Hosea 12:6 Why are we waiting?

Hosea 12:6 “So you, by the help of your God, return, hold fast to love and justice, and wait continually for your God.”

This past week, I was privileged to hear a homily preached about “what are we waiting for?” The point seemed to be that there is no better time than now to reflect on our lives and on God. If we have not yet committed ourselves to Him then now is a good time to think about doing so. I agreed with that sermon, but it started me thinking “why?” The fact that we are waiting seems obvious, but why are we waiting? Certainly we could say that we are waiting for the redemption of our bodies (Romans 8:23) or perhaps we are waiting for the Lord to return (1 Thessalonias 1:10) and drive our enemies away as did the jews of old. Perhaps we are even waiting eagerly for the hope of righteousness (Galatians 5:5) to consume us and make us anew, to renew us and justify us. Some of us are even waiting for the end times. Those are all what we are waiting for though, not why!

Knowing why we wait is difficult, as is the waiting in itself. I don't know about you, but I am impatient and have problems waiting for things to happen. I would rather get out and be doing something than sitting around twiddling my thumbs. That whole idea about waiting is what trips us up however. Just because we are waiting for something does not mean that we can not be doing something related to it. This is called multi-tasking (or just plane “being efficient with your time”). But why indeed are we waiting?

We are waiting because God told us to. We are waiting because God has placed us in a position where we must wait if we are to obey Him, despite our anxiousness to just “get on with it”. Right now God has put me in a place where I can do naught else but wait and pass the time until He decides its time for me to do something. In aviation, it is like having the tower put you in a holding pattern. In auto-racing, it is like being stuck behind the pace car for a lap or three or more. I don't like waiting and I do not know the reasons God has me waiting here, but I know that He knows and that must be enough for me. But I think of the parable of the talents, where there were three servants. The master went away and left his servants with a share of money. One just waited for the return of the master, but the other two went out and invested and worked while they waited. They were actively waiting.

To me that means there is a two-fold answer to the question “Why are we waiting?” We wait because God has told us to wait and at the same time we must get out there and be actively involved and stop just waiting around for His return, but start preparing the way for it! In Lamentations 3:25, we are told that “The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him.” So we must seek and wait at the same time. We must seek the lost, make disciples of all men, care for the orphan, the widow, the sick, the naked, the poor, the prisoner, and our neighbor. Must actively love with His love everyone we come into contact with while at the same time we patiently wait for His further direction.

This week, lets look at our waiting and try and discern the why as much as for what we are waiting, and then let us put our waiting period to good use!

Can you be obedient
To the Lord of all,
Though the earth should totter,
Though the heav'ns should fall?
Face e'en a disaster
With a faith-filled heart,
Knowing naught can harm him
Who with Christ will start?