‘And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; ‘ Acts 1:4
How many times throughout the scriptures do we see the word “wait”? How many different people in the Bible are examples of having to wait for God to answer a specific prayer or to fulfill a promise He had already given? The word “wait” is actually used 129 times in the NIV translation and there are multiple people from Genesis to Revelations that had to wait for God to answer a specific prayer or for Him to fulfill a specific promise that He had given. In addition, there are many times throughout the scriptures that specific people or groups are told to “wait on the Lord”. Multiple passages also identify specific benefits of waiting for Him. So, thus the reason that I believe the Lord put this one simple word on my heart.
Among the last words that Jesus spoke to those who were with Him was to tell them to WAIT for the promised Baptism in the Holy Spirit in Jerusalem. So they did as He told them and returned to the upper room and continued in prayer for approximately 10 more days.
King David was one that definitely knew something about waiting. He was anointed as the King of Israel when he was only about 15 years old and did not become king until he was 30, including many years of hiding and trying to keep from being killed by Saul.
Hannah, despite being berated and ridiculed never gave up and kept going before the Lord with her request for a child year after year until the Lord answered at just the right time according to his divine purposes. (I Samuel 1:7)
Let me pause here to share a short personal testimony as it is both about waiting and similar to Hannah’s story. About 3 years into our marriage, my wife and I felt like it was time to have a child. We lost our little one to a miscarriage at 8 weeks. We would cry out every night, week and month for the next SIX years before we got pregnant again and were blessed in January of 2005 with our son. He is 20 years old now and as of this writing, we have a four month old grandson and another on the way. I tell you honestly, those were some long hard years, but we NEVER gave up on our belief that the Lord would keep his promise to give us a child.
So, I pause here to offer you a word of encouragement. Whatever the situation that you have been the Lord for, do NOT give up, do NOT get discouraged, do NOT stop asking. At the time HE has appointed the answer will be made manifest. We have a loving generous Father whom it gives great pleasure to give his children good gifts and has promised to provide ALL that we need.
‘Ask and keep on asking and it will be given to you; seek and keep on seeking and you will find; knock and keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you.’ Matthew 7:7
Wait for and confidently expect the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for and confidently expect the Lord. Psalms 27:14
But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait eagerly for it with patience and composure Romans 8:25
Those verses remind me of a very important, crucial even, word in our having a relationship with the Lord – FAITH!
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1
I believe that there are times in which there is a period of waiting because the Lord uses the waiting to strengthen our faith and trust in Him.
Finally, what is the result of patiently and faithfully waiting?
Yet those who wait for the Lord Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary. Isaiah 40:31
My friends, I know that we live in a McDonald’s, TikTok, Door Dash world where everything from entertainment to food and household goods are either in our hand already or can be in a manner of minutes in most cases. This led us as a culture to expect and even insist on instant fulfillment and gratification of our needs and wants. While the Lord is a kind, loving, and gracious Father, He is NOT an ATM or vending machine.
WAITING is about relationship. I believe sometimes He makes us wait, because if we are waiting for and seeking him for something, then he knows that we will reach out to him. He WANTS to spend every moment that He can with us. If we are too occupied with other things in this life that He has already blessed us with, then he may make us wait for something else simply to get our attention.
So, waiting is not punishment, or even testing, it is a tool He uses to draw us closer to him and to deepen and strengthen our faith and reliance on him.
Just like the first believers that waited for “the promise” in Jerusalem like He told them and He was faithful to fulfill it, He is the same yesterday, today, and forever and will fulfill every promise that you are waiting for in the present.
Wait for and confidently expect the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for and confidently expect the Lord. Psalms 27:14
[31] Yet those who wait for the Lord Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary. Isaiah 40:31
[4] ‘And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; ‘
[5] for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
[8] but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and as far as the remotest part of the earth.” Acts 1:4-5, 8
[1] When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. [2] And suddenly a noise like a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.
[3] There appeared to them tongues resembling fire, which were being distributed [among them], and they rested on each one of them [as each person received the Holy Spirit]. Acts 2:1-3
[14] Wait for and confidently expect the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for and confidently expect the Lord. Psalms 27:14
[25] But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait eagerly for it with patience and composure. Romans 8:25
[1] Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1