The culture we live in is training us to be impatient.  When was the last time you waited for anything? 

• At the grocery store we have self-check out lanes so you don’t have to wait in line.
• At amusement parks you can buy a fast pass to skip the lines.
• Call ahead to restaurants ensures a table when you arrive.
• Order food, groceries, you name it over the phone so you can just walk in and pick it up.

Even while all the technology we have makes many things much easier, it also makes us available all the time.  I’m currently waiting for a friend to text me back. It’s been 2 hours since I wrote her, but honestly after 10 minutes I was wondering if her number changed, or she lost her phone, or if we’re not friends anymore.  I’ve been trained to expect immediate responses. I’ve been trained not to wait. But frequently in the Bible we are told to wait.

• Abraham was told he’d be the father of many nations, but it was decades before God gave him a son.
• David was annointed king over Israel as a teenager, but waited until he was in his 30s before taking the throne.
• Even Jesus, the Son of God, waited 30 years before beginning His ministry on earth and fulfilling His purpose.
• Esther waited a few days before presenting her request to the king.

Whether its days, years, or decades, waiting is a Biblical principal.  Beth Moore says, “we won’t see the fulfillment of our greatest purpose, if we don’t wait on the Lord.” I don’t like waiting because I feel like I’m not accomplishing anything.  I could be doing better things with my time than waiting. But in our waiting, even if we feel inactive, God is at work.  God is often preparing the hearts or circumstances of those involved.

Isaiah 40:31 says “Those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength.” The verse shows us that not only will those who wait on the Lord renew their strength, but that means that those who do not wait on the Lord will lose their strength. The longer your wait is, the more your strength is being renewed.

So the next time you’re at the grocery store, instead of searching out the self check out or shortest lane, challenge yourself to stand in the longest line.  While you’re waiting with your groceries be reminded that God wants you to wait on Him – His timing for your desires to be fulfilled, your purpose achieved, your dreams to manifest.  And as your waiting in line, wait on God, and know that your strength is being renewed.