Waiting

 

A series on Pauls’ prayers
(Click on the link below to read the verses.)
2 Thessalonians 1:3-12 

[Paul was a controversial figure in the first century church. But it could also be argued that he was the most dynamic and influential apostle. In this series we’ll be looking at Paul’s prayers and what he has to say to us today.]

There’s a stop light in Columbus at the corner of Case Road and Riverside Drive. If you’re on Riverside Drive and get a red light, the wait isn’t bad. But if you’re on Case Road and get a red light, you might as well take a nap.

 

Waiting is not easy! When I’m ready to check out at the grocery store, I'll walk back and forth looking at all of the lanes to see which one looks like it will be the fastest. Invariably, I choose the wrong one. Waiting goes against our human nature because we want what we want when we want it. In other words, we want to be in control.

 

When Paul founded the Thessalonian church, the initial response was tremendous. Converts included “some Jews who believed”, plus “a large number of Greeks and quite a few prominent women”.

 

Unfortunately, the Jewish leaders were jealous. Because of this, they stirred up some troublemakers, started a riot and accused Paul of treason against Caesar. It became so threatening that Paul had to flee the city that night.

 

Although the Thessalonian church was well established, the riot had created so much animosity towards them that it resulted in continual persecution. Therefore, here’s what Paul prayed for the believers.

 

¹¹ So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do.  NLT

 

This begs the question of what does it take to “live a life worthy of his call”?

 

There’s some insight into the answer to this question that can be found from these words of encouragement that Paul wrote to the Thessalonians.

 

³ We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing. ⁴ Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.     NIV

⁵ And God will use this persecution to show his justice and to make you worthy of his Kingdom, for which you are suffering.               NLT

 

Paul confirmed that God was at work in their lives through their hardships. That God was making them “worthy of his Kingdom”. In other words, “worthy of his call”.

 

The problem with this is that it requires patience, which means waiting. It’s one thing to wait at a long stop light or a long line. But waiting for God to stop the persecution; or change an old habit; or change a loved one who is addicted; or get a new job; or heal an illness. These are in a whole different ballpark.

 

Yet, the benefits of waiting are incalculable. John Ortberg, an author, speaker and a former senior pastor, had this to say about waiting.

 

“Biblically, waiting is not just something we have to do until we get what we want. Waiting is part of the process of becoming what God wants us to be.”

Pray and wait. If there’s a secret to being “worthy of his call”, that’s it.

 

Copyright 2024 Joseph B Williams

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I Want Patience and I Want it Now

Psalm 40:1-8

 

Patience is a virtue. Did your mom ever tell you that? I know we did to our daughter, and now to our grandchildren. However, patience doesn’t seem to be a natural human trait. Driving on the highway will show you exactly what I mean. Our world seems to be less and less patient as we want everything faster and faster.

    

Even characters in the Bible had trouble with being impatient. Esau sold his birthright for stew because he couldn’t wait to eat. The people of Israel formed an idol out of gold because they couldn’t wait for Moses to return from the mountain. Peter cut off the ear of the servant in the Garden of Gethsemane because he couldn’t wait for Jesus.

 

But in today’s passage we read that David learned to wait patiently on the Lord. The Message puts it like this: “I waited and waited and waited for God. At last he looked; finally he listened.”  Consider how David learned patience.

 

After he was anointed to be the King of Israel and then defeated Goliath, it looked like he was on the fast track to the top. But Saul had a different idea, and as a result, David ran for his life. Hiding and waiting; that’s how David learned to be patient.

 

What could the benefits have been for David learning patience in this way? Again, we turn to The Message to glean some insight into this question: “Being religious, acting pious— that’s not what you’re asking for. You’ve opened my ears so I can listen.”  

 

The Lord uses the circumstances in our lives to help open our ears so that we can hear Him. By being patient, David learned to trust God, not religious rituals or himself. Just like Elijah, we need to listen for His “still, small voice”. It’s not an easy task to do in our impatient world, but we need to slow down. We need to turn the radio or TV or iphone6 off so that we can be still; so that we can listen for the Lord’s voice.

 

What was the outcome for David in waiting patiently?

“Then I said, “Here I am, I have come—
    it is written about me in the scroll.
I desire to do your will, my God;
    your law is within my heart.”

 

The Lord wants our heart. He wants our mind. He wants our soul. If we are willing to learn to wait patiently on Him, we just might be able to experience intimacy with the Lord that has no rivals.