Bigger things are found in the waiting

How much longer, Lord, will you forget about me? Will it be forever? How long will you hide? How long must I be confused and miserable all day? How long will my enemies keep beating me down? (Psalm 13:1-2)

If you have ever asked, "Are we there yet?", you know the question is not one of patience, but of impatience. We want all the good stuff, but we don't like the time between the vision and its fulfillment. The vision is easy for us to comprehend, but all the stuff that happens between the vision and the fulness of its completion is much harder for us to understand. We want to 'be there', but God has some work to do in us, around us, or through us before we 'get there'.

In those 'in between' times while we await the fulfillment of the vision, it is not uncommon for us to begin to question if we got the vision right. In other words, we begin to question God's purpose in the wait. We think he has withdrawn from us, is hiding himself from us, or that he isn't concerned that others are 'beating us down' by constantly telling us the vision probably wasn't from God. The more we begin to doubt, questioning his authority and timing, the more we will move from hope into despair.

God won't forget about us. His delay will not be forever. He isn't in hiding. We might be a little confused, but if we ask for wisdom, God is sure to give it. Our misery is of concern to him because it indicates we aren't really trusting him with the 'timing' and maybe not even for the 'outcome'. While we wait, he is at work. Do we always see his hand working in our lives? No, most of the time we do not. We can look back and see the ways he orchestrated things, but we really don't see them all that clearly while we are in the midst of them.

Does God get put off when we ask him 'how much longer'? I don't think he does, but don't be surprised if he begins to teach another lesson along the way. I have discovered that the time between the vision and its fulfillment can be some of the greatest time God has to get me focused, listening intently, and seeing things clearer, but I have to allow him to use that time. How about you? Are you willing to allow God to use that 'waiting time' to accomplish big things in you? Just askin!