Waiting on God

My son was lost this week.

It wasn’t long, but it was enough to find my heart thinking of every possible terrifying thing that could happen to him.

I dropped him off at church for his evening class and reminded him that he can never ever leave the church and run the few blocks home in the dark without me. We go over this week after week, and he mumbles my words back to me as he drops his coat in the pile and eagerly takes off to find his friends.

Later on, I went to pick him up, chatted with his teacher, and after a while of not seeing him run by, I asked if anyone had seen him.

“He’s probably in the bathroom,” one little guy says, and takes off to go find him.

“Nope, not in there,” he reports back.

We scour the church and the gym. Someone calls the bus to see if he decided to get a ride home.

No one has seen him.

My heart racing, I sprint back to our house in my big snow boots, swing open the door while calling his name, and we both burst into tears at the beautiful, comforting sight of each others’ familiar faces.

It’s an odd feeling – that joy/relief meets anger cocktail of emotions that happens in those delicate moments when you discover your disobedient child is safe.

We hugged and cried, exchanged finger-shaking scolding and apologies laced with “I’ll never do it again,” and played slap-jack while the calm returned to our anxious hearts.

Laying in bed that night, my husband and I recounted how this is so often like us when we are waiting on God;

in the “not yet” space of time that can be more agonizing than being asked to do something difficult.

When our little guy didn’t see me, he took matters into his own hands.

That just struck a familiar chord with me. That “taking matters into my own hands” can be a great temptation to me.

Maybe not at first, but when God has given me pieces but not the whole picture and I am just…waiting. Waiting is NOT my strong suit.

When God is asking us to wait, we can be tempted to start doubting what God has planted in our hearts and take matters into our own hands.

Isn’t that what happened with Eve in the Garden of Eden?

Eve

Adam and Eve were surrounded by the most beautiful landscape you can imagine; all they could have wanted was right there in front of them.

Yet when that sneaky little snake slithered his way in front of Eve, it took her focus off all of the good gifts God had given her.

All of a sudden, instead of seeing beautiful trees and hearing the soothing sounds of the magnificent river, there was a snake with tempting words dripping with deceit.

He says these words to her – maybe you’ve heard them yourself:

“Did God actually say…”

This is the point Eve should have turned and ran.

There have been times recently that I have heard those very words. I knew God had placed truths and promises in my heart, and I rejoiced at how clear He seemed to lay things out before me.

Then entered that sneaky little snake.

First, he distracted me from the many good gifts God has placed all around me.

Then, he moves in closer to whisper,

“Did God actually say…”

That’s our clue to run. There’s never a time those words could lead to good.

I have gotten a little better about “taking every thought captive and making it obey Christ,” (2 Corinthians 10:5) although I have a long way to go.

God had already given me truths, and as I held this question up to the light of God, I could see right through it.

But sometimes, when we start to doubt or we’re tired of waiting, we take matters into our hands.

Sarah

Take a look at Sarah.

Sarah is yet another example from the Bible of someone who started to doubt God’s promises and took matters into her own hands.

God had already promised them children as numerable as a starry night.

But there was that agonizing time of waiting before He fulfilled His promise. A time to trust. A time to walk blindly, step-by-step, remembering and clinging to what God has promised.

But waiting is hard. And in creeps that doubt…

“Did God actually say…”

So she takes matters into her own hands. She offers her servant to her husband so they can have a child.

Desperation can make us do some really dumb things.

What to Do If You Are In A Season of Waiting

We can learn from Eve and Sarah by NOT doing as they did:

1 – Stay focused

Eve allowed the serpent to get in her view and made her lose focus.

Don’t let discontent creep in and obscure your view of the good gifts all around you. The minute you feel it come on, start thanking God for every possible thing you can think of.

Gradually you’ll trade the discontent for gratefulness, and the more you do this, the more it becomes second nature.

2 – Don’t Entertain Doubt

If the truths you were once certain God placed in your heart are being regurgitated as “Did God actually say…” grab that thought and bring it before the Lord. Ask Him to reveal if there is any wrong way, otherwise

“…hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.” Hebrews 10:23

Elisabeth Elliot was a missionary, author, and speaker whose husband, Jim Elliot, was speared to death in his attempt to minister to an unreached tribe in Ecuador. She continued to live with and serve the tribe and successfully continue the mission God had given her husband.

I’m sure there were many times she was tempted to doubt, but she says instead,

“Don’t dig up in doubt what you planted in faith.”

3 – Persevere in the Waiting

If you are in a season of waiting, hold on. Cling to His promises. Write them out in a journal and remind yourself of them every day.

There are many things He will teach you if you keep believing and stand firm on His promises.

Your God is faithful. He will ALWAYS make good on His promises.

If You Do Get Ahead of God

God is a God of mercy and grace.

When we do get ahead of God and take matters into our own hands in those moments of fear or doubt or selfishness, He is still good and faithful and true.

There were consequences Eve and Sarah had brought upon themselves and their husbands that were painful and difficult and could have been avoided if they had stood firm in the promises and truths God had given them.

But He never left them, always loved them, and continued to do His work through them.

These lessons can be a great humbling experience. I have certainly been humbled a time or two.

Bringing yourself before God and asking Him for forgiveness and another opportunity to carry out His plans in you is a beautiful, humble place to start if you’ve grabbed the reins from God. Just hand ’em back and decide to do things His way and in His time.

Father truly does know best.