Good Things Come to Those Who Wait
by Brandy Webb
Waiting for something to happen requires a lot of patience. It requires a lot of faith. It requires a hopefulness that can’t be quenched because of time. It is also a character-building moment. It takes a lot of character to wait patiently for an end to a trial, an accomplishment of a goal, an answer to a prayer, etc…
Well, there is one outcome we all should be patiently waiting to occur. Many of us hope that it will happen in our lifetimes, as those before us did, and this season of the year reminds us of what we are waiting for, the return of Christ.
The Feast of Trumpets is right around the corner to mark the beginning of God’s fall Holy Days, and the end of His Holy Day calendar. I know that sometimes it is really hard to wonder if the fulfillment of the fall Holy Days is ever going to happen, but we must accept that God’s time is much slower to us than our time. One day to Him is like a thousand years. We may think He is taking His time, but to Him it is going by really fast.
We also have to understand that God doesn’t wish any to perish (2 Pet 3:9). We may think that He needs to speed things up, but may be saying not yet because He wants more to come to Him and be saved. Think of it this way: if God decided to end the world a hundred years ago, we probably wouldn’t have ever existed. Aren’t you glad that He waited?
I know this world is evil and hard. I know that it gets rather frustrating to see the pain and suffering. I can’t explain why these things happen because right now I see through the glass darkly. But, just because a bad thing happens doesn’t mean God can’t use it for His good and for His glory. Remember the story of the man who was born blind. The man didn’t do anything to deserve being born blind, but he was. Why? So that the glory of God could be revealed through Christ. The man was born blind so that Christ could heal him (John 9:1-7). Am I to question God’s tactics on getting His message across? No, I’m not smart enough to ever question God. I may ask Him questions, but I can’t tell Him that he should have done things differently.
As we wait for Christ’s return and the end of Satan’s world let us hold fast to the Scriptures. Let us make sure that we set our minds on the Spirit of God and strive to do what the Spirit desires (Rom 8:5). We must not let our flesh govern us (Rom 8:6a). Instead, let us be “governed by the Spirit” so that we can have life and peace (Rom 8:6b).
We must continue to fight the fight. We must continue to walk in the Spirit and win the race. We must endure this life holding fast to the hope within us. Embrace God’s Spirit, accept His guidance and comfort “for those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God” (Rom 8:14). We all want to be children of God, joint-heirs with Christ, but in order to become this we must accept that this means we will “share in His suffering in order that we may also share in his glory” (Rom 8:17). However, no amount of sufferings in this life can compare “with the glory that will be revealed in us” (Rom 8:18).
Remember all of creation groans for Christ’s return (Rom 8:22). Be of good courage, though, and hold fast to our hope in understanding that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him who have been called according to His purpose” (Rom 8:28). The world may doubt Christ’s return because it hasn’t happened yet, but let us not doubt, for we do not know whether or not His waiting is for us to grow more in Christ or for some unborn baby to have a chance to know who their Redeemer is.
Therefore, as we go into the fall festivals, let us hold fast that, one of these days, we are going to have the full fulfillment of what God’s Holy Days represent. One day there will be an ear splitting trumpet blast that all alive at that time will hear. One day all will be made known and clear. May we rejoice this coming Feast of Trumpets in the knowledge of what this day represents, Christ’s return to be our King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Plus, hold fast to the truth that “neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 8:38-39).