Three Values of the Wait

I am writing this blog from a hospital waiting area. My daughter-in-law has been in the maternity floor of our local hospital since 1pm and is ready to have her first child today! My wife and I came at 7:30pm and left at 3am for a couple hours of sleep. Each of us headed out for work at 5:30am, but I have dropped some commitments and juggled my schedule to join the waiting.

My son cannot believe it is taking this long and I remind him that good things take time. The arrival of a baby is a very good thing!

I am learning the value of the wait. My prayers as a young follower of Jesus used to be, "Lord, give me patience and be quick about it!"  I was foolishly praying for patience when a farm accident injuring my thumb got me time in the hospital from Thanksgiving Day until a day before Christmas. I have learned to be careful what to pray for when I pray!

The Bible records stories of people waiting.
A wife and husband, Sarah and Abraham, waiting decades for the baby God told them they would have.
A suffering man named Job, waiting for justice.
A nation of people waiting for their Messiah.

If you are waiting for an answer from God, a relationship to be restored, a position to open or a return to health - remember these three values that come from wait:

1. Patience - that God's timing is always better than our timing.
2. Confidence - that God is going to come through.
3. Joy - the anticipation brings greater joy when the waiting is over.

Psalms 130:5
I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits,
and in His word I put my hope.

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