Why All This Waiting? : Part 2

When God Waits: Making Sense of Divine Delays
By Jerome Daley

(Page 2 of 4)

Months back I was pondering the rather staggering waiting season that my favorite biblical hero, David, endured. The prophet Samuel had already anointed David king of Israel, but he was nowhere near the throne. Not only was David's reign over Israel not seeming to move toward reality, but all indications were just the opposite. King Saul was doing his best to kill the shepherd boy who posed such a threat merely because he was breathing. Gradually it began to dawn on me that David was not an aberration. With a mixture of fascination and dread, I began to review the stories of various biblical leaders - the movers and shakers we go to for inspiration. And guess what I found? Almost every man or woman whose story wound up in the Bible spent significant years doing one thing: waiting!

I'm not talking about waiting for the time they would be called to leadership. These people had already received God's call, the dream was in place, the vision had been cast. But still they had to wait - after God had spoken a purpose or destiny for their lives. To all outward appearances, nothing was happening. Or in David's case, his life had been a lot easier before God decided to name him the next king of Israel.

As much as I resist this idea, there appears to be a defining pattern in the plan of God: waiting necessarily precedes fulfillment. I'd love to be wrong on this, but I am becoming more convinced that waiting is inescapable. Waiting 101 is the prerequisite class for Intermediate Ministry, and often Waiting 201 comes before Advanced Serving. And I'm not talking about only those who are called to full-time Christian service. I'm talking about people called to full-time living! Living successfully in the Kingdom of God requires mastering the rare art of waiting well.

Dare We Still Dream?

Are you caught in that long season of waiting? Are you struggling to get into gear so you can pursue what you were made for? Be encouraged: time spent in the weakness of waiting is time that God uses to forge the soul of destiny. It is rare that God's people stumble into seasons of anointing and purpose without first enduring a great deal of preparation. It's more true and much more common that God's people first do a lot of waiting. These are the people God raises up to instigate renewal and action.

God wants us to fully experience the weakness of waiting. And in the midst of this waiting, God offers a word of hope: "[Don't] become weary in doing good, for at the proper time [you] will reap a harvest if [you] do not give up" (Galatians 6:9). Can you receive that promise into your current place in life? I encourage you to pause right now, close your eyes, and let that word of truth wash over you.

Perhaps you don't see yourself as a commissioned hero, not a great leader like the biblical men and women I listed earlier. Maybe your sense of calling seems very small - to raise children, to make a career, to know Jesus better, to serve in the church. Whatever your calling, the dreams that God plants inside you are powerful for the Kingdom of God! And they are yours to be stewarded well.

When I was in college, my friend Jeff used to talk about being a world changer. He said he knew deep down that he was supposed to accomplish big things for God. I admired the overarching sense of leadership that he felt, but I couldn't relate. Jeff was charismatic, winsome, and likable - a natural leader. In contrast, my world felt comfortably small and known. My ambitions didn't rise much above having good friends, encouraging people to know God, and playing in a worship band. To be honest, they still don't! But I'm learning to dream, learning to believe that what God has begun, he will finish in my life. And in yours.

The Gift of Destiny

When it comes to dreams, there are those few people who reach for the stars. The rest of us are mostly afraid. Afraid to dream, afraid to take risks, afraid to fail and make a fool of ourselves. It feels much safer to go with the flow, to set ordinary goals that we can reach by ordinary means. But like it or not, we were made for more. God designed us for both agonies and thrills, defeats and victories.

Henri Nouwen in his book Can You Drink the Cup? reflects on sacred moments around his table as he was growing up, when his father would ceremoniously lift a glass of wine to toast family and guests. Looking back at the impression those times made upon his soul, Nouwen says this:

Lifting up the cup is an invitation to affirm and celebrate life together. As we lift up the cup of life and look each other in the eye, we say: "Let's not be anxious or afraid. Let's hold our cup together and greet each other. Let us not hesitate to acknowledge the reality of our lives and encourage each other to be grateful for the gifts we have received."

Whether we realize it or not, God has given us the gift of destiny - every one of us. That destiny may be quiet and unnoticed by others, or it may be center stage in the public arena. But one thing is certain: laying hold of our destiny is vital to the interests of God and the satisfaction of our souls.

Copyright © 2005 by Jerome Daley.

About the Author

Jerome and Kellie Daley cofounded oneFlesh Ministries after serving for ten years as worship pastor and leader of women's ministries in a local church. Through oneFlesh, they call people to pursue a life of intimacy with God and one another. Jerome is the author of Soul Space and When God Waits. He holds a master of arts in New Testament from Columbia Biblical Seminary, and Kellie holds a master of arts in educational ministries from the same institution. The Daleys live in Greensboro, North Carolina, with their three children.