Waiting on God

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 NKJV)

Why is waiting difficult?

One of the most difficult concepts in the Christian living is the issue of waiting on God. Waiting is difficult because it is associated with servitude and receiving of instructions. We have been made to see service as weakness but Jesus tells us otherwise (Matthew 20:26) To just wait to receive instructions or to know the next step to take is quite difficult

Why do I need to wait?

• A relationship is established between the waiter and the client. It is during the waiting period that we get to interact with the client. I believe you can think of the relationship you have built with a particular waiter who has been serving you faithfully and consistently. It gets to a point where you call the person by name and even in his or her absence, you sometimes walk away.

This is what happens when we faithfully and consistently wait on God, He calls us by name. Just as we sometimes ask for the services of a particular waiter when we enter a restaurant, the Lord deliberately searches us out. At this point, we move from being just waiters but to a place of friendship. I find this to be the most important reason to wait on God

• We are marked for treats and tips. The waiter who serves faithfully and diligently always smiles. Out of her service, he or she receives bonuses. Our attitude during waiting can draw out of the Lord for us. His goodness, kindness, mercy and benevolence are poured out to us.

We get our strengths renewed and answers to prayers are released to us. These are the tangible and visible results we see when we wait. This is greatly affected by the satisfaction of the client, a well pleased client will obviously give larger tips. Strive to be the best waiter.

• There is a change in our status. I just laughed😄. There is this truth we may not admit but the caliber of people you wait on can determine your status within the restaurant. For example, the best waiters will be selected to wait on high profile dignitaries within the society.

To be chosen from the lot to wait on the President of the Republic Ghana is an honor. It places you a step ahead of the others. So waiting on God changes our status. If there is prestige associated with waiting on human beings with high social status, then waiting on the Maker of the universe is one of the best things to happen to any waiter.
We are moved from glory to glory as we serve.

What should I do as I wait?

The job of a waiter is an interesting one. I’ve visited a number of restaurants and seen how waiters do their work. So as I read this passage, I had a clear mental picture of how waiters carry out their duties.

1. Waiters serve as part of their duties. The basic function of a waiter is to serve. Serve the Lord as you wait. Get active in church, give yourself wholly to the things of God. Love people, pick that broom to sweep the church. Run the errands for that old lady in your vicinity. As you wait, dear believer, serve.
2. Behave well as you wait. Well, I don’t know how many of us will tolerate a waiter who keeps on picking his nose and scratching his butts as he serves. It is a sight I will never tolerate. Yet how many of us are able to wait on God patiently and with all godliness? We grumble, we curse, we fight, we cheat and cut corners as we wait. The period of waiting is a test time. Uphold your integrity, love God and wait in all godliness.
3. Focus on building a relationship. It is so easy to be heartbroken when prayers are not answered during periods of waiting. All hope seems lost when we do not get what we expected. I find waiting on God to be a time where a relationship is established. Focus on the one you are waiting on not the material things you to receive from Him.

The waiter benefits out of the satisfaction of the client. The better you behave, the more tips you will receive. The smarter you are, the more tips you will get. This is where satisfaction sets in. Our strength is renewed out of the satisfaction of our Father.

• Don’t wait on God for ‘tips’ . The tips are side benefits. The main deal is how to please God as you wait on Him.

• It is out of pleasing Him that everything else comes. Wait on God, behave well and serve Him.

• The relationship formed between God and the waiter is more important than the tips he receives. Out of the relationship, everything else flows.