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There’s a purpose in the waiting seasons, and the delays you experience.
1 Samuel 13: 5-14 (Saul & Samuel) (NIV)
2 Kings 13: 14-19 (Elisha & Jehoash) (NIV)
Exodus 32: 1-4, 7-16, 27-35 (The Israelites & The Gold Calf) (NIV)
It’s so easy for us to lean on our own understanding like Saul, Jehoash, and the Israelites did.
Saul grew impatient for Samuel
Jehoash grew impatient and was irate because he did not understand the purpose of the instructions given him by Elisha.
The Israelites grew impatient waiting for Moses and wanted to do things their way.
One thing these stories reveal is that our impatience can cause us to miss all the things God is trying to accomplish for us during that season.
Saul’s impatience compelled him to offer the burnt offering when he saw his men scattering, and Samuel was still absent. This led him to disobey the Command the Lord gave him. His disobedience in his season of waiting caused his Kingdom to not endure, and for God to appoint someone one else as a ruler of his people. 1 Samuel 13: 5-14
Jehoash’s disobedience in Elisha’s instructions to strike the ground with the arrows caused him to only defeat Aram, his enemies three times instead of completely destroying them. 2 Kings 13: 14-19
The Israelites’ impatience in Moses’ return led to commit a great sin against God by making themselves gods of gold. Their disobedience led them to corruption and wickedness. These actions caused God to blot them (the sinners) from the book God has written, and they did not experience His promises. Exodus 32: 1-4, 7-16, 27-35.
God is working in what we perceive as a wait, delay, and when things do not appear how we expected it to be, or how we want this moment, this season, the results of our works to be.
Our expectations about how God should work or do in our lives causes us to fall short of His glory.
In our humanness, we seek instant gratification for fear that moments or opportunities will pass us by.
In our humanness, we enable moments of difficulty, fear, and uncertainty to make us forget God’s promises. And instead, we act on impulse to solve or create solutions for things completely out of our control.
But ask yourself:
Do these characteristics make me more of the world or in the world?
Do these characteristics allow me to have a mind like Christ or am I trying to control, solve or plan the outcome of our lives?
Does fear come from God?
Am I anchored in God’s words and promises during my season of waiting?
Is my house built on sand or on the rock?
There is purpose in the wait and the delays we experience and as it is written, to every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die
A time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted
A time to kill, and a time to heal
A time to break down, and a time to build up
A time to weep, and a time to laugh
A time to mourn, and a time to dance
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together
A to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing
A time to get, and a time to lose
A time to keep, and a time to cast away
A time to rend, and a time to sew
A time to keep silence, and a time to speak
A time to love, and a time to hate
A time of war, and a time of peace.
You might be a woman awaiting the gift of motherhood
You might be single awaiting for marriage
Or waiting on an opportunity
A career
A response
Or waiting on healing
But whatever it may be, know that there is a heavenly, God anointed purpose in that season.
Imagine for a moment what happens when we let go of what we think we know about our situations, and experiences and just let God be God.
It would not be wise for me to say I know all there is to your life.
Nor would it be wise to say I know what season you are in.
But what I do know is obedience to God in every season we experience perfects the work He started in us.
So, praise his name!
Put on your whole armor so you may be able to stand against the devil’s schemes in your season of waiting.
Gird your waist with truth
Put on the breastplate of God’s righteousness
For shoes, put on the peace that comes from good news so that you will be fully prepared in whatever comes.
Hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil: the insecurities and the doubts.
Put on salvation as your helmet and take the word of the Spirit which is the word of God.
During your season of waiting, pray in the spirit at all times and all occasions.
Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers.
Again, I do not know what season you are in, or what lies ahead but I know God’s words and promises are true.
He himself said in Leviticus 26:3-13
“If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands
I will send you the seasonal rains.
The land will then yield its crops, and the trees of the field will produce their fruit. Your threshing season will overlap with the grape harvest, and your grape harvest will overlap with the season of planting grain. You will eat your fill and live securely in your own land.
I will give you peace in the land, and you will be able to sleep with no cause for fear. I will rid the land of wild animals and keep your enemies out of your land.
In fact, you will chase down your enemies and slaughter them with your swords.
Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand! All your enemies will fall beneath your sword.
I will look favorably upon you, making you fertile and multiplying your people.
And I will fulfill my covenant with you.
You will have such a surplus of crops that you will need to clear out the old grain to make room for the new harvest!
I will live among you, and I will not despise you.
I will walk among you; I will be your God, and you will be my people.
I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt so you would no longer be their slaves.
I broke the yoke of slavery from your neck so you can walk with your heads held high.”
As there are blessings for obedience, there is punishment for disobedience. For the Lord corrects those He loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights. Look at Saul, Jehoash, and the Israelites.
Even in our disobedience, does God not love us?
Does God not love His own creation?
Doesn’t His rod and staff comfort us?
We have a Father who loves us during every season. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
We have a shepherd who lets us rest in green meadows
That same shepherd leads us beside quiet waters and refreshes our soul
Our shepherd guides us along the right paths for his name’s sake even when it feels like we’re waiting.
The creator of the heavens and the earth knows us!
He knows when we sit and when we rise
He perceive our thoughts from afar.
He is familiar with all our ways.
Even our feelings during our seasons of waiting.
He saw us before we were born.
Everyday of our lives is recorded in His book and every moment was laid out before a single day passed.
I do not know much about your life or mine for the matter but God knows it all.
He knows what season you’re in and what lies ahead.
Because He is our shepherd, rest assured that we have all that we need in our season of waiting.
May God continue pruning and blessing you in all seasons.
May He increase your patience in Him so He can complete the good works He started in you .
In Jesus name I pray,
Amen.
1 Samuel 13: 5-14, 2 Kings 13: 14-19, Exodus 32: 1-4, 7-16, 27-35; Leviticus 26:3-13; Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
NIV scriptures from Holy Bible, Zondervan 2020The Found Sheep
01.30.22
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