So be patient, brethren, [as you wait] till the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits expectantly for the precious harvest from the land. [See how] he keeps up his patient [vigil] over it until it receives the early and late rains.
“Instant gratification takes too long,” my friend said and laughed. She was standing in front of the microwave. She had set the timer for 90 seconds to heat her coffee. Her toe tapped as she impatiently waited.
I smiled as I watched, but then I realized that we’ve been spoiled by the word instant in our lives today. We have instant credit approval, instant oatmeal, and instant love. We’ve tried to trap God into the same way of thinking. “God, give it to me now,” we pray. Or if we don’t use those words, that’s what we mean.
One of the things I’ve learned from my years of Bible study is that we can’t hurry the Lord. He does things in His time. In earlier meditations, I’ve already pointed out the long waits Abraham and Joseph completed. Moses fled into the wilderness after killing a man and waited forty years for God to tap him on the shoulder. Rachel prayed for years to have a child, and so did Hannah, before God answered them.
When God sent Ananias to pray for the blinded Saul (later called Paul), the Lord said, “. . . Go, for this man is a chosen instrument of Mine to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the descendants of Israel” (Acts 9:15). After being healed, did Paul immediately rush out and preach to royalty? Years passed before God fulfilled that promise. No instant gratification there.
Many people grow impatient in waiting, and of course, the devil uses that to sneer and say, “God isn’t going to do what He promised. If He were going to do it, He would have done it by now.”
As I’ve thought about the matter of human impatience, I’ve realized that impatience is the fruit of pride. The proud can’t seem to wait for anything with a proper attitude. It’s as if they cry out, “I deserve it—and I deserve it right now.”
I want to point out two things from the words of James 5:7. First, God doesn’t say, “Be patient if you wait,” but “Be patient as you wait.” He uses the beautiful example of farmers. They prepare the soil and plant the crops, and then comes the waiting. They know that in God’s time, the crops will produce, and they also realize that it’s a different growing season for tomatoes than it is for wheat.
Second, we need to enjoy our lives now—right now while we wait. So many people complain about wasting time (which is how they talk about waiting). Instead of pacing and grumbling about how long we have to wait in line at the grocery store or the traffic congestion on the expressway, what if you said, “Thanks, God. I can slow down now. I can enjoy this moment. Every second of my life doesn’t have to be productive or bring results.”
The psalmist said it this way: “My times are in Your hands; deliver me from the hands of my foes and those who pursue me and persecute me” (Psalm 31:15). This was the prayer by a man in a desperate situation. His enemies were out to kill him. Still, he didn’t panic, but said, “My times are in Your hands.”
Isn’t that how God wants you to live? Your life and your times are in God’s hands. Doesn’t it follow then, that if you’re facing delays and have to wait, God knows? He’s the One Who controls the clock of life. “My times are in Your hands.” That’s the way God wants you to live—and to enjoy the waiting time. Don’t focus just on receiving or moving on. Focus on relishing the moments that God has given you to relax and enjoy them as a gift from God Himself.
Prayer of the Day: God, I get impatient, and I want instant answers to prayers and solutions to my problems. But that’s not Your way. My times are in Your hands. In the name of Jesus Christ, help me to enjoy the waiting time and remind myself that I’m waiting for You—and the wait is always worth it, amen.
