Are you willing to wait?

Are you the kind of person who is happy to wait for downloads, or couriers, or public transport, or phone calls?

In the instant-gratification world in which we live, we seek immediate results, and get frustrated when things don’t happen as fast as they can.

And when we’re impatient, it can easily lead us to act in a way that is unwise or ungodly.

In 1 Samuel 13, Saul chose not to wait for Samuel the prophet to perform a sacrifice, but instead he took matters into his own hands.

As God’s king, he was supposed to follow God rule, but as he faced the threat of war, he grew impatient, which resulted in him losing the kingdom to King David, the man after God’s own heart.

When God’s king, Jesus, was under great distress in the Garden of Gethsemene, he chose to patiently and obediently follow God’s rule, even though it would cost him dearly.

King Jesus patiently and obediently followed the Lord in his time of trial and distress… and in doing so, he went to the cross, where he died for our sin, and from where he rose to bring us the guarantee of eternal life.

As we get frustrated with waiting for answers to prayer, we can be tempted to take matters into our own hands, disobeying God’s word and acting independently of his rule.

But we must model ourselves on Jesus our Lord, who cried out to God, “everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” (Mark 14:36)

Praise God that Jesus was not impatient and that he was willing to follow his father’s command, even when to do so would bring him pain.

Praise God that his perseverance and obedience led to the glorious tragedy of the cross!

JODIE McNEILL

(Photo credit: Heiner Engbrocks via Flickr)