Have you ever avoided any mention of tomorrow because you can’t even get through today? Forget thriving through life. You just want to survive. All the hopes and dreams you want are elusive. Like the Psalmist, you ask, “How long must we wait?”
Where is this land of milk and honey? Where is the blessing? Where is the healing? There’s no joy, because you are in the desert. Suddenly all the happy Scripture verses and trite bits of encouragement seem terribly hollow.Music doesn’t cheer. Books no longer intrigue you. Friends bore you. Teachings sound inconsequential.
There’s no doubt in your mind that you heard the call – it was clear and loud. But it’s been a long time and here you are, waiting on a miracle, hoping for a sign, asking for a whisper.
And there’s nothing.
Who wants to wait?
Waiting is no fun. And I admit, in these times we don’t want for anything. We want expedited shipping and instant updates and up-the-minute status reports. Technology has taken the lessons out of life.
I remember when I got my learner’s permit. I was 15 1/2. And those six months before I could my license were excruciating. I was ready right now! I was tall enough. I was smart enough. And how difficult could this driving thing be? That is, until I scraped my parents station wagon against a street sign. I wasn’t ready.
So I had to wait another three months. And I learned the rules of the road. I learned how to use mirrors. I learned how to anticipate. But most of all, I learned how to wait.
Embrace this place.
Before David was the king of Israel, he oversaw his father’s flocks. No amount of pleading could ever drown out the bleating. The sheep just wouldn’t listen. It had to be a miserable life for a precocious little boy.
Often alone, he would write songs and poetry. He talked to God. He was a loner’s loner.
So when Jessie lined his sons up for the prophet to anoint, David was left out of the pickings. Still, Samuel knew there was another — a boy who was nothing to look at on the outside, but was just right for the job on the inside. David was annointed as King. But he didn’t ride a processional back to the palace. He didn’t get his pick of servants or have people start kissing his ring. He went back to the sheep, and there toiled for 15 years.
That’s a long time to wait. Even though he was annointed, he wasn’t ready. He was only 15 — still on a learners permit. He needed to learn how to lead and to fight and to trust God. And those lessons don’t come with a six-month permit.
Pastor Andrew Mattrone preached out of this passage last week. And he encouraged all of us to not flee from our aloneness, to be patient in our season, to wait on God. He talked about the now-ancient process of developing film. “Trust the developer,” he said
I remember dropping film off at the Fotomat booth in the parking lot outside of Safeway. It would take 5-7 days before the prints came back. Overnight processing came at a premium. Now we have digital – instant photos. Andrew reminded me that we no longer appreciate the time it took for a good photo. There was a process – from tray to tray that couldn’t be rushed.
Soon, Polaroid photos were a hit – because you could have your picture in just a minute. Skip the development process, even though the resulting photo was garbage. “At least I didn’t have to wait.” What other sacrifices am I making, simply because I’m impatient?
God is more about the process. We are more about the instant. We want the image of ourselves to be perfect … right now.
As Andrew said, “God has to do a work in you before he can do a work through you.”
Are you in a dark place, waiting for the developer to finish so you can see the light of day? Andrew gave three pieces of advice. Be faithful. Be obedient. Trust God.
“Embrace this place”
Or as David Carradine was told in the 70’s TV hit, Kung Fu.
“Patience Grasshopper”
Many thanks to Andrew Mattrone for preaching this message. As a young man, I can see God’s hand on you. Continue to wait on him. When you feel discouraged, remember this word that God gave you.
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