All In Good Time

      Most of us live in the state called "busy" where our lives are scheduled by jobs, children, meetings or a host of other projects.  Then, suddenly, it all stops dead in its tracks.  Now, we are busy in new ways with some parents home schooling their children, working from home, or fixing things that need repair.  Yet, it is not the same as before where we had social interaction, and to be honest, it is hard to wait for life to return to the way it was before our unseen enemy, the virus, arrived.
     Life is filled with times where we have to wait for something to take place.  We may be waiting on test results, our jobs to return or business to re-open again.  Whatever it is, we can know that God is there with us through this period of time.  I find this comforting to know that His timing is perfect
     In Psalm 130, the author tells us of how he is resting in a period of waiting for God.  Verses 1-5 read:   "Out of the depths I have cried to You, O Lord; Lord hear my voice!  Let Your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.  If You, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?  But there is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared.  I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His Word do I hope."  The beauty of these verses reveals a heart that calls upon the Lord even in the darkest times.  Waiting on the Lord is often hard.  We live in such a world of instant gratification, but there are seasons when God tells us to patiently wait on Him.  The Psalmist also knows that God will hear him because God has forgiven His sins.  This is an assurance that we need to remember as well.  In Christ, we are redeemed, forgiven and cleansed so that we might be able to approach the throne of grace.  When waiting gets hard, our Father in heaven will hear us when we pray because of the blood of Jesus Christ.  What a great thought!  No putting us on hold, voice recordings that tell us what number to push next or any other hindrances between us and our heavenly Father.  We have His ear immediately.
     Secondly, in order to have hope when we are in a period of waiting, we need to know the Word.  Why?  Because it gives us hope!  As we read about various people in the Bible such as Joseph, David and Moses, we see how God interacted with them.  This brings hope for we see all the trials of Joseph and God's deliverance,  We watch as David runs from Saul's jealousy and observe God's protection.  In Moses, we read about a man who was timid about leading his people and watch as God transforms him into a great leader.  These are stories of hope for us.  We also see God's faithful dealings with His people.  This is a trust builder for us in times of waiting.
     One of the key verses in the Psalm is verse 5:  "I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His Word do I hope."  Twice the writer says he is waiting and this is hard for us to do especially when we are anxious to get back to normal activities.  I, for one, wish there was a set date at which everything could just go back to routine.  However, we don't know when that will be with 100% accuracy.  This is a virus we did not expect and we have never dealt with before; so we must proceed with caution.
As Christians, we are called upon to build up our endurance and that is why we find ourselves in this place right now.  We have to learn to persevere no matter what happens in this life.
      However, God has given us what we need to make it through this trial at present.  2 Peter 1:3 tells us:  "As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue."  No matter what we face, God has given us everything that pertains to life and godliness.  We can make it through grief, heartache, broken relationships and yes, waiting to come out of quarantine because God has made us able!  We have what we need even during hardship.
     A final verse that points us towards hope is found in Philippians 4:13:  "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."  Daily, we have to remind ourselves of this.  Our waiting is cultivating endurance which in turn produces perseverance.  God is our provider and sustainer and we must remember this during the boring days or the hard times.  When our time of waiting is over, we will find our strength has grown as well as our appreciation for the many things we have learned.    Let us wait on the Lord for He will never disappoint us...His plans are perfect.  Selah!