Habakkuk 3:2 “…If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.
Most of us hate to wait. But there’s always a purpose in the waiting.
I recently met with a woman who was struggling over advice someone had given her. When she placed it before the Lord, she felt he clearly said to her, “Wait.” This was contrary to the advice she’d been given to move on. So she asked what I thought. Interestingly, I had just been reading in Habakkuk. The scripture came immediately to mind. “If [the vision] seems slow, wait for it; it will not delay.” It proved to be the affirmation she needed. She knew the Lord would help her do what he asked.
Although we have an aversion to waiting, a lot of things would be impossible without the lapse of time. The birth of babies, the harvesting of crops, even the drying of paint requires a waiting period. Without waiting, faith could not develop. Neither could trust. Neither could the joy of anticipation. The Bible says waiting actually makes us stronger (Isaiah 41:3). But when those visions linger, we get antsy.
Remember this: God intends to use our waiting for good.
When Israel was stuck in Babylon as a consequence of their sin, Zechariah told them if they repented, the Lord would bless them. He promised a time was coming when God would return them to their homeland. They would rebuild the temple and children would once again fill the streets of Jerusalem. But while they waited, they were to “diligently obey” the Lord (Zechariah 6:15).
They needed time to develop a mentality of listening to God and doing what he told them to do. Their forefathers had rebelled. They had ignored the commands of the Lord. Now the remnant had the opportunity to set new patterns and develop into the people God called them to be by diligently obeying his word.
I think that’s pretty good counsel for us when we have to wait. Rather than giving in to our insecurities, let’s go about obeying God. Waiting doesn’t mean ceasing from all activity except wringing our hands. We can be sure if God is making us wait there’s a reason. At the very least, he wants to use the time to strengthen our faith and build our trust.
So don’t hate the wait. Embrace it.