In the Days of Waiting

The test of patience is probably the hardest thing one would have to endure. While technology made everything so instant, the world became so accustomed to a hasty lifestyle. A new culture has developed in our minds that we do not deserve anything that would keep us waiting.

How, then, will you face a situation when the only way to get the best result in your life is to wait, however long it will take?

                                                            

For a person like me who is always on-the-go, wanting to accomplish so many things for the Lord, it was a challenge to obey God when He clearly asked me to pause and wait for His time.  

Endless it may seem, to wait can be a daunting task when discouragement, desperation or sometimes the feeling of being fruitless would dominate within. It may be hard to understand why there is a need to wait. In our human perception, it is very easy to forget that God is an omniscient God when He requires His people to wait. Oftentimes, we invite ourselves to think God might slip from His memory that we are stuck in His waiting room alone.  

 

Road to the highlands of Chata, Bontoc

As I walk on the road of patience waiting for God to lead me to another road, there were times my heart would faint. In the limitation of my understanding (Isaiah 55: 8-9), I asked the Lord many times, “Until when should I stay on this road?” Even Abraham, who trusted in the promise of God for a son, questioned God if He will perform His promise (Genesis 17:17).
Joseph, the dreamer, also had his personal struggles while waiting for God’s deliverance, which was evident in the names of his sons (Genesis 41:51-52). He even requested his fellow prisoner, the chief butler, to remember him when he leaves the dungeon taking that chance for his freedom (Genesis 40:14-15).

But what made these men in the Hall of Faith? How did they endure all their waiting years with a victory? (Hebrews 11)

I can only think of one answer. They do know who their God is.

Abraham knows that God is the Almighty. He listened to the voice of God and waited until he was a hundred years old before he received the promise of a son and the fulfillment of the covenant that he would become the Father of Many Nations. Joseph believed in the God of his fathers and walked justly before Him in all his days. He has proven the grace and mercy of God as he waited patiently for years until God revealed to him the greater purpose of all the circumstances in his life. Joseph never complained but acknowledged the goodness of God in his afflictions. These Heroes of Faith has fulfilled God’s plan for their lives by just waiting for God to move in His own time.

Woods in Sagada

The perfection of God’s time exhibited in the lives of Abraham and Joseph enlightened my ebbing vision of God’s faithfulness and providence. Following their example, I resolved on knowing God deeper and seeking to experience the richness of His power and might as I wait for Him to perform His perfect will for my life.

As God’s grace is given sufficiently I understood that God is the Arranger of my days of waiting.

Pursuing a deeper knowledge of God, my memory jogged back to the countless blessings He brought into my life despite my shortcomings. In fact, the beautiful picture of God designing the time to wait was already revealed before us.

Purple blooms around Sagada farms

The pine trees that stand so elegant had to count years to make the forest so exquisite. Likewise, the bamboos and other shrubberies had to take time to cover the mountains so perfect. The flowers had to go through the budding stage to blossom delicately. They didn’t just happen. They were made beautiful according to the One who holds the time. ‘Twas a privilege to enjoy the Lord and His greatness in all He has created. 

Sometimes, I would wonder what God is doing while I wait for His time. But then, demanding God for details before trusting His control of time denotes doubting the God Almighty. His faithfulness in time past is true until today, the assurance that to wait for God’s timing is good.

© John Joseph Lopez Buenaventura
Pine Tree Forest at Sagada