Spending Time with God Means Waiting on God

Waiting on God

Patience and waiting are required when you spend time with God. Friendship begins by spending time with a person. Time with God is a vital part of building a friendship with Jesus. However, what happens when your friend stays silent, you know He’s there, he just doesn’t say anything.  Do we give up on our friend and no longer spend time with Him? No. We exercise patience with Him until He is ready to talk.

Patience is a God-given gift and sometimes we need patience while waiting on God to speak.

If you have read any of my previous posts I try to publish an article at least once a month or more when the inspiration comes. However, I now know why writers are so frustrated over writer’s block. Inspiration from God has been sparse lately and left me a little confused concerning His silence.

Jesus is with me in the Holy Spirit, and He guides me every day, and I rely on His inspiration for the articles He wants me to write, but lately, I had received nothing in the way of inspiration for a new article.

One of the most important holidays has come and gone and nothing came to mind, I read my Bible daily, I pray about what I have read and I give daily devotion to my Lord and Savior, and I am embarrassed to admit that nothing had come to mind.

His Schedule

Suddenly, six weeks later, the light snapped on: patience. Waiting on God was the key.

Patience was required, waiting on God is the lesson and He is teaching me that I work on His schedule, not my own.

Waiting builds maturity and adds wisdom.

Without Him The Work Suffers

Jesus has been gracious with his ideas so far but, as I stated before; it’s His schedule not my own. If we do things on our own without God we become spoiled and the work suffers.

Instant gratification can be dangerous especially in a culture of fast food, on-demand streaming, and guaranteed overnight shipping. A good parent is told to “train up a child in the way he should go” (Proverbs 22:6) and as a good parent our Heavenly Father is teaching us that life needs to work a little slower, He’s waiting patiently for us to “get it.”

God wants us to learn that we need to wait on Him and His perfect timing. Jesus is patiently waiting for me to realize I must wait for Him. This builds character, patience, humility, and faith. Jesus knows the right timing and from time to time He says “no” or “not now, not yet.”  Impatience only leads to frustration and ultimately hinders the working of the Holy Spirit which eventually hurts our love for Christ.

There are so many examples of better men than I waiting decades for answers from God, yet here I was getting worried over a couple of weeks of silence.

For example, take a look at just a few of these people who had to wait.

“Speed Up”

Abraham and Sarah waited years for God’s promise of a son. In fact when they tried to “speed up” God’s timing things didn’t go as planned; hello Ishmael. (Genesis Chapter 16)

A Patient Dreamer

Then there was Joseph waiting twenty years in an Egyptian jail, falsely accused I might add, for God to release him so his prophetic dreams could come true. How awesome that he was patient throughout those years. It was his patience that allowed God to work through him and perform the mighty work of saving his people from starvation. If Joseph had lost his patience and love for God, God would have still cared for his people but because Joseph was patient, he was allowed to be a vessel worthy to be used by God to rescue Israel. (Genesis chapter 39. The entire story starts in chapter 37)

Promised Land

The Israeli people waited forty years to find the Promised Land when in reality it could have taken less than eleven days. The truth is the time the Israeli nation spent in Egyptian slavery had weakened their faith. Therefore, when God brought them out of Egypt and across the Red Sea, instead of having faith in God, they began to grumble and even built a calf to worship. Due to their lack of patience and waiting on God, the Lord had to restrain them from moving forward until the next generation matured. If they had only shown patience and faith in their Father He would have revived their culture of freedom so they would flourish as a nation. (Exodus 32)

A Patient King

King David had to wait until adulthood before he could take the throne. Remember God had anointed David to be the next king years before, but David had gone back out into the fields tending sheep, waiting patiently for God’s timing.  God knew when David was to become King and David patiently waited. In fact, years later, while David was playing music for the King and spending time in the King’s house, he was actually in training. Then there were the many times David could have taken it upon himself and been impatient and killed King Saul, (remember the time in the cave?) However, David was determined to be patient and wait on God’s timing. When the time came for him to be made King it was sanctioned by God. (1^st Samuel 16)

Waiting on God is required, patience is required, the sacrifice of time is required, and the giving of unreturned love is required.

Patience at Home

Husbands who love their wives will wait for their wives to finish getting ready for a date or a family outing. Patience is used as she decides on the perfect pair of shoes or just the right piece of jewelry for her outfit. Keep in mind she is doing this to look good for you.

Jesus is exercising patience with you waiting for you to get things right with Him. Just remember the stakes are higher. What are you doing for Him? Remember the church or the body of Christ represents the bride of Christ. Since we are His (those who are truly saved), what are we doing for Him? Are we spreading His word, teaching the Gospel (The Good News), letting others know that if you don’t know Christ the only other option is Hell? Remember, “None come to the father except through me.” Hmm, not much wiggle room there.

Do we truly represent our Lord and Savior? I may be a little impatient in my own human way but I do wait for my wife and my two teenage kids but they respect me enough to at least try (quite successfully I might add) to be on time.

Just Relax

Waiting and patience are part of life; my Lord is the leader and creator of my existence. Jesus knows when things must take place in His perfect Godly timing and no matter how nervous I get or how much worry I put on keeping Google analytics and new content flowing I must remind myself that this is His website. I’m just the one who hunts and pecks at the keyboard.

Relax a little. Surrender your patience and your project to Him, and no I’m not saying be lazy. Just keep reading your Bible, keep praying, and keep asking for guidance. In His timing, He will answer, eventually. Keep your faith and although He may be silent, continue to spend much time with Him. God Bless.