wait on Him. But He does have the best in mind for us. Jeremiah 29:11 says this: "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" This was written as a part of a letter penned to the exiles from Judah who were dragged off into captivity by the Babylonians. They had been separated from God and put into exile because of their continuous rebellion and disobedience to God. So at this point they feel the weight of their guilt and the pain of being far from home. But it's in the midst of this storm that God brings them a message of hope: "I have a plan for you". And not just any plan, but "plans to prosper you". God says in the previous verse that "When seventy years are complete for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place (Jerusalem)." God wasn't just going to leave them in captivity, He was going to bring them back home. But in the mean time, they would have to wait.

God has a plan for us all. A great and glorious plan. He can do "immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine" (Ephesians 3:20). His plan involved sending His son, so that through his life, death, and resurrection, we "may have life and live it to the full" (John 10:10). He can see this wonderful plan that He has for us and is calling us to wait on Him. To wait on Him, and allow Him to reveal it to us in His time. Does this mean that we sit around twiddling our thumbs while we wait on God? Certainly not! While they were in exile, God called the Israelites to "build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper" (Jeremiah 29:5-7). They weren't just going to sit around until God brought them back. So we too are called worship and serve the Lord while we wait. To continue to give thanks and praise to God for what He has done for us. To continue to serve the Lord where He has placed us.

Waiting. It's not easy, but it will sure be worth it in the end.

~~~While I'm Waiting~~~
John Waller

I'm waiting, I'm waiting on You Lord
And I am hopeful, I'm waiting on You Lord
Though it is painful, but patiently I will wait

And I will move ahead bold and confident
Taking every step in obedience

While I'm waiting I will serve You
While I'm waiting I will worship
While I'm waiting I will not faint
I'll be running the race even while I wait

I'm waiting, I'm waiting on You Lord
And I am peaceful, I'm waiting on You Lord
Though it's not easy no, but faithfully I will wait
Yes, I will wait

And I will move ahead bold and confident
Taking every step in obedience

While I'm waiting I will serve You
While I'm waiting I will worship
While I'm waiting I will not faint
I'll be running the race even while I wait

I will move ahead bold and confident
I'll be taking every step in obedience, yeah

While I'm waiting I will serve You
While I'm waiting I will worship
While I'm waiting I will not faint

And I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting on You Lord

I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting