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I wonder if you can now look back on some waiting period of your life and realize what God was doing for you then. I think of a friend who was in a very difficult work situation with a co-worker who was not only unpleasant, but malicious and aggressive. This co-worker deliberately told lies about my friend to upper management and played the political games to win favor with them and cause my friend to be in dis-favor.
Almost every week my friend would come to our Sunday class and share the latest story of what this woman had done to her. She was truly treated unfairly and unjustly, and it wasn’t right. But through it all, the one message that God gave her was “wait.” She was reminded that vengeance belongs to the Lord, and he would fight this battle for her.
So, she kept her mouth shut, refused to be vindictive, and continued to do her job with excellence. This went on for two long years; that’s a long waiting room. But then her difficult co-worker came down with a very serious illness that kept her out of the office for months. And during her absence management came to understand the truth. They saw that my friend was doing all the work; they understood that this sick co-worker had lied to them about my friend.
They proceeded to give my friend a promotion and rewarded her openly in front of the entire large department. My friend was vindicated by God, and she could then see how important it was for her to let God fight her battle and be patient during that long waiting period.
When this disruptive co-worker did return to work, she was placed in another department and was no longer given the prestige and importance she had before. God took care of this person in the right way and my friend was vindicated.
But suppose she had refused to wait. She could have complained and argued and fought with this woman, and in the process destroyed her testimony. Instead, by being willing to wait for God’s timing, she became a shining light in a dark world, and God honored her patience and obedience.
So, if God has you in a waiting room right now, learn to wait patiently. He has good plans for you, but you’ll mess them up if you insist on your timing. God is totally trustworthy, so let go and wait on the Lord.
