Worth the wait
Advent is the time of expectant watching and waiting for the coming of Jesus (his birth). In our church we have an Advent Wreath and each of the four Sundays of Advent, a family selected by the Pastor will read appropriate scripture and light the candle. It’s a special time as we prepare our hearts for the celebration of our Savior’s birth.
Would you describe yourself as a patient person?
My answer would be, “It depends.”
In 1 Kings, the author vividly describes the contest between Elijah the Prophet and the prophets of Baal. Elijah vanquishes the prophets of Baal, but his elation from victory was short lived. The Baal prophets failed in calling fire from their God, but Elijah’s LORD sent a fiery display which left the Israelites with no doubt who was their God. However, King Ahab and Queen Jezebel weren’t impressed by the fire or the killing of their prophets. They swore vengenge against Elijah and, as described in Chapter 19, the Prophet fled toward Horeb.
Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. 1 Kings 19:3 (NIV*)
During the duel with the prophets of Baal, Elijah was confident of victory. But now, Elijah was terrified. He prayed for death. As we know, God had other plans and sent angels to Elijah with food and drink. After eating and resting, Elijah traveled forty days and nights to reach Horeb.
After arriving at his destination, Elijah was told to wait.
Wait? Elijah had run the gamut of exaltation of victory to the terror of impending doom. He had fled for his life, spent forty days traveling in the wilderness. Now he had to wait?
When is our waiting worth it?
At God’s directive, Elijah waited at the mountain.
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. 1 Kings 19:11-12
Elijah had a conversation with God.
Talking with God was worth waiting for.
The prophet Isaiah wrote of the coming of the Messiah (Isaiah 40:3) and the need to prepare for His coming. The Gospels record John the Baptist’s admonition to the Israelites of this coming messenger:
The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, as it is written in Isaiah the prophet:
“I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way–a voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'” Mark 1:1-3
As we enter the Season of Advent, we will be watching and waiting for the coming of Jesus. He will come, even for those who are impatient.
What are we doing to prepare the way for His coming?
One thing for certain–Our Savior is worth the wait.
*All scripture is NIV
Excellent reminder of the “joy set before us” in our waiting! He is working out His perfect plans and will not disappoint us in any way. Yes, He is worth the wait!
There is “joy set before us!” Thank you for sharing that happy hope, Wendy. I agree. God has an amazing plan for us and and when we are with our Lord, we will recognize that our joy was worth the wait. Wishing you a bessed week!
Am I as patient as I need to be? Not even close. A great question to ask as we enter this season of advent. I find myself urging Christ to return, but my pleas seem to be met with silence. The answer, I think, is “Be patient. There’s more work to be done. Focus on the work I’ve given you.” A great lesson here this morning my friend. Let us focus on what God would have us do, and let Him focus on those things that are His. In this way, we’ll be able to stand before Him on that day, giving Him honor and glory through the life we lived for Him. Amen! And I’m working on that patience thing, with His help. 🙂
Amen, indeed, my friend! I’m not as patient as I need to be either. In fact, I think God is sending lessons to help me develop patience (These challenges are trials, but I also recognize that God’s plan for me is greater than I can conceive of). Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us–your wisdom is much appreciated. Wishing you blessings this week and much joy for the Cross-Dubya family.
1 Kings 19:11-12 is one of my favorites Scriptures. I have always been awed by how God came to Elijah in a gentle whisper. The world can do so much talking and the noise can become deafening. Thank you for reminding me to patiently and quietly wait for Him, for He will come and it will be worth the wait!
Thoughts of God’s gentle whisper bring me comfort, Joanne. That the almighty Father will ease our fears and doubts with gentleness is so comforting. 1 Kings 19 vividly demonstrates the majestic power of our Father, but also the gentle tenderness of a loving Father who shares new lessons with us each day. I’m praying for patience!
Thank you, Katherine. Anything from God is worth the wait. Lord, help me to be patient and watchful as I wait.
Oh, me too, Annie! “Lord help me to be patient and watchful as I wait.” Thanks so much for sharing your prayer with us. Wishing you blessings during this season of Advent.
Thank you, Katherine! Your blog post was a thought filled way for me to begin celebrating the Advent. The most important fruit of the Spirit, at lease to me, is PATIENCE. As a former pre-school teacher, I prayed for patience daily. That doesn’t mean I always demonstrated the virtue then or now, but I have learned that waiting on God’s timing in all things IS worth waiting for. Waiting for His return stimulates a child’s wonder in me. I look forward to your future posts, Katherine. Wishing you a blessed and holy season.
