Art of waiting for the Lord- God is cooking us the finest meal!

What does waiting for the Lord mean?

"But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint." Isaiah 40:31

"Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD." - Psalm 27

Most of us in this instant want the quick fix; we have lost the art of waiting. If it doesn't happen now, we get the feelings it's never going to happen. That makes us feel uncomfortable  We start to feel as if we are no longer in control. If God doesn't answer our prayers immediately  or within a fairly short time, we start to suspect that something must be wrong, that He is mad at us, or not hearing us, or that the answer was no. Patience has become a neglected word. 

Throughout this month I have learned that waiting for the Lord means hoping and expecting God will answer in His time, knowing that He has the best result for us. Still, am I supposed to wait God out? Let enough time go by, just sit here and hope that something happens? As I come to know God more, it certainly doesn't mean passively waiting for opportunities to come.

'Hope' in Hebrew translates to: tikvah. Other dictionary definitions for hope is  trust, look eagerly for; gather, bind (twist). I imagine strands being gathered and twisted together to make a rope. God; however, is collecting strands. 

The process of waiting for the Lord is like waiting for Him to weave together a bunch of strands into a strong rope. For example, I did not get into medical school, but it is now becoming more clear to me why. God is teaching me to wait. To learn to be patient among many things. Throughout this past month, I have seen there is so much more God needs to weave together before that rope is strong. 

Here is my insight and process of waiting and hoping in the Lord: 

The first strand of rope is me. I know that once I learn my lesson: to have my priorities lined up to seek God's will, God will promise to give me a job that I love. He also loves me and knows my desires, but first I need to change my perspective. Then there's another strand like my family to learn to love and work together; and many more that I might not presently see. I know this is true because of what I am witnessing right now, how I am able to be deeper in thought about visions for my family and me- a desire to be sanctified. For me to grow in love, learn forgiveness. I know there's a lot of work to be done while I am waiting for the strong rope to be tied, but I know God's at work weaving these strands together. And because He created the heavens and the earth, how can He not weave together a strong rope? 

I love food so here's another analogy. 

God's the cook, cooking me a 10 course dinner. I know it will be good because of the reviews from the Bible I have read, but it takes time for each meal. God is cooking the best result for as many people who wants to be seated at the table of God's restaurant. So waiting means to be patient, to HOPE, to stay strong and not to change my perspective or doubt God or think He is punishing me.
Because God understands our anxious hearts for this wonderful meal, that's why Psalm 27 says, "Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD."  In Physiology, I learned that before we even see food, our Cephalic phase is initiated. When we think of food, our body secretes enzymes to get ready to digest the sugars we are going to eat! It's ok to be anxious sometimes, but God encourages us with His promises.

Before we wait for that perfect meal, we have to first be in the same restaurant as God; we can't be in a different restaurant. Next, we have to also order food. What kind of food? God is loving and is the most healthy cook knowing what's good for us; He has a whole menu planned of the most perfect- healthy and appealing to our senses kind of food. He is the best cook! He doesn't care as much what we eat, as long as it is healthy to our bodies; He will reward us with our desires when we ask for it (obviously first again we must enter into the same restaurant). Then we need to help set up the table, invite people in to enjoy the meal- it doesn't call for passiveness. Remember God is not just any chef and doesn't have favourites but He's an efficient chef, He wants to cook for as many people as possible. He wants to cook to make all His people happy. When God gave David the promise to make Him the greatest man, God also referred to all His people. So He wants us to invite people in to enjoy the meal and to witness His magnificent works. Another funny thing is that if we order something God knows is not right for us, He might completely reject to make it, or He might give us a taste tester to show you how repulsive it is! Once we wait on the Lord patiently knowing that it is going to be good and for our good, we are hoping in confidence that He is the best chef cooking the best meal. Then when the time is right, the tables are set, everyone is seated, God will serve out the best 10 course meal ever, ever. . . Who wants to have a meal by themselves? When the time has come and we, "have waited for the Lord, He will renew our strength; we shall mount up with wings like eagles; we shall run and not be weary; we shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31 That's the food God cooks for us and WILL! Are you waiting?

Don't miss out on the best food ever in God's restaurant. I hope you're not waiting in another restaurant because there really won't be any good food served there no matter how much you try or how long you wait. Enter the right restaurant first! 

I call it an art because when we do see the true benefits of waiting, you want to give more time for God to cook an even better meal. You want to invite more people to come before you see the best meal ever so more people can enjoy! 

Prayer for M.I.A El Salvador Missions trip: 
I pray that when I am in El Salvador, that God will give me the opportunity to share my experiences- to give me the spirit not of timidity but of power, love and self discipline. During this time, there will be opportunities to share my testimony and to share the gospel, so I pray to be reminded of this story so I can invite more people to His restaurant and the joy it brings!