For those who have been following our blog posts this year, you know that my word for the year is “wait”. Over the past month, I have been giving some serious thought along with studying the Word of God on the subject of waiting. My focus this year is in three areas: Waiting with Anticipation, Waiting in His Presence, and Waiting for His Timing. Today, I’m going to cover my second bullet in the art of waiting; Waiting in His Presence.
Two years ago, Jon and I felt the Lord leading us to start a new ministry in Henderson, NV. This ministry was technically called a church, but the design and format of the ministry was not the “normal” church model. We felt that God was calling us to something different. Our call was to reach out and minister to those who would not necessarily step into a traditional church.
We completed our Church Multiplication Network training and were off to start the planning and implementation stage of our new journey. Our original goal was to launch the new ministry in the fall of 2020. Then came Covid….
With quarantines in place and fear rampant in our communities, we found the word “wait” take on a whole new meaning.
Yes, we were already in the wait mode – looking forward to the Fall launch – but we were waiting with anticipation. We were making plans, getting the website up and running, scheduling things on the calendar, creating business cards, and other related materials. In short, while we were in the waiting stage, we were getting ready by focusing our time and attention on the end goal.
As Fall 2020 came and went and plans got pushed further back on the calendar, I noticed our waiting posture also changed. Since only God knows the future and we have been given no indication of when our lives and activities can return to “normal”, we had to hit pause, stop putting social gatherings on the calendar and look for ways to reach out and still respect other’s need for social distancing. We had to and are still learning to “Wait in His Presence”.
“Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
Psalm 46:10
Like everyone else, I have experienced my share of waiting in my 50+ years on this earth and, as I reflect on those times, I remember filling those waiting seasons with busyness. Whether it was waiting for a different job, buying or selling a house, the birth of a child, or a new ministry opportunity, I would busy myself orchestrating things behind the scenes thinking that by doing so, I would shorten the waiting process.
Was this method successful? In a word, NO! The only things it accomplished were distractions, physical and mental exhaustion, and frustration that God clearly did not understand my timeframe.
I take great comfort, however, in knowing that I am not alone in this tendency.
Luke 10:38-42 provides us a glimpse into the life of another who was challenged by this concept.
“As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
I can so relate to Martha in this. I like to plan and coordinate things so that the outcome is as I have imagined it to be. Some might even go so far as to say that I’m a bit of a “control freak”. (Those who know me should be smiling at this gross understatement.)
I find it harder to be a Mary. But when it comes to Waiting in His Presence, being a Mary rather than a Martha is clearly what is called for.
Mary “sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he said”.
When we fill up our time with busyness it can become a type of spiritual noise, blocking out our ability to hear God’s voice speaking peace, direction, comfort, and encouragement to us. We have to instead, take a cue from the Psalmist and “Be Still, and know that I am God”.
And just in case you men are feeling left out and think that this is just for the women in your lives, let me introduce you to Jonah, Peter, Abraham & Moses. Each of these men had defining opportunities where they chose to orchestrate events rather than Wait in the Presence of God for his leading and direction.
Waiting isn’t easy. But it is a part of every person’s life.
David knew all about waiting. He recorded the highs, lows, frustrations, and challenges of waiting throughout the Psalms. He questions God with “How long” and “Have you forgotten me” in Psalm 13 and documents his determination and assurance in Psalm 38: “Lord, I wait for you; you will answer, Lord my God.” In Psalm 27, he writes:
“I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”
God is not afraid of our questions and He is not offended by our frustrations, but part of Waiting in His Presence includes being still and listening. Remember, conversations require at least two participants. As we share our longings with God, give Him a chance to share His plans and purposes for you with you. Remember Jesus’s words to Martha, “Mary has chosen what is better”. This week take time to sit and Wait in His Presence. It will be time well spent.
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