We are constantly waiting for something. We wait for a call back, to receive our salary, for our order to be sent, and many other things. Waiting is part of everyone's daily life, even though we possess different levels of patience. The Bible talks in many places about waiting for the Lord. In Psalm 27, verses 13-14* David writes: "I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart. Wait, I say, on the Lord!"
But what does it mean to wait for the Lord? We wait for Him to act – to deliver, to answer prayers, to provide for needs, to renew our strength, to reveal His will. He is the one who created heaven and earth, who "gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist" (Rom., chapter 4, verse 17*). We are weak and limited humans. That is why whatever we are waiting for, we wait for it from Him.
It is probably not easy for us to wait. Sometimes it seems that this is all we do. Time passes and nothing happens. However, God has a different perspective. He is not limited by time like we are.
The Lord uses our waiting to reveal His glory and to teach us patience and trust. When Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha, becomes gravely ill, the two women inform the Lord Jesus of this. However, He does not hurry. According to their understanding, He delays and arrives only when it seems too late. Lazarus has already been in the grave for four days. In Martha's words, we see disappointment, and perhaps reproach: "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died" (John, chapter 11, verse 21*). However, God's plan is for Christ to be revealed as "the resurrection and the life" (verse 25*). When He resurrects Lazarus, many people believe in Him.
The Lord already has a plan, but it is possible that His plan includes waiting on our part. So let us be of good courage, strengthen our hearts and wait for the Lord!
* Bible quotes are from Bible, revised edition © Bulgarian Bible Society 2015