Bless you for your work as a pre-school teacher, Kathy. I have the greatest admiration and appreciation for pre-school and kindergarten teachers. You all are God’s special angels sent to care for our children. Thank you!
Patience…I prayed for patience as a parent, teacher, and now as a grandmother. Of course we need patience in every aspect of our lives. Like you, I think it is one of the most important of the fruit of the Spirit, and one of the most challenging to achieve. Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. Wishing you a blessed Advent and Christmas.
As the Old Testament saints waited for their Messiah’s appearing, we wait for His return. You are right, He is worth waiting for! Thanks for this beautiful advent post, Katherine.
Thank you for your encouragement, Barbara. Wishing you a blessed Advent and a joyful Christmas. I hope you are able to be with family.
I love this story of Elijah. It is a great reminder that in our weakness He provides.
I love Elijah’s story as well, Jen. It’s such a poignant and reassuring reminder that God loves us even through our doubt and weakness and gives us the strength (through Him) to keep on going when we think we cannot take one more step.
We are eager for the wind and the earthquake. But our true heart needs find their fulfillment in the whisper. Waiting is hard. Waiting is worth the trial of our patience.
Oh, yes, Nancy! I agree. We want the excitement, the recognition, and reward for our work for the Lord. But God looks inside of us–He sees our weaknesses faults, jealousy. and faltering faith. He lifts us our of the pit of despair with the whisper. Love your comment, “Our true heart finds their fulfillment in the whisper.” That is so comforting. Thank you for sharing.
For all the things (or people, dare I admit) for which I’ve waited that turned out to be absolutely NOT worth it, I’m grateful Jesus’s coming and His answers to prayer are solid. Thanks, Katherine!
Your comment reminded me of how I have strayed from God’s path in the past. As you say–it was not worth it! But even in my weakness, shame, and sorrow, God loved me and rescued me. I am weak, but He is strong. Yes, it will be so worth the wait when we join our Father and see our loved ones again.
I am patient with other people, and that probably comes from teaching early childhood. It fruitless to be impatient with children. They get it when they get it. But when it comes to myself and my plans, I can be quite impatient when things don’t happen on my timetable — also fruitless. I call on this scripture during those times, “But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.”
Teaching definitely helped me to develop more patience, but I confess, I still have a ways to go when it comes to “my” plans. Perhaps like you, I develop a strategy to accomplish a task or project and I really expect it to go well. HA! More often than not, there’s always a clitch in my plans. Maybe it is good that I don’t give up and I still have that same optimistic hope for the next task. Thanks so much for sharing that verse of scripture. I continue to work on improving my patience. Blessings!
Patience, oh my! Some days are definitely better than others for me. But as hard as waiting can be, you’re absolutely right about it being worth it in the end — especially when we’re waiting for God’s timing.
Patience, on my indeed! Developing patience is something I continue to struggle with. But, I know that with prayer and God’s guidance, He is helping me do better. I just want to be better now! Sigh… Thank you for your encouraging response, Leigh.
I am definitely not a very patient person, and perhaps that’s why God often chooses a wait for my good. Thanks for the reminder. I’ve been considering the “wait” for the Messiah, and your post fit into my thoughts so well. I appreciate the reminder of Advent’s hope.
Such a thought-provoking post on our age-old problem of having patience to wait! I often have such a hard time discerning when it’s just my dream and when it’s God’s plan for me, but sometimes, I think it’s in the waiting that we begin to be able to see His plan . It’s interesting that we got into this same topic on our Refresh zoom this week. Thank you for your insights, Katherine.
Thank you for adding your insight, Kathy. I kept nodding in agreement. I also have a hard time discerning whether my actions are led by my own desires or God’s plan. I think waiting is part of God’s plan for us when seeking His guidance. That is when I sometimes fall short. I’m an action person and tend to sometimes make up my mind and take action too quickly, not allowing enough time and prayer to seek God’s response. Peace and blessings.
Waiting is hard for me when I think about all I have to do. That can make me impatient. The story of Elijah and thinking about Advent remind me that God’s timing is always perfect. I need to think about what God wants to teach me when patience is required. Thank you, Katherine.
Jeannie, you are voicing what I also need to do–pray about and listen to what God is teaching me when He places me into a situation where I must be patient (even and especially when I don’t want to be patient). Thank you for adding your wisdom and insight. Wishing you a blessed week.
Great message, even without the holidays.
Thank you for your encouragement, Martin. I agree, being patient, waiting for God’s plan, accepting His rest in our time of need, and recognizing that our Father supplies all we need is a message for our daily lives. Peace and blessing.