Waiting

[A repost]

Ever noticed how much the theme of waiting comes up in the Scriptures?

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Two examples from the OT.

People waiting for Jesus:

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In Genesis 49 we see the kings from Judah promised as throne-warmers for the Universal King (v10).  In the midst of Jacob's many prophesies he says:

"For Your Yeshua I will wait O LORD."  (Gen 49:18)

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Let's leap over loads more and land on Psalm 130:5-8:

I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.  My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.  O Israel, put your hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is unfailing love and with Him is full redemption.  He Himself will redeem Israel from all their sins.

The LORD Himself is coming to redeem His people.  Wait for Him.  Watch for Him.  Put your hope in Him - which is strictly parallel to putting your hope in His word (interesting parallel).

Well the Universal King came and He offered full redemption.  So NT people are not people of waiting right?  Wrong.

Hebrews 9:28 explains:

Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him.

What's the distinguishing mark of the Christian?  Waiting for Jesus.

I could pick loads more but what about 1 Thes 1:9-10; 2 Tim 4:8 and Jude 21:

You turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, Whom He raised from the dead--Jesus, Who rescues us from the coming wrath.

Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day--and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing.

Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.

Do you have "expectant" mothers in your church?  I hope you're not dumb enough to ask them whether they've given birth yet.  But if you were to ask them how they're doing, you'll invariably get the response, "Still waiting."  There's an event in the future that's coming and it changes everything in the present.  How you doing?  Waiting.

That's the Christian's outlook on life.  Waiting for God's Son from heaven, longing for His appearing, waiting for His mercy and eternal life.

Do you miss Jesus?  Is there a yearning for face-to-face with the Lord who died for you?

When I was engaged to my wife we were on opposite sides of the planet.  In fact we did long-distance for over a year.  But here's what kept me faithful to her.  And more than faithful, here's what kept our long-distance relationship positively vibrant.  We were waiting for our wedding day.  And that expectancy shaped virtually every minute of our lives.  Simply waiting for this future state rendered any notions of infidelity unthinkable.  Waiting was not an absence of activity.  It wasn't a lack that necessarily needed filling.  It was not a nothing preceding a something.  It was a something of enormous substance.  Waiting in this sense is a tangible reality.

So it is with the Christian.

When we're asked how we're doing, perhaps we should respond like the 'expectant' mum or the engaged couple.  How am I? Still waiting.

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