Waiting

Did you catch Lynne's interview with Adele Ahlberg Calhoun?

She talked about wanting something so deeply...waiting for it so long...and how sometimes we do anything rather than wait - even make bad choices - because waiting is just too painful.

Have you been there?

Has your happiness been tied to something that isn't God - and you haven't waited for God to become everything to you?

Are you there now?

We get that. Lynne and I both get that. We have waited long for answers to prayer in our life. And I won't speak for Lynne on this but I'll tell you right out loud that I haven't always waited WELL.

Waiting is hard. My house has been on the market for over a year. That has been a huge test of trusting and learning one of my favorite things: patience. Doesn't matter what you're waiting for...when your mind is focused on it...it's hard.

But right now, God is calling me to SIT STILL. And He brought this to mind:

The Israelites were (still) wandering around...no doubt very tired of waiting on the Promised Land. Waiting on food other than manna. And in this particular part...waiting on some water. They were thirsty. A legitimate complaint. I'd whine if I needed a drink too. And God, who had provided water to Moses and the people once before, said to Moses:

“Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink.” (Numbers 20:8)

SPEAK to the rock. And what did Moses do?

"Moses took the staff from the Lord’s presence, just as he commanded him. He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, 'Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?' Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank." (Numbers 20:9-11)

He didn't follow directions. He was supposed to speak to the rock and instead, he struck it. He did that because the last time they needed water, striking the rock had been the command. But not this time. This time it was...speak.

I noticed as I studied it...that the method did, in fact, work. Water gushed out. They got what they wanted, but they got it in the totally wrong way.

And as a result, God said “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.” (Numbers 20:12)

Gulp.

In this season of waiting...my job is to sit. Sit and learn. Sit and wait for God to speak life into His plan...in His time and in His way. To resist the urge to strike the rock.

I have a feeling I might forget this, so I went out into the yard and found a rock and a stick to bring inside...one for home and one for work.

Because when all is said and done, I want to enjoy the blessing of His favor and I want to honor Him as holy. I want to prove faithful with the journey entrusted to me.