During the summertime, I love to watch baseball games. Of course, I enjoy watching the players, but I also find it interesting to watch the crowd. You can tell a lot about how much faith the fans have in their team by how long they stay at the ballpark when their team is behind in runs. Fans who leave the game early indicate they have lost hope that their team could still win. However, fans who believe in their team wait until the very end, confident that they can still gain the victory. Watching the crowd’s response to their team makes me think about my response to God. How long will I wait on Him?
David wrote in Psalm 40:1, “I waited patiently for the LORD.” Are you and I waiting patiently for the Lord? If we’re waiting, that means we’re expecting something to happen, we’re expecting our prayers to be answered. But the minute we stop waiting, the minute we stop expecting, we show that we’ve given up hope. Proverbs 13:12 says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.” I encourage you to wait until the desire comes, never giving up hope.
Waiting indicates that you value something. For instance, popular restaurants usually have long wait times. People are willing to wait longer there than they will at a fast food restaurant, because the food and service are so good. The customers feel their dining experience is well worth the wait. The same principle holds true in a doctor’s office. People will wait hours, because they value the doctor’s opinion. If the doctor can help the person get well again, the patient feels it was worth the wait. Enthusiastic music fans may camp out for days to get tickets to see their favorite artist in concert. To them, the entertainment they receive is worth the wait. However, we must ask ourselves this question: If people are so willing to wait for a restaurant, or a doctor, or a concert, how much more should we wait on God?
So, instead of giving up like the casual fan who leaves the game early, let’s be committed to wait on God and see our desires come to pass! Listen to the words of Jesus: “Keep on asking, and you will be given what you ask for. Keep on looking and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened” (Matthew 7:7, NLT). The key is to KEEP ON. Keep on waiting, keep on hoping, and keep on expecting! In the end, it will be well worth the wait!
Reflections 