God’s Waiting Room

"I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’"

– Isaiah 46:10

We live in a 24/7 world of hurry — one of instant messaging, Amazon Prime, and microwave popcorn. And just about anything we want is available through a mere tap or two on our smartphone. But take another look, and you'll discover that we're not always on the move. On average, we spend between 45 and 62 minutes per day just waiting, such as in traffic or at the grocery store checkout. And for many folks, this adds up to about five idle years over a lifetime.

Few people like to wait, and multi-tasking to make the most of downtime has become a valued life-skill. But the fact is that waiting isn't always a waste. Instead, it can be 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 our Creator’s. Here’s how the apostle Peter puts it into perspective:

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

We need to 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's when we're so humbled and powerless that we realize we can do nothing on our own.

The good news is that Christ-followers like you and me are a people with a future. And as broken as we are, God promises to rescue and restore us through his coming Messiah — Jesus. So, let’s 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. As Psalm 130:5 reminds us:

"I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope."