Withered Wineskins

Have you been waiting for what seems like forever to see the fulfillment of a dream, answer to a prayer, or intervention of some kind in your life? I imagine all of us are in this position from time to time, finding it harder and harder to wait, even wanting to give up on whatever it is we hope for entirely. If you find yourself there today, you aren't alone 'waiting for your rescue'. The one thing we must do is put our hope in God's promises. What he says is true - trustworthy, firmly grounded, and never failing. In the 'wait', it may not seem that way, but God will never compromise his watchfulness or his careful attention toward us!

I am worn out waiting for your rescue, but I have put my hope in your word. My eyes are straining to see your promises come true. When will you comfort me? I am shriveled like a wineskin in the smoke, but I have not forgotten to obey your decrees. (Psalm 119:81-83)

Waiting makes us feel like withered up wineskins, doesn't it? It invades the spaces within our minds where it has a chance to affect the way we think. It weasels its way into our emotions, giving us every high and low we could imagine possible. It brings havoc to our bodies, causing us to lose sleep, tossing and turning while ruminating over whatever it is that we 'wait' for to happen. In the end, the one thing that is accomplished by all that is a 'withered up wineskin' kind of feeling!

What is the key to waiting? It is obedience. Like it or not, the key to waiting is to do what we know to be right, in the ways God tells us to do them. Period! Most of the time, we start out this 'waiting process' well, then somewhere down the line, we don't do as well with that obedience stuff. We think it isn't 'doing any good', so we waver a bit, allowing compromise to enter in. Truth be told, the waiting is made even more difficult to endure whenever we allow compromise to move us off the 'obedience track'. 

God isn't impressed by our obedience, but we will be less likely to find ourselves in a position where God will have to bring correction into our lives in order for us to handle whatever it is we have been waiting upon. We must remain consistent in our walk, spending quality time with Jesus each and every day, following through on each step of action he requires of us in his Word. Waiting will happen, but we don't have to end up like old, withered wineskins at the end! Just sayin!