Why Wait?

Much activity in today’s world is based on speed.  For example, we want our food quickly, so we go to a fast-food restaurant. We turn on our TV to get the news in an instant.  Our smartphone keeps us informed about world events as they happen.  At church we want the pastor to preach a sermon in no more than 30 minutes.  We sit at a stoplight and are frustrated when the light does not turn fast enough. We order online so we do not have to go to a store to get the merchandise we want or need.

It seems that people in our culture (including me) are always in a hurry and want things to happen quickly.  It is interesting to note however that God is never hurried.  The Bible tells us, “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31).  Waiting on God is important for spiritual growth.  To wait on the Lord is to trust Him with complete confidence for the help He will provide.  Notice four benefits derived from this verse for individuals who wait on the Lord.

1)      “Renew their strength” – This means that God will change us, revive us, and cause us to flourish.

2)      “Mount up with wings like eagles” – To do this means that we will retain vitality even in an advanced age.

3)      “Run and not be weary” – To be vigorous, elevated, tireless, and sustained in our activities will help us do this.

4)      “Walk and not faint” – Endurance will be ours without weakening or being fatigued.

These are great benefits for people who are willing to wait on the Lord.  People who wait will become strong in faith; they will be able to contend with spiritual foes; they will have victory over sins; and they will be able to meet the trials of life with God’s help.  Isaiah summarized the importance of waiting when he said, “Blessed are all who wait for him!” (Isaiah 30:18).  Living in our fast-paced society seems nice but it is not always the best for us.  Why not slow down, take your time, and wait on the Lord?

Time to Examine

Some time ago I purchased a clock for my office that had a picture of a steam locomotive on it.  But more than that, every hour, on the hour, for about 10 seconds, the clock made the noise of an old-time locomotive.  Sometimes the sound was a whistle, sometimes it was the “clickety-clack” of an engine rolling down the tracks, and sometimes it was the clanging of a bell.  Each hour, when I heard the sound of the whistle, the engine, or the bell I usually had one of two responses.  One response was frustration because the noise irritated me.  The other response was an opportunity to think.  Rather than focus on the frustration I chose to do some thinking. The sound I heard reminded me that another hour had passed in the time that God had allotted me here on this earth.  So, when I heard the sound, it was good for me to spend a few moments thinking about and examining how I had spent the previous hour.  Did my actions during that hour count for eternity?  Had I taken time to encourage someone else?  Did my thoughts turn to God or His Word?  This kind of thinking and spiritual examination was good for me.

Two times in the New Testament of the Bible we are told to examine our lives. First, before participating in the Lord’s Supper.  The Apostle Paul said, “Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink of the cup” (I Corinthians 11:28). An examination of our relationship to God is important.  Do we know Him as Savior and Lord? Second, the word “examine” in Scripture is used in connection with an evaluation of whether or not we are a Christian.  Paul puts his instruction this way, “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves.  Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless of course, you fail the test?” (II Corinthians 13:5). He is suggesting that we need to carefully examine our lives to see if we are rightly related to God. Do we have Jesus Christ in our life?   Do we know Him in a personal way?  If we do, then we can say that we are “in the faith.”

Maybe it is time for you to examine your life.  You do not need a locomotive clock to do that.  Make sure that you are a member of God’s forever family.  If you should die tonight, do you know for certain that you would go to heaven?  You can be certain.  But you need to examine your life.  Compare your life to what the Scripture teaches regarding a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and then take appropriate action to make sure.  The Scripture clearly says, “He who has the son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life” (I John 5:12). It also says, “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12).  Have you believed in Jesus’ name?  Do you have the Son of God in your life?  Have you personally received Him?  If this is true of you, you should thank God for all He has done for you.  Now is the time to evaluate and take action.