God's Waiting Room

 But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Savior;
my God will hear me.

– Micah 7:7

The Information Age has launched countless time-saving innovations that have simplified our lives and made the most of our busy schedules. For example, we can book our flight and hotel reservations on a website rather than waiting on the phone for a customer service representative. And instead of standing in line at the bank to deposit a paycheck, a tap or two of our smartphone accomplishes the task in mere seconds. That said, waiting is still an inescapable reality for most of us. Obtaining a driver’s license can mean a morning (or more) at the DMV — and who knows how long your car will be in the shop for repairs. On average, we’ll spend five years of our life in lines!

Few people like to wait, and multi-tasking to make the most of down-time has become a valued life-skill. But waiting isn't always a waste. In fact, it’s an essential part of God's plan for our lives: a process that enables us to become. This concept might be difficult to grasp because the human viewpoint of time differs greatly from that of our Creator. Thankfully, the apostle Peter helps to put it into perspective.

"But do not forget this one thing, dear friends," he wrote. "To the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years is as one day."

As Christ-followers, we must understand that what happens while we're waiting is often more important than what we're waiting for. Ask anyone who has spent grueling hours at the hospital contemplating the health and future of a loved one. Did their soul-searching experience bring a closer dependence on God? It should have. After all, it's when we're so humbled and powerless that we realize we can do nothing on our own.

So maybe our never-stop, 24/7 world actually revolves around waiting. Let's therefore make the most of our time in God's Waiting Room — a place where we can look for ways and opportunities to say yes to him with a sense of expectancy and hope.

"Be still, and know that I am God," we read in Psalm 46:10. "I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."